In a ground-breaking study, MIT researchers have discovered that light can induce water evaporation without heat, challenging traditional understanding of the process. The team observed water held in a hydrogel evaporating at rates significantly higher than expected based on thermal energy alone. The phenomenon, termed the “photomolecular effect,” occurs at the interface of water and air, where light efficiently triggers evaporation, even surpassing the theoretical maximum rate dictated by heat. This discovery could have wide-ranging implications, such as explaining natural occurrences like cloud formation.

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