The Alchemy of Us: How Humans and Matter Transformed One Another

Chapter 7 delves into developments in scientific glassware and their impact on medicine and technology. Although glass is an ancient material, its use in scientific fields is relatively new. In the late 19th century, German chemist Otto Schott drew on his family’s experience in glassmaking to experiment with the chemicals in glass. In collaboration with Professor Ernest Abbe, he produced glass that was free of flaws and suitable for optical lenses. Schott later experimented with the amount of boron in glass. He learned that small amounts of boron improved the ability of glass to bend light, that large amounts of boron prevented glass from expanding when heated, and that moderate amounts of boron allowed glass to withstand dangerous chemicals, such as acids. Schott’s glass was highly sought after, and Germany was the main source of glass for microscopes, telescopes, and laboratory ware. Inscribed on such glass was the name Jena, the place where Schott earned his doctoral degree.

In the early 20th century, Corning Glass Works in New York State sought to produce an alternative to Jena glass. Their highly resistant Nonex glass was ideal for railway lights. A Corning physicist named J. T. Littleton experimented with Nonex after his wife, Bessie, broke an expensive casserole dish and insisted that he make her durable cookware.