Life may not have begun with a dramatic lightning strike into the ocean but from many smaller "microlightning" exchanges among water droplets from crashing waterfalls or breaking waves.

In a nutshell Water droplets create “microlightning” when they split, producing electrical discharges without any external power source These tiny electrical sparks can transform simple gases into complex organic molecules—including amino acids and RNA components—in just microseconds Since water sprays are far more common than lightning strikes,

The research, conducted by scientists at Stanford University, demonstrates that when water droplets collide and form spray, they generate small electrical charges.

A chemical reaction involving tiny flashes of light in water droplets may have laid the foundation for life on Earth.