Ice Is Way More Complex Than It Seems

About this episode

This episode explores the complex nature of ice and its various forms as discussed by host Samir Patel and guest Shalma Wegsman.

Over the past decade, computer simulations have predicted tens of thousands of possible forms of ice. Though uncommon on our planet, exotic ice may exist in off-Earth environments, from cold and amorphous comet tails to the hot and crushing cores of icy planets. On this episode of The Quanta Podcast, host Samir Patel speaks with math writer Shalma Wegsman about why water is exceptionally versatile under pressure. This topic was covered in a recent story for Quanta Magazine. Each week on The Quanta Podcast, Quanta Magazine editor in chief Samir Patel speaks with the people behind the award-winning publication to navigate through some of the most important and mind-expanding questions in science and math.

People in this episode

Host: Samir Patel

Guest: Shalma Wegsman

Topics covered

• ice
• computer simulations
• exotic ice
• water versatility
• off-Earth environments
• pressure effects

Keywords

• ice
• computer simulations
• exotic ice
• water
• pressure
• comet tails
• icy planets

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Quanta Magazine

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