SOFTWATER · Soft Water: understanding what makes a fluid behave like water

Water is the most common and yet least understood material on Earth. Despite its simplicity, the structure of the water molecule is responsible for a vast array of properties that are unlike those of other fluids. Water anomalies, like the density maximum at 4 degrees Celsius, play a fundamental role in determining the Earth's climate, and ultimately the very existence of life. From an anthropic viewpoint, the properties of water are as if they were fine-tuned. It is this uniqueness that hinders our understanding of how water behaves in many natural systems and technological applications