Wendell to artists: Let's bring function and design together
CORNING, N.Y. – Do you know how long it would take a molecule of oxygen to pass through a 1-millimeter-thick piece of silica glass? What about the time it would take to create a visible change in the thickness of a glass window? Wendell Weeks, chairman and CEO, answered these questions and shared other surprising glass facts when he addressed members of the Glass Art Society recently. (You can find answers at the end of this story.)
As the keynote speaker for the 45th annual GAS conference, Wendell described Corning's love affair with glass.
"We love how it forms, how it feels, how it handles light, and how it takes on color," he said. "We love its curvaceousness, its clarity, and its complexity. Most of all, we love how alive it is, and we love how the great glass masters – of both yesterday and today – make it breathe, dance, and sing."
Wendell talks about the 'love affair'
Wendell discussed technical attributes of glass that fascinate him -- including strength, stability, transparency, versatility, and sustainability -- and explained how Corning is taking advantage of these features to develop products from next-generation displays to optical communications solutions to components for architecture. He then explained why he believes Corning has entered the Glass Age.
Wendell admitted it is an "audacious" claim in light of the fact that manmade glass objects date back to 3000 B.C., and there is evidence of natural glass 3 billion years old. He also noted that glass has been responsible for so many revolutions – from telescopes that expanded our understanding of the universe, to microscopes that led to the discovery of bacteria and viruses, to communications technologies that have transformed the way we interact with information and each other. But Wendell said that three key factors suggest we are living in the Glass Age today.
First is the ubiquity of glass and its central role in our day-to-day lives. Wendell observed, "We interact with glass screens on our computers and smartphones; take pictures through glass lenses; transmit and receive information via glass fibers; protect materials in glass covers and containers; and incorporate decorative glass elements into our homes."