I have not completely discarded the idea of wanting to find simple(r) reasons for ice crystals growing 6 arms.
Yes, it all started from another of my naive curiosities, and I ended up nowhere. I have ever since been looking around worldwide for clues.
I may have found one. It is a YouTube video presentation, by an American researcher, I think.
I will upload it soon. I have not yet studied it in detail, but it does mention the naturally ocurring angle of 60 degrees. This is very promissing indeed...
OK, after a lapse of some two weeks(?) I have uploaded this particular video clip, as follows.
I have not yet delved into this and it will take a while before I can do that, but the idea is here. Instinctively, I feel that there is something here. That you can grow ice crystals into 60 degrees directions compels me to think that quantum mechanical birth mechanism is (somehow) leading direct to the macroscopic expression.
Howelse can you come up with this number 60, not any other numbers like 27, or 35, or whatever. I naturally stand to be challenged.