http://www.its.caltech.edu/~atomic/snowcrystals/icespikes/icespikes.htm:
Ice spikes are odd ice structures that occasionally grow out of ice cube trays. Unlike some of the strange things you might find growing in your refrigerator, ice spikes are made of nothing but ice. Ice spikes are the result of physics, not biology.
Here are some pictures[*] I took of ice spikes that grew in my kitchen freezer. They look a lot like the limestone stalagmites found in caves, although there was no water dripping inside my freezer when these formed.
To see your own ice spikes, make ice cubes in an ordinary ice cube tray, in an ordinary household freezer, but using distilled water, which you can buy in most supermarkets for about a dollar a gallon. We've tried several different freezers, and almost always got some ice spikes to grow.
[*] See linked article for the pictures. Have any soylentils also seen them?
(Score: -1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday February 10 2022, @10:00PM
maybe if everything involved is certified to be nuclear powered, that is the ice cube tray plastic was molded with electricity made w/ nuclear powerplant, the fridge and all components was also made w/ electricity sourced from nuclear power and the water was filtered and pumped with nuclear power and most importantly, the experimentor would certifiabley be dead if not for nuclear energy input (food), it yields ice-spikes ... just saying. *shrug*
(Score: 3, Insightful) by DannyB on Thursday February 10 2022, @10:01PM (7 children)
Are ice spikes related to or possibly only similar to tin whiskers? [wikipedia.org]
Ice spikes growing out of the ice cub tray may not cause harm. But tin whiskers growing on a circuit board can cause short circuits. This can happen in places where you cannot easily fix it, such as on a spacecraft or satellite.
In TFA, the explanation of ice spike formation makes sense. Although it seems nobody is certain why some different tap waters cause different results. In the link I just gave, it is clear that nobody knows exactly why tin whiskers form. From the ice spike explanation, it seems to me that rapidly freezing water might avoid ice spike formation, and that ice spikes do not spontaneously grow later as tin whiskers can do on a circuit board.
Are there any obvious harms that could occur from the formation of ice spikes?
The server will be down for replacement of vacuum tubes, belts, worn parts and lubrication of gears and bearings.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday February 10 2022, @10:13PM (1 child)
it's all fun and games till someone loses an eye...
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Friday February 11 2022, @03:24PM
I thought Ice Spikes were a way to secretly spike drinks.
The server will be down for replacement of vacuum tubes, belts, worn parts and lubrication of gears and bearings.
(Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Thursday February 10 2022, @10:14PM (2 children)
Other than getting poked?
We had to deal with tin whiskers during the transition to lead free solder. Apparently mixing lead bearing solder onto lead free components is a good way to increase tin whisker growth.
I believe lead free assemblies have some residual whisker formation potential, which I am sure delights consumer electronics manufacturers to no end.
🌻🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday February 10 2022, @10:39PM
Use solder for roofing/plumbing from your hardware store in DIY projects. Here, a 60-40 [homedepot.com] one. Just don't lick your PCB after soldering.
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Friday February 11 2022, @04:40AM
Quality of submissions is way down since aristarchus was banned. Perhaps admin might consider letting him come back early, to save the site? Or, I might just have to stick an Ice Spike into my brain.
(Score: 2) by Reziac on Friday February 11 2022, @02:44AM
I haven't found any myself, but I've seen a sample of naturally-occurring silver wire that looked like coarse steel wool.
And there is no Alkibiades to come back and save us from ourselves.
(Score: 2) by FatPhil on Friday February 11 2022, @02:34PM
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Friday February 11 2022, @12:36AM (8 children)
I don't guess I've ever seen spikes in my ice cubes. But, they often have a little hump in the middle. Pop out an ice cube, and it's obviously high around the edges, shallower toward the center, then high again right in the center. That center hump may or may not be higher than the sides of the cube, but not by much if any. Does that count, or is there some other explanation for humping ice cubes?
“I have become friends with many school shooters” - Tampon Tim Walz
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Friday February 11 2022, @12:58AM
Perhaps you should find some friendlier women.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday February 11 2022, @01:29AM (4 children)
I know what you're talking about. I've never thought too much about it, but I would venture to guess that it is related to the expansion of the ice as it freezes. It is filling up the space in the tray by freezing from the edges inward, so it gets pushed up in the center before it finally freezes.
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Friday February 11 2022, @04:36AM (3 children)
Do not expect very much scientific knowledge from the Runaway. He is ignorant. So when he puts a glass bottle full of liquid (mosty water), he is amazed and surprised that it explodes. Basic ignorance of basic physics. No wonder they have to keep oppressing his freedom by making him wears safety gear he does not understand, at work. But, keeps him alive for stupid comments here. How could we live without him? Perhaps if we had someone actually knowledgeable, to critique the said ignorant moron?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday February 11 2022, @05:01AM (2 children)
don't you have anything better to do with your life than this offtopic petty internet vendetta
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday February 11 2022, @03:04PM (1 child)
please don't use that word 'vendetta' or ari will start imagining himself as the star in 'V for Vendetta'
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday February 12 2022, @02:09AM
well, vendetta implies that one party doesn't care or may not even be aware of the other's hatred...
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday February 11 2022, @03:03AM
Surface tension of the water makes it higher at the edges
(Score: 3, Interesting) by FatPhil on Friday February 11 2022, @02:42PM
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves