Although the chemical composition of water is very simple, its physical properties make it unique among other substances. It has 16 crystalline phases (the last type of ice was discovered in 2009), two or more glassy and may have two critical points. In liquid state it shows no less than 73 anomalies, some known for more than 300 years, and participates in most biological processes.
In this talk we will discuss some of the anomalous properties of water, the enormous experimental and theoretical difficulties in dealing with them and how the recent spectacular increase in the computing power of computers has allowed numerical simulations to play an increasingly important role. Finally, one of the most popular hypotheses explaining their exceptional behaviour will be presented in more detail.
Ponent: Prof. Francisco de los Santos Fernández
