Open Waters
Humans have been inventing ways to control water since the dawn of recorded history and almost certainly long before that. Among the most significant ancient hydraulic achievements, many have emerged from Greece where technologies such as the water wheel, positive displacement pumps, and the world's oldest operating fountain were all devised.
In a dramatic example of human ingenuity, Venice, Italy, scored a major victory in its fight to survive rising waters that have threatened its very existence. Nearly five decades in the making, the city recently raised a system of barriers preventing a potentially devastating flood.
Editor's note: Welcome back to Open Waters, the space where we explore the wide world of water in a series of blogs, book reviews, charitable profiles, and travelogues. The topic of this 2nd edition profile was brought to our attention by Wallace "J" Nichols, author of "Blue Mind" and co-founder (with Watershape University) of the Live Blue Foundation.
