Below this pressure, water returns to its low-density phase; above it, it shifts entirely to the high-density phase. This is an unexpected phenomenon unfolding at the molecular level.

In 2018, as an assistant professor, he had an insight: As seawater gets colder, it grows thicker. It’s basic physics—the density and viscosity of water molecules rises as the temperature drops.

Volume is a measure of the amount of space an object takes up. When a cylinder is submerged in the water it pushes water out of the way. If you measure the amount the water level increases, you can ...