Question

what design attribute of water allows for so many unusual, life - supporting properties?

Explanation:

Water's polar covalent bonds create partial charges. This leads to hydrogen bonding between water molecules. Hydrogen bonding gives water high specific heat (resists temperature changes), high heat of vaporization (cooling via evaporation), cohesion (water molecules stick to each other - important for transport in plants), adhesion (sticks to other substances - meniscus formation), and makes it a good solvent (dissolves polar/ionic substances, crucial for biological processes).

Answer:

Water's polar nature (due to polar covalent bonds and resulting hydrogen bonding) gives it many life - supporting properties.