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Science...mixed with the occasional nasty explosion
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Ice is suppose to float, but with a little heavy water, you can make cubes that sink!
Many terms shouldn't be taken literally- a red quark isn't red, a peanut is neither a pea nor a nut- but heavy water is exactly what it sounds like: water that weighs more than normal. This is possible because elements occur in several different forms, or isotopes, made up of atoms with the same number of protons and electrons (which determine their chemical properties) but a variable number of neutrons (which contribute wieght but not much else).
Hydrogen atoms always have one proton and one electron, but only one in every 6,400 has a neutron that nearly doubles the atom's mass. Using a complex process called H2S, it's possible to isolate this heavy hydrogen, also known as deuterium (D), creating water that's about 10 percent heavier than normal.
Chemically, D2O- as it's written- is real water! Algae can grow and thrive in pure heavy water. Heavy water's primary use is in nuclear reactors, but it is not itself radioactive. It's safe to handle (although drinking it is not recommended) and easy to buy from your neighborhood isotope supplier.
For about $15 a cube, you can make your own sinking!
Isotope Supplier