The Mystery of Polywater

Common H2O or water is one of the most versitile compounds ever analyzed. Its unique properties pertaining to heat and bonding allow this combination of molecules to function in a broad array of arenas. With this said, during the 1960's a new form of water appeared on the horizon titled "Polywater." This new form of water was said to have a lower freezing point, higher boiling point as well as a viscosity rougly 15 times that of common water. These claims were made by a group of Russian Scientist 1966. This time period was one of great friction between the United States and the USSR for a meriad of reasons. Competition between the two countries soon broke out, as in other fields, to discover this new mystery of polywater. Before long hundreds of scintific articles were being published throughout the two countries making claims of the unique physical and chemical properties of polywater. As the research intensified, so did the speculation over what would be made of the polywater if it did exist. Many theorized that if in the right circumstances polywater could polerimerize fresh water like rivers or streams. This only escalated the race between the two countries ultimately leading to another breakthrough in research. After some years of testing, some labs noticed that polywater was only obtainable in very small amounts, thus hampering further test. Upon further review it was discovered that the actual properties of polywater were mearly contaminants within normal water such as sulfide and phospholipids. These contaminants were linked to improperly cleaned glassware and poor testing techniques. Thus in the end polywater's fluctuations in properties such as melting point were just the existance of the contaminants. After this discovery, research came to a halt and proved as a prime example of how important it is to clean your glassware properly.

citations: On Being a Scientist: Responsible Conduct in Research, 2nd edition, a report by the Committee on Science, Engineering, and Public Policy, part of the National Research Council. Published by National Academy Press, Washington, D.C.,in 1995.

Rood, Dr. Brian. Scientific Inquiry. Mercer University. 24 Sept. 2010