Scientists have just applied a Midas-like touch to the most common molecule on the Earth’s surface: water. In a new study, they were able to turn water into a metallic gold-colored substance for a few seconds, Nature reports. To do so, the researchers loaded a syringe with a liquid sodium-potassium alloy and slowly exposed a drop of it to water vapor. When the vapor condensed into a thin film around the drop, electrons from the metal diffused into the water and briefly gave it metallic properties, according to a study published this week in Nature.