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Two of the things that intrigue me the most are glass
and light. Each one is fascinating on its own, but when these elements are combined they have the potential to become something
uniquely beautiful on many levels. For me, this is the perfect marriage of science and art, as I find many of the phenomena
in physics intrinsically beautiful.
Of course, without light there would be nothing to see, nor anything at all for
that matter. It is pure energy, that can bring with it warmth and illumination that makes life possible. With an endless palette
of colors, hues and intensities, and such an overwhelming importance in our lives, it has the ability to provoke almost any
feeling. I see light as a very powerful medium to be used to express ideas and emotions, as well as having an inherent beauty
in itself.
One of the most fascinating sources of light comes from an ionized gas or vapor, such as a neon tube, a
vapor light, lightning or even the aurora borealis. The gases or vapors give off light when ionized by electricity (or solar
winds) into a plasma state. This fourth state of matter is created when electrons get knocked out of their stable orbits by
other free electrons racing towards the positively charged end of the tube. A single photon of a particular wavelength of
light is emitted when an electron falls back into its stable orbit. The result of billions of these photons every second is
a glow of light that seems to come from empty space.
Glass seems a perfect match for the glow of plasma, for many reasons.
Physically, it has all the right requirements to contain the gas and allow the light to escape. Aesthetically, it is unmatched
in its ability to capture the eye with the way it reflects and refracts light. When used together, they can create some strangely
beautiful and unusual objects.
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