Hello. I’m Quinn Maddox, and I know this sounds strange, but I’ve always had a strange fascination with glass. It started with those older How It’s Made videos, which I don’t even think are on anymore, but I remember them explaining how glass is made.
How it’s melted from sand into huge sheets. There are different types of glass for all different purposes, from a shatter-proof windshield to a borosilicate casserole dish that you can use in the oven. As an engineer, the subject has only grown more interesting to me.
Why I Started GlassHelper
I think people don’t realize how big a part glass plays in their lives: it’s all around you, basically all the time. There’s a solid case for calling this the “glass age,” in the same way “bronze” and “stone” have defined ways of life before. Our mastery of glass has enabled skyscrapers, zero-emission homes, and smartphones.
But there are plenty of simple uses for glass too: the windows in your car which, when you think about it, is a window you interact with more than the windows at your house. Appliances like your oven, or your microwave, where glass or a clear plastic equivalent allows you to see into a chamber you couldn’t otherwise go inside of.
Mirrors are glass with a special film to reflect light, offering a window to the self. I made this site to explore all things glass in a way that I didn’t find existed anywhere else, and hopefully, it offers some use to others along the way.