Beyond its aesthetic advantages, blue reflective glass also offers practical benefits, particularly in terms of energy efficiency. Modern advances in glass technology allow for better insulation and reduced heat absorption. This is particularly vital in urban areas where buildings can suffer from excessive heat and glare. The reflective properties of blue glass help to minimize heat buildup, resulting in reduced energy consumption for cooling systems. Consequently, buildings utilize less energy, contributing to sustainability and eco-friendliness.
In addition to glare reduction and energy efficiency, coated tinted float glass provides protection against harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays. Prolonged exposure to UV radiation can lead to skin damage and fading of interior furnishings, artwork, and flooring materials. Tinted float glass helps mitigate these effects by filtering out a significant percentage of UV rays, thereby protecting both individuals and their belongings. This feature is especially beneficial in spaces that experience a high amount of natural light, such as sunrooms, galleries, and retail displays.
We use glass to tell our personal truths, but we can also use it to create false narratives. I wouldn't have been able to vaccinate without glass bottles, but we wouldn't have seen the rapid spread of anti-vaccine conspiracy theories without glass screens in our pockets. Without glass tubes, German glassblower Heinrich Geisler would not have been able to observe cathode rays, Ernest Rutherford would not have been able to discover the energy contained in atomic nuclei, and we would not have nuclear reactors or atomic bombs. We would not have known that when the atomic bomb exploded, it had the power to turn sand into glass, forming star-shaped shards that littered the blast site and remained undiscovered until decades later. Maybe our beliefs won't be so uncertain, so unstable.