> Aksimentiev adds, "All of this only works because the membrane is so thin, and the electric field is focused where the membrane is, compressing the water mole

> Aksimentiev adds, "All of this only works because the membrane is so thin, and the electric field is focused where the membrane is, compressing the water molecule from both sides. It's not _pushing_ the molecules together, rather _pulling_ them together. This happens because the electric field is smaller than the water molecule, and pulls from inside.