One of my favorite 1950s science fiction movies is "The Monolith Monsters" (1957). A meteor crashes to earth, scattering its rock fragments. When one of these pieces comes in contact with water, it absorbs silicon from the environment and begins to grow into huge rock columns or monoliths. Eventually, the monoliths fall, shatter and give rise to new ones, as water makes contact.
Unfortunately, if a person is near one of these rock fragments which has been watered, the fragment will suck all the silicon from the person's body, turning him or her into stone. When a young girl begins to petrify in this manner, intense scientific research is conducted leaving no stone unturned, which reveals the human silicon deficiency caused by the rocks. Doctors develop a saline solution containing silicon, inject it into the little girl, and save her from a stoney fate. The formula then is applied to save others, as they roll into town from the countryside. Thus, water bearing silicon saves lives.
Now, 55 years after this movie was released, there is a report of a study performed at Keele University, UK, which allegedly shows that drinking a silicon-rich mineral water removes aluminum from persons with Alzheimer's disease. The study group, comprised of Alzheimer's patients, drank such mineral water for 12 weeks. For the majority of the study group, there was no deterioration in cognitive abilities, and a some showed improvements. The study apparently concludes, as a preliminary matter, that long term drinking of silicon-rich water can reduce one's exposure to aluminum and lower aluminum in the body, which for those with Alzheimer's disease may have positive benefits for the cognitive functions.
So, silicon in water--has science fiction become science fact?
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