Everyone knows that water has three phases: solid, liquid and vapor. But we have recently uncovered a fourth phase. This phase occurs next to water-loving (hydrophilic) surfaces. It is surprisingly extensive, projecting out from the surface by up to millions of molecular layers. And, its properties differ markedly from those of bulk water. Light builds this charged, ordered phase. Thus, water can receive and process electromagnetic energy (light) drawn from the environment in much the same way as plants.

​

Not only does this phase provide an understanding of how water processes solar energies, but also it may provide a foundation for simpler understanding natural phenomena ranging from weather and green energy all the way to issues such as the origin of life, transport, osmosis, and health.