From grad school, I remember a maxim concerning what sort of particles might form an interference pattern when passing through a diffraction grating.
The answer was, “You can diffract pianos.” So the “piano” was the exemplar of a nonelementary particle that could be subject to quantum diffraction effects.
In this case the “piano” is the water molecule. The point is that it has to be cooled to the point where it is INDISTINGUISHABLE from its neighboring “pianos”, and this is facilitated by its confinement in a “deep” potential well, such that any movement is confined to a quantum excitation. So you have these water molecules in the same ( ground level ) state, and as identical particles they can combine into coherent states of lowest energy, just like electrons in an atom.
See? So the challenge is, if you don’t like this, why are you so comfortable with atoms?
Thank you for your interesting narrative.
Since this is a UPI story, one would think it would be aimed at a general audience not necessarily adept at handling quantum mechanics-based explanations.
I expected to read a description of the properties of this new state of matter in the real world (yes, my real world). However, I was let down to learn that this state exists only near absolute zero, since I do enjoy playing the piano- but only in comfortable climates.