Alt-BEAM Archive
Message #13288
To: beam@sgiblab.sgi.com
From: Hogfather beam@sgiblab.sgi.com
Date: Mon, 10 Apr 2000 00:31:55 -0600
Subject: Flowing Glass
>I didn't know that! I did learn that glass will flow over time...i.e., a
>100 year old glass house window will be thicker at
>the bottom than it is at the top., Whereas new glass windows will be uniform
>thickness (as well as the process permits).
Sorry, that's one of those urban legend things at least practically
speaking. In other words glass flows but at a far slower rate than was
once supposed. The old glaziers knew that they were pretty consistently
making glass that was not uniform in thickness and simply installed it
thick side down much like a pyramid so as to provide strength. Although
people in history didn't have the technology we do today it doesn't follow
that they weren't clever or didn't know their materials.
Your Friendly Hogfather
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