How Negative Thermal Expansion Works

Bill Kendrick writes "Scientists at the University of California, Santa Cruz, are discovering why compounds like zirconium tungstate 'are acting like they are from Bizarro world': contracting, rather than expanding, when heated. They believe it's a combination of geometrical frustration (which sounds a lot like what it is), and a 'twisting' motion of the atoms."

Comments

Re:Ice ice baby

[blahlemon]

It's not bizarre, it's just further proof of intelligent design over random chance in creation. Consider this:

If water didn't have the property of ice expanding as it cools then life in the rivers and streams would be decimated in the winter where it gets cold enough to form ice.

Such care and consideration for such a vital part of our lives. Water that is. Oh, sorry, I forgot, that's just the luck of random chance. Silly me.