Breakthrough in glass

Discussion in 'General Science & Technology' started by blobrana, Jun 22, 2008.

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  1. blobrana Registered Senior Member

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    "Imagine a plane that has wings made out of glass. Thanks to a major breakthrough in understanding the nature of glass by scientists at the University of Bristol, this has just become a possibility."

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  3. alexb123 The Amish web page is fast! Valued Senior Member

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    Ok you might be able to make a plane wing out of glass but what advantage does this have?
     
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  5. hypewaders Save Changes Registered Senior Member

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  7. madanthonywayne Morning in America Registered Senior Member

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    Wouldn't a glass plane be incredibly heavy?
     
  8. blobrana Registered Senior Member

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    i don't know.
    i only posted it because i got into the flow.
     
  9. invert_nexus Ze do caixao Valued Senior Member

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    That's kinda funny. Shows how our minds work:

    Science Enthusiast 1: "Imagine a plane with wings made of glass. Wouldn't that be cool?"

    Science Enthusiast 2: "Yeah! That would be cool, wouldn't it. Imagine it..." *spends idle moments imagining sleek shining wings swooping through the sky*
    "Cool."

    Mechanic: "Wait. Wouldn't glass wings be pretty damned heavy?"

    Science Enthusiasts: "Oh. Yeah. Hmmm. But it flows, man. It flows..."

    Mechanic: "Yup. Well, I've got to get back to repairing this carburetor. Shoot the shit with you later."
     
  10. alexb123 The Amish web page is fast! Valued Senior Member

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    ALERT Plane wings are now made of cabbage seeds
     
  11. Vkothii Banned Banned

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    Isn't there a material called fibreglass? You can strengthen the stuff with carbon fibres and whatnot.

    But this isn't a composite - it's the usual amorphous stuff like in windows? Or it's actually a process, that "glassifies" metals, some kind of modified annealing (probably secret squirrel).
     
  12. draqon Banned Banned

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    Sort of like the glass wing butterfly

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  13. draqon Banned Banned

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    but this material is Au80Si20 ?
     
  14. blobrana Registered Senior Member

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    The real point to the post was not about aeroplane wings or the materials used; but about “Knowing the structure formed by atoms as a glass cools represents a major breakthrough in our understanding of meta-stable materials”.

    The possibilities are endless. Metallic glasses could used in mountain bikes, golf clubs, engines, mile high buildings, telescopes, computers, wind generators, or containers for humpback whales etc etc.
     
  15. cosmictraveler Be kind to yourself always. Valued Senior Member

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    What the! Why would anyone want to enclose a Humpback whale?

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    :shrug:
     
  16. EntropyAlwaysWins TANSTAAFL. Registered Senior Member

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    :huh:
    I often find the need to encase humpback whales in a glass like substance and this is just the breakthrough I've been waiting for!
     
  17. phlogistician Banned Banned

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    Trekker.
     
  18. cosmictraveler Be kind to yourself always. Valued Senior Member

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    But they were in the "holding compartment" not a "glass cage".
     
  19. phlogistician Banned Banned

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    Nobody said 'glass cage' the word used was 'container'.
     
  20. cosmictraveler Be kind to yourself always. Valued Senior Member

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    BTW I liked the play on words..."Breakthrough in glass "

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  21. madanthonywayne Morning in America Registered Senior Member

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    That was the first thing that came to my mind when I saw the OP.
     
  22. blobrana Registered Senior Member

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  23. kmguru Staff Member

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    The article talks about mettalic glass and not the glass per se.....and yes that transparent aluminum thingy.....which is the Star Trek version of metallic glass!
     
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