Georgia Institute of Technology

As I was putting on my mask about to dive in, my instructor reminded me that I would be given a task to complete at 130 feet deep to test the effects of nitrogen narcosis — the potentially deadly alteration in a scuba diver's consciousness which affects their ability to make decisions, creates a false sense of security and brings unpredictable euphoria when diving deeper than 100 feet. Just before I jumped into the water, I hesitated. What if something went wrong and I could not manage it? But then I remembered why I was doing this: it was not only to become a better diver, but more…