In 1988, French scientist Jacques Benveniste published a study in Nature suggesting water kept an effect after a substance was diluted away. Nature sent investigators, and under controlled conditions the result could not be repeated.
Truth label: Speculative. A fascinating idea without solid evidence yet.
Go deeper
Why it mattered
If true, it would have supported homeopathy, which relies on extreme dilutions.
Where it stands
The idea lives on in popular culture, but repeated controlled tests have not supported it.
Learn
- What makes water strange anyway. Water really is unusual: ice floats, and it holds heat remarkably well. Its real properties are surprising enough.
Test yourself
What happened when Benveniste's results were tested?
They could not be repeated. Controlled tests did not reproduce the effect.
Sources
Swipe more like this
CurioUS is a feed you steer. Pick what you're curious about and every swipe tunes what comes next.
Open this card in the app