We may be starting to get a grasp on what kick-started life on Earth – and it could help us search for it on other planets

But real lightning would have struck infrequently—and mostly in open ocean, where organic compounds would have quickly dispersed. If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing.

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.

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.