Surprisingly simple natural behavior is a fresh attention from scientists, as new discoveries suggest that small drops of water spraying produce light flashes and trigger chemical changes in the surrounding air without the use of any electrical equipment. This unexpected result may help explain certain weather phenomena and provide insights into how life on our planet began.
Professor Richard Zare of Stanford University and his colleagues found that when spraying clean water, it naturally splits into droplets with positive or negative charges. When these relatively full droplets approach, they release spark-like discharges, which the team calls “micro-vision lights.” Their discoveries appear in the journal Science.
Interestingly, this produces more than just visual displays. As the droplets separate in the air, smaller droplets tend to gain negative charges, while larger charges remain actively charged. When they are close enough, they produce a fast and vibrant reaction to illuminate and possibly affect nearby gas molecules. In short, this small-scale lightning can trigger chemical changes like storm lightning, but in a smaller, more manageable way, the change may occur more frequently.
Scientists creatively explored further explorations, mimicking the early conditions of the Earth by spraying water droplets into gases filled with gases such as nitrogen, methane, carbon dioxide and ammonia (such as it was common a long time ago). What follows is the creation of basic organic matter that is important to life. These include hydrogen cyanide, glycine and uracil, which are the basis of proteins and genetic material. According to the team, these shifts occurred almost immediately, showing the effectiveness of this approach.
Professor Zare stressed: “We have shown that when they are divided into smaller droplets without any external voltage, the droplets in the spray produce luminescence, which we call it microscopic.” The statement emphasizes how fundamental processes such as droplet formation produce great vitality.
The team used advanced tools to use sensitive detectors and high-speed cameras to track changes caused by these droplets. Their controlled tests confirm the release of light and the creation of charged particles (called ions, which are atoms or molecules with charges). It is worth noting that small lightning has enough energy to affect complex gases such as benzene, a chemical found in crude oil, and even rare gases like Xenon, a precious gas used for lighting and imaging, demonstrating the power of these micro sparks.
As Professor Zare said, “This microscopic line of sight can excite, separate or ionize surrounding underground molecules, resulting in chemical reactions occurring in the gases around surrounding water microbials.” This elucidates the wide range of potential chemical effects caused by sparks.
The natural environment may have been filled with such a small spark. Events such as wave collapse or mist formed near waterfalls can be common environments for microscopic shading. While large lightning strikes have long been a major contributor to shaping early life, this study shows that a more frequent and milder way of forming the same chemical building block. As the researchers explained, this observation provides an interesting explanation for the unique reactivity of the hydroelectric interface—the surface where water meets air is an area known for its abnormal and often enhanced chemical activity.
Zare further looked at, “We suggest that this universal energy could provide a pathway for the generation of C-N bonds of abiotic gas molecules expected to exist in the early days of Earth.” This adds another layer of correlation, linking natural and frequent processes with the theory of the origin of life.
This study raises exciting possibilities in the origins of environmental science and life, suggesting that powerful forces of change are not always dramatic or large. They may exist quietly in a squirt of water or a humid breeze. This discovery provides researchers with a new perspective to explore how tiny natural processes lead to major changes – whether it is cleaning air pollution or understanding the first step towards life.
Journal Reference
Meng Y., Xia Y., Xu J., Zare RN “The spray of water-sprayed microspirochete forms luminescence and causes chemical reactions in the surrounding gases.” Science Advances, 2025; 11: EADT8979. doi:
