ERIE, Pa. (AP) — An Erie cancer researcher has found a way to burn salt water, a novel invention that is being touted by one chemist as the “most remarkable” water science discovery in a century.

John Kanzius happened upon the discovery accidentally when he tried to desalinate seawater with a radio-frequency generator he developed to treat cancer. He discovered that as long as the salt water was exposed to the radio frequencies, it would burn.

The discovery has scientists excited by the prospect of using salt water, the most abundant resource on earth, as a fuel.

Rustum Roy, a Penn State University chemist, has held demonstrations at his State College lab to confirm his own observations.

The radio frequencies act to weaken the bonds between the elements that make up salt water, releasing the hydrogen, Roy said. Once ignited, the hydrogen will burn as long as it is exposed to the frequencies, he said.

The discovery is “the most remarkable in water science in 100 years,” Roy said.

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One of the most important highlight in human history is the discovery of the use of metals. Its widespread use has always been associated with the rise and decline of early civilizations as it is that one group of mineral that humans are being so dependent especially in attaining social economic progress because of its important use as implements of war,agriculture and trade.

The underlying reason behind its discovery is not absolutely determined. It is only being theorized as most possibly the result of man’s curiosity that led to his discovery of gold, probably the first metal discovered and used. Gold’s luster and attractiveness might have aroused early man’s interest because it is readily available as nuggets found in rivers where most of early human settlements and activities occur.

The discovery of other metals other than lead followed much further in time because of the necessary high temperatures needed to release it from its ore which is only possible with the development of man’s discovery of brick-making which also give rise to the development of pottery wherein experimentations with various materials including metallic ores might have released the metals in the extreme heat of the pot-baking kilns and thus being discovered.

Historically, the period between 5000 to 4000 B.C. is the time when the use of metals fostered a dynamic kind of optimism for economic progress due to its excellent use as tools and weapons for defense and conquest resulting to expansion of domains and resources though real progress in this new field of metal extraction was slow. It then takes another thousand years before the science of metallurgy takes off and fully developed into a big industry for another 3400 years until it spreads worldwide for the succeeding 700 years from 400 to 1100 A.D..

The making or extraction of metal from ores or the preparation of the metal is strictly dependent on five basic materials and incredibly defying great odds for the ancient smiths considering the crude processes and tools available in those early period of metallurgical science development because any one of this five basic ingredients lacking would result to failure of the process of metal production and these are ore, fuel,flux, air and water.

It is just sad to imagine that throughout history, the major intent of man’s interest, effort and refinements in the production and use of metals is often marred with selfishness rooted on negative objective, for the implements of war, destruction and subjugation of fellow human beings.

The discovery of farming is the beginning of man’s progress. It is through this activity that the domestication of animals was also discovered which hastened food production through the use of beasts of burden and meat and dairy production. This in turn prompted early man to totally leave behind his previous means of living which was hunting.

It is through this period that man’s lifestyle incurred a radical change from its former nomadic hunting activities to agriculturally inclined means of living. This freed him from being so entangled with his primary source of food which were the migratory herds of beasts and thus give him time to experiment and discover many important ideas and materials which give rise to various fields of endeavors collectively contributing to humanity’s progress.

Farming as a means of living started in the later part of the Stone Age or the Neolithic period (New Stone Age), being characterized by its use of polished stone axes and simple pottery.

Agriculture or the production of food through the systematic raising of plants and animals which rise as a result to the discovery of farming and animal domestication began in the Near East on 8000 BC and spread to Northern Europe by the 4th millennium BC.

From those early time onwards it became the central element of human history as its progress has been a crucial factor in worldwide socio-economic change due to an inevitable proliferation of the wealth-building and militaristic specializations rarely seen in previous cultures brought upon by the freedom to engage and devote time to other projects other than food production which by then has contributed to an excess of food beyond the needs of families thereby freeing many individuals to develop and experiment various fields of activities.