If you haven’t seen it yet, check out this captivating video of the basilisk, famously known as the “Jesus Christ Lizard,” effortlessly running on water.
The scene is mesmerizing, reminiscent of Looney Tunes, showcasing a lizard that appears to defy the laws of physics just like the Road Runner.
The common basilisk is native to Central and South America, thriving near rivers and streams in lush rainforests. These relatively small lizards boast tails that exceed their body length by more than two times.
Males typically reach about 75 cm (approximately 30 inches) in total length, featuring three distinct sail-like crests—one on the head, one on the back, and one on the tail.
Territorial by nature, males employ these impressive crests not only to assert dominance but also to attract smaller females.
One of their most remarkable traits is their ability to run on water, a skill intrinsic to their survival against predators. Hatchlings are born with this innate ability.
Over short bursts of up to 20 m (66 ft), adults can reach speeds of about 5 km/h (3 mph), while younger, lighter basilisks might surpass that speed.
Researchers have noted that they run on their hind legs, flapping their front legs reminiscent of Kermit the Frog.
Biologist Tonia Shea made a significant discovery. In 2003, while pursuing her Ph.D. at Harvard University, she utilized a high-speed camera to analyze 30 videos of basilisks running on water in a 4.6 m (15 ft) aquarium, comparing their movement speed with terrestrial lizards.
The common basilisk’s locomotion on water is quite unique.
When traversing water, they swing their legs outward and stretch them backward, keeping their feet relatively stiff and plunging them into the water with a piston-like motion.
Basilisks predominantly inhabit regions near rivers and streams in Central and South America – Credit: Getty
A follow-up survey conducted the following year revealed that each step generates enough force to support the basilisk’s weight while propelling it forward.
The strongest force occurs during the initial half of each stride when the foot plunges straight down into the water, forcing water down and creating an air pocket around the temporarily submerged foot, significantly reducing drag.
This mechanism enables the basilisk to pull its feet out of the water with ease while maintaining forward momentum.
Basilisks are not only adept at hydrodynamics, but through evolution, they have developed both locomotor and physical adaptations.
Their hind legs are long and muscular, and their large hind feet feature scaly fringes along the sides of the third, fourth, and fifth toes.
When basking on land, these flaps fold against the toes; however, when on water, they expand, providing additional surface area for propulsion.
In summary, the basilisk, often referred to as the Jesus Christ Lizard, is a truly fascinating creature.
While a few other animals like pond skaters, fishing spiders, and certain grebes can walk and run on water, none do so with the same remarkable flair as the basilisk.
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In March, Patrick Gelsinger joined Intel’s executive team, just three months after being removed as the company’s CEO and facing litigation from shareholders. Gloo is a technology firm dedicated to what he describes as the “faith ecosystem,” providing Salesforce and chatbots for churches, along with an AI assistant designed to automate pastoral and ministry support.
Gelsinger’s transition comes at a time when the U.S. tech sector is re-engaging with political activities, as the second Trump administration revives religious conservatism in Washington, D.C. Some notable figures are funding Donald Trump’s re-election campaign and actively pursuing government contracts.
As the Executive Chairman and Head of Technology at Gloo (now free from shareholder lawsuits), Gelsinger aims to promote Christian values within the company’s initiatives. Silicon Valley, the state capital, and beyond have become focal points. He has attracted $110 million in strategic investments. His campaign encompasses a call for AI technologies that reflect Christian ethics, with high-tech products developed by Gloo designed around prevalent large-scale language models, customized to align with users’ theological beliefs.
“My life’s mission is to develop technologies that enhance the quality of life for every individual globally and accelerate the return of Christ,” he stated.
Speakers discuss trust conditioning in AI at the Gloo hackathon. Photo: Mike Mauser
Gloo claims to support “over 140,000 faith, ministry, and nonprofit leaders.” Although Gloo’s client base is smaller compared to major AI industry players, it’s worth noting that approximately 800 million users engage with ChatGPT weekly.
Gelsinger, a committed Christian, has described his “mission field” as influencing the culture of Silicon Valley. He observes a “very loud, very visible, very specifically Christian tech culture” emerging in the area. Scholars like Damian Williams from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte explore how religious beliefs shape technology, drawing parallels with figures like Peter Thiel and Andreessen Horowitz, who caution about the Antichrist’s looming presence without adherence to a particular technological framework. Katherine Boyle, closely connected with Vice President JD Vance, recognizes Gelsinger’s longstanding advocacy for Christian principles. In 2013, he founded Transforming the Bay with Christ, aimed at revitalizing the Christian spiritual movement in the region.
During a seminar co-hosted by a conservative university and the Christian Post on October 7, Gelsinger described AI’s development as “another Gutenberg moment,” a significant transformative change that parallels the Reformation. Just as Martin Luther used the printing press to ignite “the greatest age of human invention,” he perceives a similar faith-driven potential to alter history through AI today.
“The church adopted the great invention of its time to fundamentally change humanity,” Gelsinger remarked regarding the printing press. “So my inquiry today is whether we will embrace this? Can AI be molded into a technology that powerfully embodies the Church and its mission?”
Jesus Hackathon
Gloo aims to influence AI, Christianity, and faith technology beyond just Silicon Valley. The company also supports the Christian tech ecosystem through funding and events like a three-day hackathon that followed the seminar at Colorado Christian University. The event attracted over 600 participants vying for more than $250,000 in prizes, with participant numbers projected to triple by 2024.
Despite its growth, the hackathon faced challenges. Ryan Siebert, an AI product developer, discovered a vulnerability in Gloo’s latest LLM, which is not publicly available, and it provided him with a methamphetamine recipe due to prompt injection. He informed the president of Gloo AI about the issue. A spokesperson from Gloo mentioned that as the product is still in “pre-beta” development, participants were encouraged to test the new LLM and offer feedback.
Audience at the Gloo hackathon. Photo: Mike Mauser
Meanwhile, Gelsinger indicated that his message regarding Christian AI is resonating well in Washington, D.C. In a conversation with the Guardian, he mentioned introducing Gloo’s efforts to various legal advocacy groups and Congressional members. Although he didn’t specify the organizations or politicians, he noted that some Congress members have shown interest in integrating Gloo products into church activities.
Goo’s influence also spans conservative political circles. Brandon Showalter, a journalist for the Christian Post and co-host of the seminar with Gloo, expressed hope that society would view care for transgender youth as “unthinkable as an ice pick lobotomy.” An analyst at the Heritage Foundation, which is behind Project 2025, participated in a panel moderated by Showalter, providing insights on AI regulation. On October 17th, Gelsinger delivered his “Gutenberg Moment” speech at Liberty University’s CEO Summit, alongside keynote speeches from figures like Liz Truss, Michael Flynn, and Chick-fil-A’s Chairman, Dan T. Cathy.
Gelsinger appears just as at ease in these settings as he was as an honored guest at Joe Biden’s 2022 State of the Union address. Like a pragmatic industry leader, he also engages in public records and has supported political movements across party lines.
Gloo itself maintains an ecumenical tone in its messaging. The hackathon avoided political discussions and sectarian divides. In a Discord chat, participants shared plans to create an AI bot for a “biblical response” to the assassination of conservative figure Charlie Kirk, where organizers advised keeping conversations focused on Jesus, despite recognizing the relevance of politics. The hackathon team, comprised of Leah and Wes Brooks, produced open-source AI tools aimed at interoperability among faith-based and other applications, highlighting the diverse backgrounds of participants, including a female pastor. “I wasn’t even required to sign a faith declaration,” Leah Brooks remarked. Gloo also asserts it does not “prohibit” Islamic organizations from utilizing its technology.
Patrick Gelsinger. Photo: Mike Mauser
“We’re not aiming to take a theological stance. Our goal is to create a technology platform versatile enough for Lutherans, Episcopalians, and Catholics to effectively utilize it,” Gelsinger informed the Guardian. “We want to represent a broad spectrum of faith while also accommodating organizations that maintain a non-sectarian view,” such as Alcoholics Anonymous.
Gelsinger’s ambition is to integrate faith into AI technology. He leads Gloo’s Flourishing AI initiative, which assesses large-scale language models’ effects on human well-being across seven dimensions. Essentially, it evaluates whether a language model contributes positively to the religious lives of its users. This initiative draws from a research program at Harvard University’s human flourishing program. Models such as Grok 3, DeepSeek-R1, and GPT-4.1 score well on average for supporting users with financial inquiries, achieving around 81 points out of 100, but fare poorly in enhancing users’ spiritual growth, with an average score of just 35 points out of 100 according to Gloo’s metrics.
Gloo’s endeavors have yet to gain significant traction within Silicon Valley. A spokesperson stated that the IT department is “beginning to reach out” to leading AI firms.
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