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Iconic Glass Structures – The Mapparium

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Iconic Glass Structures – The Mapparium

Iconic Glass Structures – The Mapparium

If you’re ever in Boston, one “must-see” iconic glass structure is definitely the Mapparium in the Mary Baker Eddy Library. The Mapparium is a permanent exhibit featuring a three-story stained glass globe that shows the world as it looked on Rand McNally maps in 1934.

The Mapparium first opened to the public in 1935. Although the political divisions have changed significantly in the intervening 82 years, the Christian Science church, which operates the library, has so far resisted making changes to the panels that make up the Mapparium. As a result, the map still shows historically “exotic” places “Siam” and defunct alliances including “the Soviet Union.”

The Church sites the cost of changing some of the Mapparium’s 608 stained glass panels as one motivator for leaving well enough alone. Another, perhaps more compelling reason is that the Church recognizes the historical value of looking at the world as it was in another era.

Chester Lindsay Churchill is credited with the designe of the Mapparium. It symbolizes the global reach of the church, and was inspired by the New York Daily News’ spinning globe. Churchill’s design is a scale representation of the countries of the world as they would be seen from the center of the Earth. Viewers see the stained glass maps from a 30-foot bridge that traverses the interior of the exhibit.

The Mapparium is more than just an exhibit. It allows viewers to see the size and distance relationships between countries and continents, land features and the oceans. The visuals aren’t the only unusual features visitors experience in the Mapparium. Because of the exhibit’s shape, the acoustics in the globe enable visitors at opposite ends of the 30-foot bridge to hear each other’s whispers perfectly.

A four year-long renovation and restoration project closed the Mapparium in 1998. It was reopened in 2002, fully restored. The renovation also included the addition of sound-and-light shows that “update” the map virtually. The Mapparium is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM, and tour guides escort visitors through it every 20 minutes while the library is open.

A visit to the Mapparium may inspire you to decorate the glass in your home. If so, consider using GlassPrimer™ glass paint. It is specially formulated to bond permanently with glass, and can be matched to any major paint manufacturer’s palette. Please visit the rest of our site for more information about glass paint.

Photo Credit: Imran Ali, via Flickr.com

Glass may be used to fight bacteria

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Glass may be used to fight bacteria

Glass may be used to fight bacteria

The medical community is facing a virtual crisis regarding antibiotic-resistant drugs. The large-scale use of antibiotics over time has resulted in the emergence of drug-resistant strains of bacteria. Developing new strategies to combat these “super-bugs” is a high priority for scientists.

Researchers at the Missouri University of Science and Technology are working with a special type of bioactive glass to limit bacteria’s ability to spread among humans. The glass is a fibrous material that can be used to help dress chronic or slow-healing wounds.

The glass fiber is a promising treatment, since wounds that are covered by it don’t tend to develop infections. By preventing infections from taking hold in the first place, doctors can limit the need for antibiotics while a patient is most vulnerable. The glass fiber has a second beneficial effect; wounds treated with the glass fiber heal faster than open wounds that are treated with more conventional dressings.

The bioactive glass could have additional applications for medical treatments. In addition to wound dressings, bioactive glasses could be used as coatings for medical implants. Patients who receive medical implants – including replacement joints and mechanical bone repairs – could benefit from the technology, since coated implants would be less likely to introduce bacteria into the body when they are installed.

The research team also believes that surfaces in hospitals and nursing homes that are prone to bacterial exposure could be coated with the bioactive glass to discourage the spread of resistant bacterial strains. While many types of hospital-acquired infections are declining, doctors are seeing a much lower rate of decline among certain bacterial strains, including multi-drug resistant staph (MRSA) and C. difficile infections. These two strains are currently recognized as being the most difficult infections to treat.

Glass is an exceptionally versatile medium. It can be used for everything from disease prevention to decorating. GlassPrimer™ glass paint is a special coating that can help you decorate glass surfaces safely and beautifully. For more information about GlassPrimer™ glass paint, please visit the rest of our site.

Photo Credit: Umberto Salvagnin, via Flickr

More major cities dump glass recycling

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More major cities dump glass recycling

More major cities dump glass recycling

Add Alpharetta, GA and Sante Fe, NM to the growing list of cities that are removing glass recycling from their curbside collection programs. While some cities are dropping glass recycling altogether, Apharetta isn’t throwing in the towel on glass just yet.

The city is halting collection of glass from its single-stream curbside collection program in April. The reasons, according to the City Administrator, are just what you’d expect. Glass is hard to collect, sort, store and ship, which makes it unattractive (read: unprofitable) to incorporate into a single stream waste recycling program.

The city is asking its residents to chime in on what they want to do about their glass, however, and promises to work the results of a citywide survey into its long-term glass collection plan. The city has drafted three options for residents, and it’s asking them to identify their preferred course of action.

According to the city, Option A is to put glass in the trash. This option won’t sit well with people who value the idea of recycling materials. With Option A, residents would simply drop their glass containers in the trash and they would be landfilled, along with the rest of their non-recyclable garbage. The reality is that most glass that is currently collected in the city’s single-stream recycling program ends up in the landfill now. Glass containers are pulverized and used as “daily cover” on the surface of the dump to reduce odors and flyaway trash.

Option B provides a drop-off container collection area that residents could use as their time permits. Residents would store glass containers at home, and periodically take them to a centralized collection location. The city has not said what will become of the collected glass under this option.

Option C is the continuation of the curbside recycling program with a few modifications. Glass containers would be sorted into a separate bin by residents and set out at the curb on collection day. A separate truck would collect the glass containers. This option would add $36 per year to each household’s waste service bill.

The results of the survey will be presented to the Alpharetta City Council in April, and based on the findings, the City may modify its current glass collection plan.

One great way to reuse glass is to “upcycle” it with GlassPrimer™ Glass Paint. GlassPrimer™ glass paint is easy to use, looks great and comes in virtually any color. For more information about GlassPrimer™ glass paint, please visit the rest of our site.

Photo Credit: born1945, via Flickr

Why is glass transparent?

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Why is glass transparent?

Why is glass transparent?

Glass is one of the most common materials manufactured today. We use it (or can use it) in just about everything. It has a lot of special qualities that make it exceptionally useful, but why is glass transparent?

Glass has a lot of things going for it. First, it’s made from common materials. Sand, limestone, silica and oxygen are all abundant in just about every place on earth. It’s infinitely recyclable. Glass can be melted down and reshaped over and over again, with virtually no loss in the original quantity or quality of the finished product. Read more

Glass experiments may reveal Martian secrets

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Glass experiments may reveal Martian secrets

Glass experiments may reveal Martian secrets

Man has been interested in Mars for thousands of years, largely because the planet seems to be similar in size and composition to Earth. Unlike Earth, the Martian environment can’t support complex life, but scientists are uncertain about what happened during the planet’s evolution to differentiate it so remarkably from its terrestrial neighbor. Recent explorations are raising more questions about the Red Planet than they’re answering. One observation about Mars is that there appear to be significant glass deposits on or near the surface of the planet. How did the glass get there, and what does the glass reveal about the history of Mars? Read more

The Disadvantage of Glass Storefronts

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The Disadvantage of Glass Storefronts

The Disadvantage of Glass Storefronts

In December, the Apple Store in Palo Alto, CA confronted one of the realities of having an expansive glass storefront: the store is vulnerable to damage. A group of four suspects drove a Kia Soul through the front of the store and stole thousands of dollars worth of Apple merchandise. According to police, more than a dozen additional suspects helped carry out the robbery after the storefront was breached.

The store does include cement barriers to prevent unintended collisions, the suspects drove the car down the sidewalk before putting the vehicle through the front of the store. Both the car and the store sustained heavy damage in the heist, and Apple was unwilling to provide an estimate of just how much of its stuff was taken. Read more

Self tinting glass helps buildings keep their cool

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Self tinting glass helps buildings keep their cool

Self tinting glass helps buildings keep their cool

Energy consumption is one of the hottest topics in new building construction – no pun intended. The drive to reduce energy grows more urgent as developing nations increase construction projects designed to support their economic activities. Nations closest to the Equator are those most in need of simple, reliable solutions that reduce the need for electricity. That’s where self-tinting glass comes in.

Self tinting glass is glass that tints based on the movement of the Sun. The glass remains tinted as long as it is exposed to sunlight. As the Sun moves off the glass, the glass returns to its clear, untinted condition. The glass also remains clear on cloudy days to maximize the transmission of visible light. Read more

Glass doorknob sets London house on fire

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Glass doorknob sets London house on fire

Glass doorknob sets London house on fire

Decorative doorknobs can come in many shapes and sizes, but a glass doorknob was identified as the cause of a house fire in London last fall. Fortunately the homeowner was at home at the time of the incident, and was alerted to the fire by a smoke alarm. The London fire department extinguished the blaze before significant damage was done to the home.

The trouble started when one of the home’s resident’s removed a coat that had been hanging on the doorknob. The doorknob focused sunlight streaming into a bedroom window, and the intensified light ignited clothing hanging in the closet. For its part, the fire department issued warnings about the hidden dangers of combining glass or mirrors and direct sunlight. Read more

Washington Monument Gets Glass Addition

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The National Park Service, which oversees the operations of the Washington Monument, has approved a glass design for a visitor screening center at the base of the structure. The monument is currently closed for repairs and renovations until 2019. When the site reopens, visitors will enter the monument through a 27′ x 30′ entrance, which replaces a temporary structure added following the 9/11 attacks.

The new structure will hold about 2 dozen visitors at a time and will use bulletproof glass. According to the Park Service, the building will use tinted or fritted glass to reduce solar heat gain in the structure. Read more

Liquid glass compound may save your phone

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Liquid glass compound may save your phone

A new compound may eliminate the pain of a cracked phone glass screen. Let’s face it: nothing diminishes your phone’s fun quotient like a cracked glass screen. According to a British mobile phone study, your iPhone has about a 10-week life expectancy. iPhone 4 and iPhone5 models have an average life expectancy of about five weeks, so the prospect of being able to protect a phone is pretty exciting

Sadly, the compound doesn’t quite exist. Yet. It’s actually the subject of a new crowdfunding campaign. According to the developers, a titanium dioxide liquid reinforcement fills in the nanoscopic surface imperfections of a glass surface to give it a little extra strength. Read more