# Flowing glass makes old window panes sag. Newsweek Science writer says so! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 25, 2008, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flowing-glass-makes-old-window-panes-sag-newsweek-science-writer-says-so/454207 "2008-06-25T18:03:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2008, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flowing-glass-makes-old-window-panes-sag-newsweek-science-writer-says-so/454207/1 "2008-06-25T18:03:39Z")
[It’s true! -Scientists reveal why glass is glass - Despite solid appearance, glass is actually in a “jammed” state of matter](http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25335806/) > [@](#): > > The deceptively liquid-like behavior of glass can be seen when you look at glass in the windows of an old building. The glass begins to sag and distort internally over the centuries, due to the effect of gravity. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2008, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flowing-glass-makes-old-window-panes-sag-newsweek-science-writer-says-so/454207/2 "2008-06-25T18:07:49Z")
I thought both Cecil and Snopes squashed this legend, but a quick search here and there found nothing. I think the old window makers put the thick side down because it was more stable than sideways or thick side up. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2008, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flowing-glass-makes-old-window-panes-sag-newsweek-science-writer-says-so/454207/3 "2008-06-25T18:11:41Z")
[Cecil addressed it here.](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_120.html) ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2008, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flowing-glass-makes-old-window-panes-sag-newsweek-science-writer-says-so/454207/4 "2008-06-25T18:12:04Z")
Glass was made by spinning it while molten. When it cooled the outside edge was thicker than the center. Because it was labor intensive, the thicker parts were used along with the thinner, more uniform parts. ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2008, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flowing-glass-makes-old-window-panes-sag-newsweek-science-writer-says-so/454207/5 "2008-06-25T18:27:09Z")
Well I put my money on Cecil. How would one go about calculating the rate of flow of glass anyway? ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2008, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flowing-glass-makes-old-window-panes-sag-newsweek-science-writer-says-so/454207/6 "2008-06-25T21:35:42Z")
[QUOTE=Autolycus] Well I put my money on Cecil. How would one go about calculating the rate of flow of glass anyway? [/QUOTE] Just so everyone knows this thread was not put up to question Cecil et al, but as a mockery of Newsweek’s amazing level of ignorance. The question of “glass flowing” within the observable age of the universe is not going to happen. It’s just stunning that someone writing about science for a major media publication would not know this old canard is false. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2008, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flowing-glass-makes-old-window-panes-sag-newsweek-science-writer-says-so/454207/7 "2008-06-25T22:18:52Z")
We did this one two days ago. [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=472928&highlight=glass](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=472928&highlight=glass) ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2008, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flowing-glass-makes-old-window-panes-sag-newsweek-science-writer-says-so/454207/8 "2008-06-25T23:16:42Z")
[QUOTE=astro] It’s just stunning that someone writing about science for a major media publication would not know this old canard is false. [/QUOTE] Sadly it’s not stunning at all. Most people, including most journalists, know very little about science, except dimly remembered factoids like this.