5 Kinds of Glass Made by Nature

Did you know that glass can be made in nature? In this episode of SciShow, Michael Aranda shows you 5 types of amazing glass naturally produced in nature. Let's go!
Go to Brilliant.org/SciShow to try out Brilliant’s Daily Challenges. The first 200 subscribers get 20% off an annual Premium subscription.
SciShow has a spinoff podcast! It's called SciShow Tangents. Check it out at www.scishowtangents.org
----------
Support SciShow by becoming a patron on Patreon: / scishow
----------
Huge thanks go to the following Patreon supporters for helping us keep SciShow free for everyone forever:
Avi Yashchin, Adam Brainard, Greg, Alex Hackman, Sam Lutfi, D.A. Noe, Piya Shedden, KatieMarie Magnone, Scott Satovsky Jr, Charles Southerland, Patrick D. Ashmore, charles george, Kevin Bealer, Chris Peters
----------
Looking for SciShow elsewhere on the internet?
Facebook: / scishow
Twitter: / scishow
Tumblr: / scishow
Instagram: / thescishow
----------
Sources:
flexiblelearning.auckland.ac....
www.britannica.com/science/ob...
www.sciencedirect.com/science...
volcano.oregonstate.edu/book/e...
www.mindat.org/min-8520.html
www.sandatlas.org/volcanic-gl...
www.mindat.org/min-3004.html
pubs.geoscienceworld.org/msa/...
pubsapp.acs.org/cen/whatstuff...
australianmuseum.net.au/learn...
www.mindat.org/min-32187.html
www.ga.gov.au/education/class...
cosmosmagazine.com/space/opal...
australianmuseum.net.au/learn...
www.britannica.com/science/te...
www.jsg.utexas.edu/npl/outreac...
ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/ca...
oumnh.ox.ac.uk/fulgurites
www.usfcam.usf.edu/cam/exhibit...
link.springer.com/article/10....
www.mindat.org/min-2363.html
blogs.discovermagazine.com/bu...
glassspongereefs.com/the-disco...
oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/g...
docs.niwa.co.nz/library/public...
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2...
www.mpg.de/5595233/climate_ar...
australianmuseum.net.au/learn...
Image Sources:
www.videoblocks.com/video/sem...
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Ca...
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Ca...
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Ca...
www.istockphoto.com/photo/lav...
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...
www.videoblocks.com/video/rip...
www.flickr.com/photos/jsjgeol...
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...
www.istockphoto.com/photo/lun...
www.istockphoto.com/vector/ea...
www.istockphoto.com/photo/wat...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moldavi...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austral...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philipp...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fulguri...
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fulguri...
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Ca...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fulguri...
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hexacti...
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...
www.istockphoto.com/photo/com...

[@SciShow]

Geography fail! In the section on moldavite, the star on the map is over Moldova. It should actually be over the Moldau River in the Czech Republic.

[@fomalhaut_the_great]

I noticed. Thank you for correcting it.

[@fomalhaut_the_great]

@Home Love Uploaders can pin comments to the top, either others' or their own.

[@GodBoredWas]

I wish you would stop "Powerpoint Slide"ing your videos. When you post the words you are saying as part of your video... and then say those words, its redundant. If I wanted to turn on Closed Captioning, I'd do that. Rendering the words and then reading those words is useless. I'm in meetings all day and when a person is saying the exact words that are on the screen as the words are on the screen is terrible. Stop the Powerpoint Slide Video style. PS: i like the content and the presenter, just not the delivery method.

[@ResortDog]

The Virgin Valley Opal Mining District in Nevada has Black Precious Opal fossils too. Usually Twigs, like this one: kzbin.info/www/bejne/r3LLnnWki7R5hKc , to trees and rocks, but also animal bones and casts. I also have a Facebook Group for Swordfish Mining about the valley and its mines and gems. You can even pay some owners to mine their claims. (How about the little glass beads without any inclusions in the ice cores?)

[@boblangford81]

Nerd alert! Just messing with u...

[@Zackfish12345]

The one thing this channel lacks is more visuals for the things they’re discussing. Sometimes what they’re talking about would be awesome to see, but all we get is text on the screen of exactly what they’re saying. I think adding more images or even video clips of what you’re talking about would take these videos to the next level!

[@lancewedor5306]

I think this a major flaw with the presentations. I can hear what they say, so amplify the topic with visuals that are pertinent.

[@f1guy25]

So Minecraft lied to us. You have to remove water from lava to get obsidian.

[@3mar00ss6]

it kind of didn't at the same time you need to cool lava fast to get a glassy structure

[@jasper3706]

Also obsidian isn't really hard to break, it shatters pretty easily

[@midnightgear2616]

However it does have the sharpest edge known to man.

[@Gryphonzwing]

@@jasper3706 I think their just being super careful so they don't shatter it. That is my reason for why it takes so long to break in Minecraft.

[@TGears314]

Midnight Gear natural edge

[@K_i_t_t_y84]

PLEASE do a whole episode about those cool glass sponges!!!!

[@emilylegan3068]

+

[@lyreparadox]

+

[@mcknorth]

+

[@The-pf4zy]

+

[@liammargetts]

+

[@xck]

1: Obsidian (0:53) 2: Opal (2:13) 3: Tektites (4:33) 4: Fulgurite (6:23) 5: Glass Sponges (8:03)

[@gryphonshire]

They left out "Trinitite" which is the green glass formed from the test of the first Atomic Bomb at Trinity Site, (north of Alamogordo), New Mexico.

[@baterdenegantulga4776]

@@gryphonshire Because that's not natural.

[@aaronh1372]

Gadget wasn't natural?! Hmm..

[@caroljo420]

Fun fact: One thing many people don't realize is that if you're wearing an opal ring, and you reach into a freezer, your opal can break, and sometimes even shatter. That's because of the water in them. Water expands when frozen. Opals are very fragile.

[@Naruya23]

Your voice is so soothing. I've been having a lot of difficulties with my mental health lately, which makes it harder for me to sleep, and this video is helping (that's not me saying it's boring, because I do find the topic of gems fascinating, but because your voice is so relaxing, it's helping me calm down). Thank you.

[@gigglysamentz2021]

7:12 Wow! Making metallic iron by giving electrons from a lightning strike is seriously cool! XD

[@Kimbalhota]

@Nathan work's Was looking for that comment!

[@purplealice]

Let's raise a glass to glass!

[@andreaallies7145]

I like the play on words.

[@purplealice]

@@andreaallies7145 Thank you!

[@wolfboyft]

*earthbends obsidian into the air*

[@CanuckMonkey13]

My first thought on hearing about the glass sponges: I DESPERATELY WANT ONE OF THESE IN MY HOME! My second thought: ...and it is all the people thinking like me who make such wonders endangered or extinct in nature. I'M A MONSTER.

[@caramelapple5562]

you're not a monster, the fact that you thought twice about it shows you care about endangered species

[@vangu2918]

Only if you actually do it.

[@SephirothRyu]

I like that they are basically able to "domesticate" crabs.

[@erinmac4750]

​@@SephirothRyu I hadn't heard about that, but there is a guy on YT who rescued a lobster from the "selection" tank. The lobster seemed to be pretty chill. 🦞

[@TheDevler23]

opalized fossils are probably my favorite natural occuring objects!

[@virglibrsaglove]

Mine, too! They combine to of my major interests! Plus, they're just darned beautiful!

[@ideoformsun5806]

I've always loved opals. I'm glad they reached this list.

[@listentomerantaboutuseless34]

This is a great video! it reminds me of the time hurricane sandy hit my state, during the clean up some (idiot) guy tried to cut off a branch that was leaning on a live power line and ended up severing the line itself. when it hit the pavement it melted the asphalt and now I have small pieces of asphalt glass that was left over after it was safe to go near it.

[@sebastianelytron8450]

Did you hear about the guy who put root beer in a square glass? He made beer.

[@scottwalton6026]

Wow......that's fucn good

[@daedae3117]

Wat

[@FREEGEMS]

Dae Dae math joke

[@dejayrezme8617]

Haha nice! So what do you get when you put a strawberry in a round glass? Strawberry pie? :D

[@THETRIVIALTHINGS]

lol

[@route2666]

Talking about glass, could you guys talk about trinitite (nuclear glass made after the trinity nuclear tests) minerals like chernobylite and the potential for nuclear waste containment by using glass/making more inert glasses? I've watched nearly all of sci-show's episodes and love your channel. Thank you for all you guys do to bring science to the masses!

[@1TakoyakiStore]

When you said living glass I immediately thought of diatoms.

[@jasper3706]

Apparently they're crystalline

[@1TakoyakiStore]

@@jasper3706 If you watched Into The Microverse's episode on diatoms Hank Green referred to them as basically living glass.

[@fredgotpub871]

And me of X-men

[@acidsteve9837]

an 8 story high glass sponge? picture please

[@DreadX10]

Yeah, so far, I only heard 1 story about them. Where are the other seven? And in which one does the sponge get high (and on what exactly) ?

[@acidsteve9837]

@@DreadX10 haha

[@davidp.5598]

I would LOVE to see a pic also!

[@reedkellner6447]

Man, Michael--your delivery is so good in this. This isn't normally a topic I would be terribly interested in, but the way you spoke about it really let me follow along and absorb the knowledge. You were giving me shades of Levar Burton and other classic knowledge-presenters...of course with your own Michael Aranda flavor, too...it was really good.

[@sbomorse]

I love opals, never knew how they were created though. I learn something new with every video they upload, this is such a fascinating channel.

[@RickySTT]

5:37 The moldavite inset doesn’t point to the Czech Republic; it points to somewhere between Odessa and Moldova.

[@virglibrsaglove]

Has anyone else noticed that Michael never stumbles over his words? Like, ever. I don't know how he manages this. I would never be able to read a script so perfectly. 👍

[@MrARock001]

This is fascinating stuff! We really need a Crash Course: Geology to bring all these Earth Science topics and systems together!

[@austinfernando8406]

i thought they'd mention diatoms (single cell alge with glass bodies instead of cell walls).

[@TJStellmach]

Are diatom cell walls amorphous silica (glass) or crystalline?

[@austinfernando8406]

@@TJStellmach I just looked it up, they seem to be crystalline , so not technically glass link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF03051518

[@jasper3706]

@@austinfernando8406 Honestly having a crystal body is significantly cooler than having a glass body

[@frogstereighteeng5499]

Another thing cool about diatoms is that the silica is a major ingredient in sea foam.

[@jpe1]

frogster eighteeng does foam on freshwater lakes also contain diatoms? I have noticed that, on the small lake in NE PA where I live, different times of the year will have (slightly) different foam form when strong winds blow, but I never gave it enough thought to try to look anything up, but seeing your comment piques my curiosity, and different diatom growth at different times of the year could explain it.

[@BranDenhauer]

I saw a meme with this guy that said "If the year 2005 was a person" and now I can't get it out of my head.

[@friendlyneighborhoodcrackh6059]

Celephaith he looks like every punk rock frontman ever lmao

[@nulllex0099]

Are you bloody joking? Glass sponges. That's so alien-sounding, it's amazing.

[@thefeatheredfrontiersman8135]

I'm a flintnapper. Thank you so so much for finally talking about opal! I have been waiting for this video since the opal found me. Yep it found me.

[@complex314i]

So Tektites aren't huge red and blue cyclopean bugs with only 4 legs.

[@K_i_t_t_y84]

😂😂

[@TGears314]

Undefind I feel like that will go over a lot of heads but those who get it have my respect hahaha

[@javelincheshire6358]

I am very proud to say I understood that reference.

[@buelph5742]

@@javelincheshire6358 had to search the comments just for that reason 😂👍👏

[@complex314i]

@Peter Connell Tektites are the red and blue bugs with 1 eye and 4 legs in legend of zelda games.

[@bahaloola]

"Daily challenges that are posted every day" scriptwriters need more coffee

[@you1027]

A single-cell glass sponge can be... 8 stories tall? That's a mind blower.

[@MegaPompoen]

Dr.Stone: "The first man-made material in history, synthesized using science: Glass" SciShow: "I'm gonna end this man's whole career"

[@angelvalencia6782]

When you said natural glasses I was thinking of gorilla wearing wood framed glasses with water as the lenses but this is also good

[@xenos_n.]

We found the stoner.

[@cleverusernamenexttime2779]

What?

[@cleverusernamenexttime2779]

Thanks, now I can't stop thinking about that.

[@Eddy-dn1jx]

That opalized fossil is dope

[@greensteve9307]

Australia FTW! :)

[@sls8830]

The glass sponges sounds like that Star Trek episode!

[@SciShow]

Go to Brilliant.org/SciShow to try out Brilliant’s Daily Challenges. The first 200 subscribers get 20% off an annual Premium subscription.

[@hunterjackson802]

Im so glad you guys mention fulgurite, i have seen some at the silver lake sand dunes in Michigan. Its pretty rare and to see it was awesome.

[@IceMetalPunk]

I remember in my first year of college, my bio professor brought in one of those basket sponges to pass around. I was amazed; until then, I always thought of glass as something man-made. They're really cool!

[@gigglysamentz2021]

So many mindblowing things I had never heard about!

[@RybackTV]

Beautiful stones.

[@The8Disciples]

Knowledge is Power!!!!!! Unliiiiiimeted Power!!!!!!!!

[@gigglysamentz2021]

I like when you dive deeper into a topic! :D

[@WonderMagician]

Thanks for sharing your knowledge of these little know natural phenomena.. they are indeed reflective of the ease with which nature creates it's wonders. your enthusiastic presentation was fun and engaging.

[@VandrefalkTV]

Inkstones of the Thundergods! New band name right there!

[@Tbehartoo]

This is really cool! Thanks for sharing it

[@3rdmonocle789]

Feels surreal watching this after watching Dr Stone episode 11.

[@katelynissoshortnot]

It's good to see your face, Michael!!

[@JRLB38]

Good pace with the narration, felt just a touch slower.

[@derickviana9831]

Thx for the amazing content!

[@MatthewBishop64]

What a great episode. Fascinating stuff.

[@Restilia_ch]

I knew about two of these. Was really surprised by the glass sponges though. Damn nature, you got some crazy ideas!

[@Ari.exe619]

Yay glass!

[@adamarens3520]

Hooray for Glass!

[@sanmigueltv]

Very very cool 😎 .. science rocks !

[@hottamalesintoledo5399]

San Miguel TV Science studies rocks .. among other things.

[@jarjarbanks6101]

San Miguel TV Bunch of geeks .. JESUS ROCKS !

[@anthonyjannini7069]

YYOOO it's been a while since I watched one of these, but my boy Michael done bulked up!! #GAINZ BRO!!

[@Karabetter]

VERY NICE coverage of the subject !!! You achieved the level of comprehensive without being boring in any way ! Bravo !

[@gabribotha2403]

I looooooove SciShow!

[@yourlifeisagreatstory]

*This morning I woke up wondering how mirrors are made, I watched several videos on YT, continued onto several videos of how glass is made... and now I sit down and see this!!! When reflecting back on the situation, I find the coincidence funny.*

[@gigglysamentz2021]

So many interesting thing in there!

[@deshanfernando7982]

That was a rocking video!

[@Srinathji_Das]

Awesome video! 👍

[@jornadaclassica1160]

amazing job!

[@argon000s]

Very interesting!

[@DailyHotTopic]

#5 is awesome!

[@solverfix]

This is one of the most concise and succinct descriptions of SiO2 natural glasses. Thank you, I really enjoyed this video. Some less common types of volcanic glass are of a mafic nature known as Sideromelane & Tachylite. If there are other glass nerds out there let me know if you know of other natural glasses out there.

[@ticklemyheart44]

This is so cool! :D

[@sabinareefing5119]

You can find opalized shells in Southern California off the 241 freeway near the landfill. I’ve found and still have them so Australia isn’t the only place.

[@herodaysaver9032]

This is cool af

[@GHutchOrgan]

Really good presenter, nicely paced delivery. Well done

[@merefrog]

Very interesting

[@STONEDay]

Light up my bong for glass.

[@DrowSkinned]

This algorithm needs to calm down. I almost had a heart attack thinking you cut your hair off again.

[@sebastiendion3131]

I love you guys

[@LegendaryUAEGuardian]

I loooooovvvvvvvvve Opals so muuuuuuch😻😻😻😻

[@alienachen1336]

Cool video! Opalised fossils are also found in Nevada.

[@alysonshorthouse8858]

Why does Michael's voice sound different? Have I just become used to hearing him compere the SciShow Quiz Show using this TV voice?

[@fahrinurlaub01vg]

I was wondering that too. Maybe he's battling a cold?

[@annakeye]

@@fahrinurlaub01vg I was wondering why he wasn't blinking just about the entire time.

[@fahrinurlaub01vg]

@@annakeye obviously because he's Michael Aranda! He doesn't need that. Blinking is for common folk, like us. 😉

[@culwin]

sounds the same to me

[@annakeye]

@@fahrinurlaub01vg Or for schizophrenics, and some others on psych meds. I've seen that a lot but there's no obvious pathology going on. Not that you could diagnose from a few minutes of a video. BTW, I probably blink more than you do. Females blink more than males, so I think I'm more common than I even realised. ;)

[@Beryllahawk]

Clearly a great video :D

[@TheYerjustaface]

I found some glass once that was formed from a live powerline falling on a dirt road.

[@sophibeans]

Woah, I have some type 4 fulgurite that I found near Daytona Beach months ago! I had no idea what it was it was until now!

[@virglibrsaglove]

That's so cool! While watching the video I wondered how many times I've seen some and not known what it was.

[@mikewatman5445]

The Brilliant promo at the beginning was too funny. 😂

[@naumacia]

Love the new haircut! 🔥

[@rainbow_vader]

Nobody: KZbin Recommendations: So we heard you like *_G L A S S_*

[@cleverusernamenexttime2779]

They weren't wrong.

[@MattJasa]

The opal tech. is getting pretty advanced in lamp-working. You can't use natural opals the water content is to high they just blow up, but you can encase synthetic opals; greens, red, blue, white, RGB.

[@pheart2381]

Moldavite,yay!

[@juliadesoto7374]

Call me thirsty, but I could listen to this man read science-y things to me all day. Smart, soothing voice, and sooooo easy on the eyes ❤

[@pogan1983]

6. The edge micro-barbes that cut skin when you go through tall grass.

[@SunnyPea]

Could you use any of these in glass blowing?

[@nuniyoa]

There is an error in this video! At 4:24 the video says "but Australia is also home to the only known specimens of opalized fossils", which is not the case. Opalized fossils can be found in Nevada in the form of opalized petrified wood.

[@huyked]

Hey man/host. Your haircut and style looks great today. I think it's different from what I remember.

[@baldurk.1667]

This episode was very interesting, but also kinda spooky! The cut left me with the impression that Michael doesn't blink...

[@DRTMaverick]

I know this is an old video but lightning can heat objects up to 50,000 degrees Fahrenheit, that's hotter than the surface of the sun by a magnitude of 5. That said a lightning striking sand can definitely heat the sand higher than 1,000C per second. (not sure about you but lightning doesn't usually last two whole seconds- I think they're around for like 30-50 microseconds, the light you see is the superheated air and the electrical discharge).

[@angelwhispers2060]

I hope it is someday possible to farm those cool glass sponges. Maybe it was through generations of cultivation get it so that they grow to at least a foot or two in less than 5 years. Or honestly I would settle for a reliable way of it's showing which ones are dead so that the dead ones could be collected from the seafloor. All very highly regulated of course but it would still be freaking cool to have one

[@LambentLark]

Especially with the opals, you probably should have talked about the difference between atmospheric water and chemically bonded water. Atmospheric water burns off at about 400° f and chemically bonded water burns off at closer to 1000° f give or take 400°f or so.

[@dmhq-administration]

So cool and pretty. 🤔🥰🤗💖🇨🇦

[@daniellewilson8527]

Can you do a video about the 4 classes of Porifera?

[@Dinitroflurbenzol]

The burning hairs of nettles (Brennnessel in german) are also made silica. Also grass stores tiny glass particles in its structure (phytolites).

[@NoWarInBaSingSe]

Hey, there should be a character named Glass-Spongebob cylindrical-pants!

[@Kat90001]

This episode feels low-key spo sponsored by Steven Universe

[@o00thunderhawk00o]

yay bongs!

[@camelopardalis84]

Why does Michael sound so super relaxed? Did he get a massage right before taping this?

[@AllenTax]

Learned more to nature. More respect for opal.

[@daedae3117]

4:34 For some reason I read that as, " Tektitties"