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A team of scientists have been able to recreate the specific space conditions needed to brew 'Super Alcohol' — a property that has been theorized for a long time but only now has it actually been achieved on our planet.
Alcohol across its many forms remains one of the most widely consumed drinks worldwide, and billions of people enjoy a cold beer, refreshing cocktail, or relaxing wine every week.
While these drinks can get pretty strong depending on what you opt for, they are nothing compared to the so-called 'Super Alcohol' that has just been discovered by scientists, although for your own health you'd be best staying away from this particular beverage.
Its discovery represents a major scientific breakthrough though, as it is the first time that researchers have been able to prove its existence after over a century of speculation, and it could even open the doors for further fascinating discoveries.
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Super Alcohol, as reported by ScienceAlert, is known by its official name methanetetrol or C(OH)4, and it is a material that has long been theorized by researchers but never actually seen or produced.
In order to create it, the group of scientists had to create the perfect conditions inside a lab, which involved freezing a combination of carbon dioxide and water in an extremely cold vacuum in order to replicate space ice.
This space ice was then blasted with waves of radiation that mimic the conditions of outer space, and eventually a chemical reaction was achieved that resulted in methanetetrol.
The discovery of 'Super Alcohol' isn't just significant on its own, as it could have major ramifications for future space-related finds, as detailed in a new study published by the researchers:
"This molecule's identification here represents a blind spot and the lack of its detection to date in the terrestrial environment is evidence of the counter-intuitive chemistry of the interstellar medium and justification for its promotion."
While regular alcohol has been scientifically proven to be detrimental for your health in a number of different ways, the harmful potential of Super Alcohol is far, far worse.
When exposed to light, methanenetrol can only be viewed for a fraction of time before it disintegrates, and if you were able to keep it around for long enough to put in a glass to drink it would either explode or violently react with its nearby surroundings.
If somehow you were able to ingest it into your body you would quickly experience internal chemical burns due to the reaction with the water already inside of you, and this would likely damage cells, proteins, and even tear apart the molecules that make up our bodies.
It's infinitely more dangerous than the already deadly forms of ethanol or methanol, but the chances of you slipping it into your next Friday night cocktail are thankfully incredibly slim.
