Glass technologies have shaped the modern world. This video explores the cultural legacy of glass and some of its latest applications.

From bottles and windows, to spectacles, camera lenses and the fibre optics that underpin the Internet – glass influences many aspects of our lives. Yet despite its familiarity, glass still contains mysteries. Where exactly was the first glass manufactured? Why does this liquid-like material remain stable for so long? And why does a cooling liquid turn into a hard glass at all, when no distinct change in structure takes place?

This year is the International Year of Glass and you can discover much more in June’s Physics World, a special issue dedicated to the wonders of glass.