Download or read book How Glass Changed the World written by Seth C. Rasmussen and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-02-24 with total page 89 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Glass production is thought to date to ~2500 BC and had found numerous uses by the height of the Roman Empire. Yet the modern view of glass-based chemical apparatus (beakers, flasks, stills, etc.) was quite limited due to a lack of glass durability under rapid temperature changes and chemical attack. This “brief” gives an overview of the history and chemistry of glass technology from its origins in antiquity to its dramatic expansion in the 13th century, concluding with its impact on society in general, particularly its effect on chemical practices.