Today in Technology History
(To receive "Today in Technology History" by e-mail, click here. To read past issues click here.)
July 27
Occasionally, science and technology mislead us. Some scientific theories fail to pan out, and some inventions turn out to be duds. Today we discuss a spectacular flop, the strange saga of polywater.
In the early 1960s, an obscure Soviet chemist was experimenting with water in narrow tubes. He noticed something unusual: tiny veins of water appeared spontaneously in parts of the tubes where there had been no water. This new water boiled and froze at much higher and lower temperatures than ordinary water. Soviet scientists concluded that a thitherto unknown form of "anomalous water" was at work.
Little happened until July 27, 1969, when four American researchers published a paper showing that the infrared spectrum of the mysterious water did not match that of ordinary water. They concluded that the substance was indeed water, but in a new polymerized form -- that is, a water molecule bigger and more stable than normal H2O. They named it "polywater."
Suddenly, the scientific journals were drowning in articles about polywater and its potential uses. Many scientists worried that polywater was dangerous: if a small amount of polywater leaked out into the environment, perhaps it would convert all natural water into polywater. All life on Earth would end! Some scientists speculated that such a polywater conversion may have already occurred on the planet Venus.
The frenzy continued for years -- until it was discovered that polywater was nothing more than water contaminated with impurities from the tubes it was made in. By 1973, even the theory's original backers admitted defeat. Today, only fringe scientists (like those who believe in cold fusion or infinite energy) are still interested in polywater.
Related links:
Click here to read the hilarious story of the scientist who disproved the polywater theory.
This article about skepticism in science discusses polywater.
| Biotechnology | Convergence | Creativity | Culture | E-conomics | Education |
| Equity | Gov't & Politics | Innovation | National Security | Personal Security |
For errors, broken links, questions or comments,
contact webmaster@tecsoc.org.
