If you’ve ever cooked a meal on your stove, you’re probably familiar with the phenomenon, though you may not realize it. It occurs when you sprinkle a few drops of water into a hot skillet to make sure it’s heated to your satisfaction. In those precious moments when the little droplets dance around – rather than boiling – you are witnessing the Leidenfrost Phenomenon, in which a vapor barrier is created when liquid touches a hot surface, and that barrier prevents the drops from boiling on impact.