Walking on Water

Entomology

Inspired by God's creations, we can find living things in nature to serve as models for many more technological innovations.

01 May 2024 | Eren Saglam | Issue 159 (May - Jun 2024)

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Water striders amaze us with their unique features that enable them to “walk on water.”
A water strider weighs only as much as three sesame seeds combined; this is enough to bend water surfaces, but it can't break them. Thus, the surface tension supports the weight of the water strider
The forward movement of the water strider is based on pushing a pack of liquid backwards. By pushing the fluid backwards, they were pushing themselves forward and maintaining their momentum.

Within the narratives of saints, the act of “walking on water” stands out as a recurrent wonder. While this situation is contrary to the laws of physics and is of course met with surprise by the listeners, it is a perfectly normal way of life for a group of insects, known as the long-legged water striders (Gerris sp.), who can hover on the water surface of calm ponds and rivers as if they were on land.

These brown insects usually stand still; but they are also created with an ability to act speedily on water and make sudden movements if somehow stimulated. In the process, small waves of water are formed behind them, which spread outward. The question that comes to mind is: How do they stay on the water?