While reading Nov. 29’s issue of The New York Times, I learned that lakes are capable of being ingenious archaeologists.

Although freshman Rebecca Ye will not take her first biology course at Washington University until next semester, her expertise in biological research has the potential to revolutionize management of the world’s most important resource: water.

You may have heard people say, “Water is the new oil,” and in some very important ways this analogy is well drawn: Potable water is plentiful in some areas of the world and scarce in others. Additionally, water plays an integral role in our day-to-day lives, creates conflict, and is not a renewable resource (at least not with our current consumption and pollution patterns).

Water bottle lovers everywhere—the whole Fiji-toting, Nalgene-sipping, Dasani-drinking bunch—have reason for concern.