A 270-year-old physics trick could supercharge affordable battery technology

Roughly 270 years ago, Dr. Johann Gottlob Leidenfrost from Germany observed a peculiar behavior of water droplets on heated metal surfaces. In his manuscript, "A Tract About Some Qualities of Common Water," he described how water skated over superheated metal surfaces as though friction had ceased to exist. This occurs when water or any liquid forms a vapor cushion on surfaces far above their boiling point, allowing them to glide untouched.