For centuries, the simple act of slipping on ice was a mystery cloaked in the mundane. We’ve all experienced it – that sudden, jarring loss of traction, the awkward flail, and the inevitable thud. But why does this common, frozen water possess such a treacherous quality? The answer, it turns out, is as slippery as ice itself, a scientific puzzle that baffled minds for over two hundred years.
Imagine a world where sliding across a frozen pond was a feat of skill, not a gamble against physics. For most of human history, the explanation for ice’s slipperiness was as basic as it was unscientific: friction. It seemed logical. Rubbing two things together creates heat, and perhaps this friction melted a thin layer of water, lubricating the surface. This