Adopting a More Fluid “Frame of Mind” in Hydrology

Nietzsche claims to have recorded a candid conversation between philosophers in the mid-nineteenth century (On the Future of Our Educational Institutions, Friedrich Nietzsche. Macmillan, 1910). They were discussing the future of education in Germany and a subject that arose was “the division of labor in science.” On this topic, one could replace “education in Germany” with “hydrology in general” and many of the philosophers’ concerns would continue to ring true. For example, they expressed alarm that “the division of labor in science is practically struggling towards the … decrease and even the destruction of learning.” This is an argument against the proliferation of “hyphenated hydrology” (Water Resour Res 53:2972–2982, 2017) specialties, warning that these specializations like “eco-hydrology” and “socio-hydrology” more often produce narrower, not broader, lanes for water researchers. In essence, the ever-narrowing lenses of inquiry by ever-diversifying specializations struggle to produce ever-incremental insights that add to an ever-deepening pile of publications that become ever-more challenging to assemble into meaningful learning (i.e., advancement of understanding). Given this, it is no wonder that improving water management becomes more challenging each day.