Yesterday’s post about that scientific conference dedicated to figuring out why glass breaks generated an oddly large amount of email. Since so many of you seem interested in the subject, here’s a tidbit I did not know: Prince Rupert’s Drop.
It turns out that if you drop hot glass into water, it will form a long tear-drop shaped piece of glass. The bulb end can withstand a strike of a hammer. But if you even scratch the thin tail end the whole thing will come apart like a North Korean Rolex.
For those of you completely uninterested in glass stress trivia and who now want the time and brain cells used-up by this information, I’m afraid you’re out of luck.