Glasses, especially those in the silicate family, are ubiquitous throughout modern culture and technology. Given the influence of glasses on modern civilizations, the idea of a Glass Age has been proposed, drawing inspiration from the classical three-age system of the Stone, Bronze and Iron Ages. As will be highlighted in this brief review, silicate glasses have truly been transformative throughout human history; from natural glasses used over 75,000 years ago, followed by the discovery of soda-lime silicates some 70,000 years later, to recent centuries where glasses were designed and made for specific technological applications. Silicate glasses touch on every aspect...
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