Welcome to the Glass Age

Abstract

Glass is one of the world's most transformative materials. Featuring tremendous versatility and distinctive technical capabilities, glass has been responsible for numerous cultural and scientific advancements from windows to optical fiber. Today, the pace of glass innovation is accelerating, thanks to scientists' deep understanding of glass physics and chemistry, combined with modern analytic and control technologies. We believe that the world has entered the Glass Age. We have an unprecedented opportunity to harness the unique capabilities of glass to solve some of our world's most urgent challenges, such as more effective healthcare, cleaner energy and water, and more efficient communication. Realizing the potential of the Glass Age will require collaboration, resources, and support, but it is an opportunity we cannot afford to waste.