Water is the most important life-sustaining chemical on the planet, and yet it also remains one of the greatest mysteries. While we do have a fairly good understanding of how it works, some of its behaviors cannot readily be explained. Researchers took a closer look at these in a new study. The study team – from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), in Cambridge – focused on behaviors such as water expanding when it freezes, rather than shrinking. This ability is what allows the stuff to float on liquid water. According to scientists, the factors that enable this fundamental property remain elusive. But the mystery attracted MIT PhD student Yang Zhang to investigate the issue. The findings he and his team made support a controversial theory related to the behavior of water. MIT Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering professor Sow-Hsin Chen was the expert's doctoral supervisor. Six other researchers at the Institute are listed as coaut...