Stanford Researchers Propose Microlightning as Key to Life’s Origins

A new study suggests tiny electrical discharges between water droplets could have consistently triggered the formation of organic molecules on early Earth.

The study introduces 'microlightning,' small electrical discharges between oppositely charged water droplets, as a mechanism for prebiotic chemical reactions.
Researchers replicated the 1952 Miller-Urey experiment by spraying water into a gas mixture, observing the formation of organic molecules like glycine and uracil.
Microlightning addresses limitations of the Miller-Urey hypothesis, offering a more consistent energy source compared to infrequent lightning strikes.
High-speed imaging confirmed microlightning events, showing concentrated energy sparks that ionized gases and initiated organic molecule synthesis.
The findings suggest water sprays from waves and waterfalls on early Earth could have provided widespread conditions for these reactions, complementing other origin-of-life theories.