Water molecule discovery will force textbooks to be rewritten

[Judi Lynn]

01-15-2024
Water molecule discovery will force textbooks to be rewritten

ByEric Ralls
Earth.com staff writer


In a remarkable shift from conventional knowledge, a recent study by researchers from the University of Cambridge and the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research reveals groundbreaking insights into the behavior of water molecules.

This discovery, poised to redraw textbook models, holds significant implications for our understanding of climate and environmental science.

Water molecules and saltwater
Traditionally, it’s been understood that water molecules at saltwater surfaces, or electrolyte solutions, align in a specific manner.

This alignment plays a pivotal role in various atmospheric and environmental processes, such as the evaporation of ocean water, which is integral to atmospheric chemistry and climate science.

More:
https://www.earth.com/news/water-molecule-discovery-will-force-textbooks-to-be-rewritten/

[NNadir]

1. This is a pretty big claim. Water has been subject to modeling in literally millions of settings.

The modeling has been very successful, and would not have been so without a profound understanding of water.

Extraordinary claims need extraordinary proof.

We'll see...

[eppur_se_muova]

2. Well, they would have to be highly specialized textbooks ... no change in Chem 101 at all.

The topics they are examining are fairly esoteric, though they have (as the article suggests) potentially wide-ranging implications for such things as the role of evaporation in climate modeling.

[marble falls]

3. What I love about science. It evolves. It admits that it got it wrong and announces it freely and it corrects.