What is glass?

What is Glass?

1. Born from Fire and Sand
Raw Simplicity: Made mostly from sand (silica), heated until molten, then cooled rapidly. Ancient civilizations stumbled upon it accidentally when fire met sandy soil.
Nature's Imitator: Obsidian (volcanic glass) is nature's version – sharp, glossy, but brittle. Human-made glass refines this chaos into clarity.

2. Frozen Liquid, Not True Solid
Internal Paradox: Though solid to touch, its atomic structure resembles liquid forever paused mid-flow. This explains why old cathedral windows thicken at the bottom over centuries – glass flows, imperceptibly slowly.
No Crystals: Unlike metals or gems, glass has no repeating patterns in its structure. It’s amorphous – shapeless at the microscopic level.

3. Transparency by Design
Light's Clear Path: Its chaotic structure scatters little light, allowing rays to pass straight through. Add metals/minerals to the melt, and it tints (cobalt for blue, gold for ruby red).
The Frost Twist: Etching or sandblasting creates microscopic bumps that scatter light, turning transparency into translucency (like bathroom windows).

4. Strength and Fragility in One
Hard but Brittle: Resists scratching (diamonds or steel can cut it), yet shatters on impact. This comes from its rigid atomic network – strong until a sharp force snaps its bonds catastrophically.
Tempering Tricks: Bake and cool it rapidly, and surface tension creates tempered glass (car windows). When broken, it crumbles into safe pebbles, not shards.

5. Endlessly Recyclable
Phoenix Material: Crush old glass (cullet), melt it, and remake it endlessly without quality loss. Bottle to jar, window to tile – it never degrades, unlike plastic.
One Flaw: Mixed colors make new glass murky. Sorting by color (clear, green, brown) keeps rebirths pristine.

6. Human Craft, Ancient to Atomic Age
Hand-Blown Legacy: For millennia, artisans shaped it with breath and tools – bubbles and swirls betray handmade origins.
Modern Precision: Lab-grown glass now fibers optics thinner than hair, carrying light/data across oceans. Telescopes capture starlight with mirrors of pure molten glass.