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I Thought All Water Freezes at 32° F, I was Wrong
Biological organisms influence which temperature water freezes at
On one level, I know everything is connected. It’s one of those simple yet profound facts of the Universe. Even if we can’t see or comprehend the vast thread(s) connecting it all, the evidence is there, and we’re discovering more all the time.
For instance, ice might seem pretty straightforward. It’s common knowledge that water freezes at 32° F (0° C), right? I spent my whole life thinking that. But actually, pure water freezes at much colder temperatures. The reason water freezes at 32° F (0° C) is biological, but it’s little understood. Thankfully, new research inches us slightly closer to some answers.
Ice Nucleators
I was today years old when I learned that water doesn’t naturally freeze at 32° F (0° C). I mean, it does naturally freeze at that point, but pure water only freezes when temperatures fall to a frigid -50.8° F (-46° C). Ice typically freezes at warmer temperatures because organisms such as bacteria, insects, and fungi living in the water kickstart ice formation.
These microscopic life forms produce proteins called ice nucleators, which initiate the nucleation (transformation) process of ice forming at warmer temperatures than…
