Physics & chemistry / DAY 04 OF 40
Cathedral glass is not slowly melting.
Those uneven panes are not evidence of centuries of flow.
Here's the strange part.
Old cathedral windows are not slowly puddling down the wall. Uneven panes are often explained by historical glassmaking and installation, not centuries of flow at room temperature. Glass is unusual, but it is far below its glass-transition temperature in a cathedral. A lopsided window can have a manufacturing history without being a liquid in disguise. (Scientific American)
Historical manufacturing and installation offer an explanation for uneven thickness. This is not a claim about the history of every individual pane.
REALITY CHECK · TRUE OR FALSE?
Has the window been slowly making an exit?
Thicker bottoms on old window panes prove that the glass flowed over centuries.
Go straight to the receipts.
Curious about the methods, dates or details? Open the original source and keep the caveat in view.
ORIGINAL SOURCEScientific AmericanOpen publication ↗NEXT IN THE 40-DAY TRAIL / DAY 05Curie's notebooks still carry a trace. ↗