Unveiling the Photomolecular Effect: Light Evaporates Water Without Heat

Researchers at MIT have discovered a new source of evaporation that could potentially surpass the transformative effect of heat on liquid water: light. Through experiments, they found that light without heat can evaporate liquid water, a phenomenon they call the 'photomolecular effect'. This finding challenges the traditional understanding of evaporation and could have implications for climate change modeling and desalination processes. The team at MIT is working with other experts to confirm their results and explore the potential applications of this discovery.