Monday, January 17, 2022

The Year of Glass

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1/17/22

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Coming Soon

Forget the Year of the Tiger. For materials-science enthusiasts, 2022 is the International Year of Glass. The United Nations declared this year-long event to celebrate the many important roles that glass plays in modern society — from forming smartphone touchscreens, to coating solar panels and reinforcing wind turbine blades, to underlying key components of the newly launched James Webb Space Telescope.

People have manufactured glass since ancient times. But new tweaks to this age-old material could make glass even more useful. Tiny spiral etchings could allow light to skirt along the surface of glass unimpeded, giving data a smoother ride through fiber optic cables. Microscopic pancake-shaped patterns, meanwhile, could help glass slough off dirt underwater, creating self-cleaning submarine portholes. And alternating layers of glass with other materials could give rise to a materials that filter out light from specific angles, reducing glare on camera lenses.

Of course, glass is not just a material fashioned by humans. Flashes of heat — such as lightning or meteorite strikes — naturally forge this substance, too. Lightning may transform bits of ash from volcanic eruptions into a shower of glass beads, and water on the moon may be encased in glass formed by tiny space rocks striking the lunar surface. For such a seemingly everyday material, glass possesses a lot of surprising — and sometimes exotic — qualities.

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Opportunity

Applications are now open for the 2022 Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes. This annual award honors 25 young people (ages eight to 18) from the United States and Canada who have made a significant positive impact on their communities and the environment. Fifteen top winners each earn $10,000 to support their service work or education. Applications are due by April 15, with the winners announced in September.

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