Glass

Glass is one of the most prevalent materials in our environment and has a wide range of uses. It has also been around for a while. Records describing the manufacture of industrial glass date back to the time of Ancient Rome.

It defies science structurally, though, as its chemical make-up is unlike that of any other substance we are aware of. While the majority of us assume glass to be solid, the truth is far more nuanced. Glass appears on the surface to be identical to every other solid of the crystal type we are aware of, with predictable properties and a fixed shape.

However, from the inside, its molecules are equally disorganized as those of a liquid, indicating that its real state lies between a solid and a liquid. Glass is one of the most enigmatic materials that we utilize on a daily basis because we are unaware of any other substance, whether natural or artificial, that demonstrates similar characteristics.