On the International Space Station, astronauts are investigating the phenomenon of a novel form of water that starts fires instead of putting them out. It is called "supercritical water". The idea could revolutionize how we dispose terrestrial trash!

When water is compressed to 217 times its ambient atmospheric pressure and heated up to 703.4 degrees Fahrenheit, it goes supercritical and it transforms into a liquid-gas plasma. Any organic material that comes in contact with this rapid oxidizes. In other words, it is like burning but without the glory of flames.

Check out the video below for a better explanation: [ScienceCasts via Pop Sci]