Supercomputer Simulations Explain Mpemba Effect

• 07 Jan 2026

On 6th January 2026, scientists reported the first supercomputer-powered simulations that successfully explain the long-standing paradox of water freezing faster when it is hotter, a phenomenon known as the Mpemba effect.

Key Points

• Scientific Breakthrough: Researchers have developed the first detailed supercomputer simulations of ice formation that provide evidence for the Mpemba effect in water.
• The Mpemba Effect: The Mpemba effect refers to the counterintuitive phenomenon where hotter water freezes faster than colder water under certain conditions.
• Why Hot Water Freezes Faster: Simulations show that as water cools, it can become trapped in short-lived intermediate molecular states, delaying ice formation, while hotter water can sometimes bypass these delays.
• Nucleation Pathways: Hotter water may take a faster route to nucleation, the initial formation of ice crystals, compared to colder water.
• Beyond Water: The study also demonstrates that the Mpemba effect can occur during fluid-to-solid transitions in systems other than water, suggesting broader relevance.
• Historical Context: The phenomenon was first noted by Aristotle and later rediscovered by Erasto Mpemba, after whom it is named.
• Resolving a Debate: Due to the complexity of water simulations, no prior computational study had conclusively resolved experimental controversies surrounding the effect.