Walking on water
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Walking on water is one of the miracles that the Gospels attribute to Jesus. An account of the miracle appears in the Gospels of John ([John 6:16-21]) and of Matthew ([Matthew 14:22-33]). According to the biblical narrative, Jesus sent the disciples in a boat, ahead of him, to Bethsaida, but when they were half way across the lake, Jesus walked over the lake and met them. The narrative states that the disciples were scared at first, thinking it was a ghost, but when Jesus revealed himself and got into the boat, they calmed down.
Walking on water has subsequently become a colloquialism used when a seemingly impossible task is actually being managed.
Scientific view
In April 2006, scientists placed a controversial theory in which they claim that Jesus may have actually walked on thin ice rather than water [link]. Scientifically, the suggestion was controversial because it assumed the Bible was a fairly factual piece of evidence in recording this event, rather than applying the scientific method to the Bible. Religiously the suggestion was controversial because it argued that the Biblical event could have been just an illusion.It is also possible to create the effect of walking on water, unassisted, by having the walker step onto an object that is submerged just below the surface of the water. A good example of this is Ron Barassi's involvement in the 2006 Queen's Baton Relay, where he traversed the Yarra River on a pontoon that was just beneath the water's surface.
It is also possible under certain circumstances to actually walk on water - by distributing the weight in such a way that surface tension isn't broken, there will be sufficient buoyancy to avoid sinking below the surface. In nature, certain animals, such as the Basilisk lizard, and Water strider insect, exploit the effect easily, having evolved into optimal body shapes and distributions for the task. There also exist pontoon-like shoes that humans can wear which so that they are also able to exploit the effect [One example of shoes that enable the wearer to walk on water].
Appearances in fiction
Besides biblical references, the ability to walk on water is often present in fiction in a manner designed to draw high degrees of awe.- In comic book fiction, the Flash runs at high speeds sufficient to keep afloat on water. This is also parodied by Dash of the Incredibles.
- In the manga and anime fiction of Naruto, advanced ninja characters use chakra control in the feet to be able to stand, run on, and bear weight on water.
- In the Chinese wuxia martial arts genre, some warriors may be able to fly or jump with the aid the water's surface. This is never explained by other than the depth of their training.
- In the reality show Criss Angel Mindfreak, the title magician performed an illusion in which he walked across the full length of a swimming pool in front of an audience, with spectators actually swimming around and under him (and even between his legs; he also kicked off his shoes midway) during the stunt. However, according to eyewitnesses, he was walking on transparent perspex struts; also no one is seen swimming behind or in front of him, or where he had previously placed his feet.
- In the videogame Final Fantasy X the summoner (Yuna) walks on water in Kilika while she performs the sending.
Notes
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