h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Do you know if there is a way of emulating the process for the purposes of manufacture? Or is there, even now, glass being made using this method?

Curious,

Discus.

So sorry, my dear Discus, that I missed this thread after the EG publication.

At the moment, I suspect that manufacturing glass, at a rate of one-billionth of a metre at a time, would be a real challenge. I'm sure that the technology could be developed, but there would have to be a really impelling advantage to convince anyone to get through it.

Universities might decide to use this as an opportunity to develop the methodology while teaching, and produce breakthroughs along the way; but there is still no telling if an economically feasible product could be produced.

Put simply, we may be able to emulate the process, but nobody (of whom I am aware) has a good reason to put forth the effort. To the best of my knowledge, fibreglass is the closest we come to it, and that was not developed because of the glass sponge, but separate from it.

Put even more simply, the answers are 'no' and 'I don't know'.

Fancy investing?

I shoulda read this thread first and posted here.

>> The note about the temperatures at which they can create 'glass' brings to mind the whole issue of super-conductors and the need for silicon chip technology to be cooled and chilled and maintained at extremely low temps.

Maybe we could learn something from these wee beasties - following a theory that it may be the high temps at which we create 'glass' which makes them so susceptible to failure from overheating.
bigeyes
~jwf~

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