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Water, essential for life and ubiquitous on Earth, still harbors many mysteries. A recent breakthrough led by the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), in collaboration with the National Research Council’s Institute for Chemical-Physical Processes (CNR-IPCF) and the International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) in Trieste, introduced a novel spectroscopic method: Correlated Vibrational Spectroscopy (CVS). This technique, leveraging ultrashort laser pulses, enables direct observation of hydrogen bonding at the molecular level, distinguishing between actively bonded and non-interacting water molecules—an advancement over traditional methods. The study revealed quantum effects influencing hydrogen bonds, with experimental validation supported by advanced simulations using machine learning and supercomputing. Beyond water, CVS has potential applications in analyzing biological fluids, electrolyte solutions, and complex molecules such as DNA and proteins, paving the way for new insights in material science and biophysics.