Scientists create new type of ice by squeezing water

Technology Oct 15, 2025

A team of scientists has created a totally new type of ice, called ice XXI, by squeezing water super hard—about 20,000 times normal air pressure.
They pulled this off at room temperature using special diamond-tipped tools and powerful X-rays to watch the process as it happened.

Discovery could change how we think about water on distant

Catching ice XXI forming in real time helps scientists understand water in ways we never could before.
This discovery could change how we think about water on distant worlds—like the icy moons Titan and Ganymede—since those places have extreme pressure too.
In short: this is a big step for science and our curiosity about space!