It’s late Saturday evening. I had just come home from the opening day of WITS15 – Women in Travel Summit, and my son and I are looking through the SWAG – the free items we received from the conference sponsors.
One of the items is a charger from Corning Incorporated, maker of Corning® Gorilla® Glass 4.
“You had CORNING there?” my son exclaims with more enthusiasm than I would have expected from a “cool” (thir)teen.
“Yeah,” I reply, surprised. “They made a presentation about their glass during our lunch break. Why? What’s so exciting about Corning?”
He looks at me with disbelief, then pulls open his laptop, opens YouTube, and in a few seconds finds what he was looking for.
“Watch this,” he practically orders.
The guys on the screen look familiar – it’s Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman and the clip is titled “The Glass Age, Part 1: Flexible, Bendable Glass.”
Adam asks “Can you imagine a world without glass?,” and after Jamie answers “No,” they go on explaining how important glass is to everyday life, and throw in a bit of history and science about your every-day, typical soda-lime glass.
About half-way through the nine-minute show, Jamie and Adam switch to talking about new kinds of glass – flexible optical fiber glass with low attenuation, and bendable Willow Glass, both developed by Corning.
“The Glass Age, Part 2: Strong, Durable Glass” moves on to Gorilla Glass, currently used on many, though not all, smartphones, tablets, and notebooks, because it dramatically improves the device screen’s durability, as spectacularly proven by Adam and Jamie.
Through the example of Prince Rupert drop, a drop of molten regular soda lime glass rapidly cooled in a tank of cold water, Jamie and Adam explain the concept of compressive strength. Corning Gorilla Glass 4, however, is not made by the rapid cooling method, but rather by ion exchange process, we learn from the video. (go to 5:18 to watch that part)
As Adam “simply” explains:
“The surface ion particles that naturally form during the manufacture, are replaced with larger ion particles. Once exchanged, the larger ion particles create the same sort of inward pressure that we see on the Prince Rupert drop. And with this method they [Corning] are able to control the resulting tension.”
Jamie chimes in:
“I think what you’re saying is [….] that they are able to tune strengthening glass by dialing the right balance between compression and tension.”
Next, the guys move to other “applications for this tough glass,” which, according to Jamie, “go well beyond the mobile devices” – namely, windshields. I gotta admit, the difference between damage done to a regular soda lime glass windshield and an experimental windshield with Gorilla Glass is impressive.
So now, after watching these two clips, I’m intrigued. We search for more information about Gorilla Glass.
From “The Fusion Process: At the Core of Corning’s Glass Innovations” video we learn about the fusion-draw process by which Gorilla Glass is made, and I wonder who and how came up with the idea of fusing two layers of glass, how exactly it strengthens the glass, and how Corning controls how thick the overflowing glass is (the information says that they can manufacture glass that’s microns thin!)
In addition to including a shot about fusion-draw process from the video above, the “Corning® Gorilla® Glass 3: Tougher Through Science” video also nicely illustrates “densification” – a process that permits absorption of external force into the glass, resulting in just a tiny divot. (at 0:59)
The “Tougher Through Science” video also has a neat animation about the ion exchange process, during which “large Potassium ions replace smaller Sodium ions, placing the surface under high compression making it more resistant to surface flaws” (at 0:42).
“What makes Corning® Gorilla® glass so tough?” explains the ion exchange process slightly differently:
“large ions are ‘stuffed’ into the glass surface, creating a state of compression. […] Smaller sodium ions leave the glass, and larger potassium ions from the [molten] salt bath replace them. These large ions take up more room and are pressed together when the glass cools, producing a layer of compressive stress on the surface of the glass.”
All right, so I get it. Gorilla Glass is tough. But so what? What else can it be used for in addition to smartphones?
Well, in our research about Gorilla Glass, we stumble next onto a futuristic-looking video “A Day Made of Glass Extended Montage.”
In this video we see mirrors in the bathroom displaying the homeowner’s schedule (0:20):
We see a teacher using a full-width and full-height glass wall to display and manipulate information, like you currently can do on a tablet (1:42):
And we watch a kid use a clear tablet to “see” a dinosaur in between the trees during a field trip (3:43):
All of it looks fabulous, but I wonder, as I watch, how much of it is possible in the near future, and how much is basically a science-fiction-like idea, that we are nowhere near achieving.
The next video we find, “A Day Made of Glass 2: Unpacked. The Story Behind Corning’s Vision” answers a few questions of what is possible now – large-scale, seamless-design, logic-enabled, durable, multi-touch glass on walls or table surfaces.
Low-cost, high-efficiency photovoltaic completely flat rooftops should, apparently, be available in a near future, while large scale see-through displays in National Parks are still a bit off into the future.
I’m a bit skeptical about the claim that current technology allows manufacture of large scale, multi-touch surfaces, but “Inspired by Glass: Realizing the Vision Symposium” proves me wrong.
One of the clips from the 2015 symposium shows self-tinting windows made by View Dynamic Glass, that can be clear or opaque, as necessary, but I am especially fascinated by displays made by MultiTaction that recognize someone’s ID card, show information available specifically to that person, and allow writing on the glass with a light pen. The glass displays have LCD behind it, but the glass transmits the light from the LCD and recognizes touch, allowing manipulating the information that’s displayed, including picture rotation and enlargement or shrinking.
I’m thinking that the professors and especially language instructors I work with, most of whom use audio-visual materials already, would absolutely love to have a classroom with intelligent, full-width displays like that, where they could play brief or long videos, tap into an online dictionary on the side, and write and erase terms and vocabulary as necessary.
Another video we find, “SnapCab Elevator Interior Systems now features Corning Gorilla Glass,” video may seem not quite as exciting in comparison, since it talks about interior systems in elevators and simple background glass walls in boardrooms, but if you think about it, it also opens a world of possibilities.
If you can do a “wood paneling” glass in a board room – fill a room with glass panels that look like wood, maybe soon in the future it will also be possible to have a glass wall in your own house, and have a “wallpaper” of sorts where you can rotate your favorite landscapes, depending on your mood. (I’d probably have a sunny beach displaying on my living-room wall during the cold New England winters.)
My son and I had quite a discussion about all these Corning movies that evening, commenting, as we watched, on what would be cool to have, or how long it would take to develop certain technologies.
Some parents bond with the kids while playing ball. I bond with my son watching nerdy videos about science. (It wasn’t the first time he made me watch science videos on YouTube.) Without him, I would never have known that Corning’s Gorilla Glass is not used just on smartphones, but has or will have a multitude of other uses as well.
Now we just have to figure out how soon we could put aside some time for a family trip to Corning, NY. We won’t get to see the manufacturing process first-hand, or even get a trip around the company headquarters, but at least we could see the Corning Museum of Glass, which was redesigned and opened a new wing in March 2015. That still would be worth a trip.
Disclaimer: This post was sponsored by Corning Gorilla Glass, and I received compensation for writing it, but if you watch the videos, I believe you will be just as amazed as I am at the possibilities this product offers. I would not have agreed to write a promotional post about a product I don’t find interesting.
Technologies are our future, and the future is very interesting. Thank you for the post.
Victor recently posted…Pays Cathare or the Noble Ruins Remembering the Cathar Heresy
Thank you for reading, Victor. I would very much love to have one of those glass walls in my living room. Maybe not so much in the bathroom 🙂
Jolanta- you two nerds indeed:) are your daughter and your husband as scientifically inclined as you and your son are? (I have to confess I choose a fine arts museum over science museum:)
Victoria @celebratetheweekend recently posted…Boston Weekend. 4th of July.
Thank you for reading, Victoria! My daughter is not as much into science as the rest of the family, though she does like to read about marine animals, but my son had always loved science, that’s why we visit science museums wherever we go. I do like a good art museum too, but yes, my son is a total nerd. 🙂
I love that you spent so much time exploring something of interest to your son. What great family memories and the best kind of education–to follow our interests and explore our passions. Thanks for sharing to remind us all to do that.
Thank you for reading, Katie! I’m glad you liked this post. My son’s curiosity is a great gift, not only for him, but for me as well, since I learn such a great deal from him and with him when we go on these “science” adventures on Google and YouTube 🙂
What a neat post! I love the futuristic video because you always see that stuff on TV. So cool that you can both share together.
Thank you for reading, Kath! Yes, those big glass panels look just like the newer Star Trek stuff – all touch sensitive and so on. And yes, my son has taught more more about science than all of my teachers in middle school and high school combined!
I love this – “Some parents bond with the kids while playing ball. I bond with my son watching nerdy videos about science.” I love doing this with both my kids too 🙂 Thanks for sharing such a fun educational and bonding experience with your son!
samiya selim recently posted…Is campervan travel the best way to see New Zealand?
Thank you for reading, Samiya! I’m glad you liked this post. It’s amazing how much we sometimes learn from our kids, isn’t it? My son doesn’t really do sports, but will happily spend time with me watching shows about science, so if that’s what it takes, I’ll do it. Plus I like learning too!
How fascinating! I have to say this is something I had never heard of but it was really interesting to read. And I love that your son knew all about it first! Goes to show that we can definitely learn from our kids 🙂
Katja – globetotting recently posted…Chincheros, The Sacred Valley, Peru – with kids
Thank you for reading, Katja! I had never heard much about Corning either, but apparently my son has, and was more than happy to teach me. I’ve learned quite a bit from him about science, whether it’s chemistry, astronomy, or math over the years.
I just called my kids in to watch the first video about glass that your son loved so much. I was hoping they’d be as thrilled as he was to learn about the wonders of glass but unfortunately they weren’t thrilled. Sigh. I found it fascintating, though!
Thank you for reading, Colleen! My son is a bit unusual in that he really does watch scientific videos A LOT. Today he was showing me a video about “Turing and the Halting Problem” on the Computerphile channel. If you’ve never heard of the Halting Problem, that’s absolutely fine. I’m sure you can live your whole life just fine without that bit of information 🙂 Unless you’re a programmer, that is.
It definitely sounds like a trip to the Corning Glass Museum is in your future!! I’ve seen some amazing pictures from there and it definitely looks worth the trip.
Tamara recently posted…20+ Family-friendly Museums in New England
Thank you for reading, Tamara! That video I linked to definitely makes the museum look interesting, doesn’t it? And I’d love to see some of the glass blowing workshops too! I think art glass is just amazing. I wish I knew how to do it!
Ha ha, I think I know a thing or two about nerding out with my child (Abraham Lincoln, anyone?). I was fascinated during the Gorilla Glass presentation at WITS, too. And it is kind of crazy to think about just how important glass is in our day-to-day lives. I wouldn’t be able to read your blog and leave this comment without it! 🙂
Francesca (@WorkMomTravels) recently posted…How to balance career, family, and travel
Thank you for reading, Francesca! Yes, I thought you might understand nerding out with your child. Sometimes I don’t understand what he’s telling me, but I’ll still listen as long as he’s willing to talk. It won’t be long before he’s moving out to college 🙁
Have you ever been to the Corning Museum of Glass? It’s in New York state and it’s AWESOME. I’m amazed by it. And you can even watch glass blowing there and make your own glass art. It’s super cool and I highly recommend going! 🙂
Lauren @ Justin Plus Lauren recently posted…Amalfi Coast Adventures with Lovely Amalfi Coast Tours
I just read the part where you said you are thinking of going. You have to go! It’s awesome 🙂
Lauren @ Justin Plus Lauren recently posted…Amalfi Coast Adventures with Lovely Amalfi Coast Tours
Thank you for reading, Lauren! I have watched the video I posted above, and read a bit about the Museum of Glass, and yes, we’d love to go there. I am hoping we can carve out some time in October.
Love this post! What’s possible in the future is the part of science that inspires kids, and smartphones are an area with consumer demand to drive it. Thanks for sharing!
– Todd at Visit50.com
Todd @ Visit50 recently posted…Island Hopping in Bocas del Toro Panama
Thank you for reading, Todd! I’m glad you liked the post. Smartphones are cool, but the coming technology with touch screen walls will be even more awesome, I think. I’d love to have one in my house.
This really is impressive – who thought that glass could be that interesting! Especially the glass walls would be handy in the living room 🙂
Irene recently posted…A Tour of the Worldâs Largest Ice Cave
Thank you for reading, Irene! I’d love that glass wall in my living room as well!
This is such a cool, nerdy article! I love it, and can’t wait to explore all of the videos linked here! Thanks for sharing!
Crysta recently posted…Florida: Ponce Inlet Lighthouse
Well, I’m glad to know that I’m not the only mom with a kid who wants to show her science videos. Gorilla Glass looks fascinating. It really does seem like our future could be quite fantastic with all the possible applications Corning glass is developing. What a cool post.
Michele {Malaysian Meanders} recently posted…Great Day in the Badlands