Oceans (IMAGE) Weizmann Institute of Science Caption Dr. Itay Halevy of the Weizmann Institute of Science has looked to the distant past -- all the way back to Earth's earliest oceans. The model he developed, together with Dr. Aviv Bachan of Stanford University, suggests that the early oceans, right around the time that life originated, were somewhat acidic, and that they gradually became alkaline. Credit Weizmann Institute of Science Usage Restrictions None License Licensed content Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.