I was quite unsure about whether this belongs to the physics community or of chemistry. Butas a student of "Physical Chemistry" i knew, I had to make a good choice. (lest I explode the entire physics community by pouring hot water on quark soup!)
Recently, I attended alecture on the thermodynamics of curved surfaces that had the lecturer quite convinced that bubbles cannot form in completely degassed water placed in a scratch-free and perfect in all smoothness-container, at the boiling point of water (whatever that is).
Now, the lecturer was so confused by my innumerable doubts that he had to tell me to go to hell (but, nevertheless I had to come back with this unanswered doubt).
I hope you forum wizards have a comprehensive answer to this issue.
(by the way, I'll haunt that guy later)