Page 14 - The Science of Glass

Scientific Glassblowing

In the 1700s, scientific exploration was
popular in Europe. People wanted to solve
the mysteries of the universe. They sought
knowledge. They studied physics and
chemistry. They gazed at the night sky and
learned about the stars.

These scientists gathered materials and
ran tests on them. They realized containers
were necessary for research. Sometimes,
they had to store things. Other times, they
wanted to boil liquids over flames. Glass A nineteenth‑century
was the ideal material to make these vessels. scientist tests glass.

Scientists worked with glassblowers to design and make containers. If they couldn’t
find suitable containers for experiments, they designed them. Then, they asked
glassblowers to make them. Some scientists learned how to blow glass so they could
produce their own vessels!

The vessels came in many
shapes. They looked like the
beakers and test tubes used in labs
today. Sometimes, scientists still
A Salem Community College
student melts glass. ask glassblowers for help. But there
is a problem—there are not many
scientific glassblowers left. Salem
Community College in New Jersey
is trying to change this. Students at
Salem can earn a degree in scientific
glassmaking. Their classroom
contains a row of glowing furnaces.
These budding glassblowers study
chemistry. They learn computer
drafting. They design and make
glass tools that are essential for
important research.
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