The Global Seed Vault in Svalbard, Norway, demonstrated that countries can work together for the common good through preservation and long-term protection of important societal resources. Two new global vaults making headlines will involve ceramic and glass materials, with the former material being documented and the latter used as a storage medium.
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When archival footage of a young Queen Elizabeth II waving to the crowd during her platinum jubilee celebrations appeared, news outlets almost universally called this visual display a “hologram.” However, based on the video evidence available, it was most likely a different type of illusion technique, a Gizmodo article contends.
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In honor of World Environment Day on June 5, we look at a few of the many important contributions by ceramic and glass scientists that move us toward a more sustainable and harmonious relationship with nature.
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Few musical instruments are made out of glass. In the mid-1700s, American polymath Benjamin Franklin was inspired by glass harps to design a friction-based instrument called the glass armonica. Though popular at the time, glass armonicas are largely forgotten today.
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Disruptions in the energy market are not the only market forces affecting the European ceramics industry. The war in Ukraine is also driving a shortage in supplies of Ukrainian clay.
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Though the rail industry has been much slower to adopt fiber-reinforced composites compared to other transportation industries, more rail companies started developing composite bogies, a major structural component, in recent years.
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While India does well in research and development of semiconductor chips, the country has few semiconductor fabrication plants and none are for commercial use. In recent months, the Indian government laid the groundwork to bring commercial chip manufacturing to India.
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When heavy industry in the United Kingdom experienced a decline in the 1970s, scientific glassblowers began making and selling glass ships in bottles to stay afloat. An exhibition at the Scottish Maritime Museum looks at this unusual history and how it blossomed into a highly viable commercial enterprise.
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While superheroes offer an engaging hook to interest students in materials science, real-world materials can be just as fascinating and superhero-like. A new exhibit at Tellus Science Museum in Georgia uses materials found in everyday life to inspire interest in materials science.
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Flood walls are traditionally made of concrete, but a few manufacturers are exploring the use of glass in flood wall design to maintain views of the surrounding area. See some examples of these glass walls in real-world applications.
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