| Water is integral and vital part of our daily | | | | than the same children in motion, sliding and |
| life, environment and nature. Water is the | | | | jostling past one another. The sudden |
| primary reason of life existing on the Earth. | | | | increase in area required to fit the same |
| Thus, the | | | | number of molecules means water becomes |
| suggestion of water having changed its | | | | expands as it freezes, causing water pipes to |
| properties would inevitably lead to drastic | | | | burst as the ice inside of them runs out of |
| consequences on Earth. Life on our planet | | | | room. Most materials occupy less space as |
| arose in an aquatic environment and most | | | | they solidify. As overall temperature and |
| likely in the littoral zone where sunlight | | | | kinetic energy decrease; the resultant |
| fully penetrates. In a world where ice sank, | | | | crystalline array usually assumes a form more |
| these shallow areas would be the first to | | | | like a stack of boxes than a crowd of rowdy |
| freeze over completely. Would the first | | | | schoolchildren. We have an obvious bias |
| photosynthetic algae have survived a winter? | | | | towards water-based life, derived largely |
| Would marine life survive an ice age? Perhaps | | | | from its ideal properties. If ice were denser |
| our landscape would be populated by survivors | | | | than water, the oceans would gradually freeze |
| from other biospheres, such as land-dwelling | | | | from the bottom up, never having a chance to |
| descendants of the tube worms that live in | | | | melt. Under such circumstances, water would |
| underwater hydrothermal vents. | | | | no longer function as the cradle of life, and |
| | | | our first ancestors would have been as likely |
| Water may exist in a freer form than | | | | to crawl out of a puddle of liquid ammonia. |
| previously thought, with water molecules | | | | What would life on this plant be like if ice |
| constantly linking and unlinking, much like | | | | sank instead of floating? Shrunken ice cubes |
| children playing games in a crowded | | | | would be certainly be easier to remove from |
| schoolyard. As water cools and begins to | | | | the tray, but both the beverage and the |
| freeze, the molecules can be thought of | | | | holder of the cocktail glass would be |
| children laying flat with hands and feet | | | | completely different! |
| outstretched - they occupy much more room | | | | |