I was today year's old when I learned that my favorite ball jars won't slowly "melt" over time.
The rabbit hole:
I wonder if I can find a way to soften the lip of my ball jar to improve my iced tea experience? The internet says I should use a diamond file called a "crystal saver" on it. Said file is about ~$10, but LO it will make the jar unsafe for canning. Can I accept this? What if I want the jar to last forever? Can I find a replacement of this exact jar?
Yes! There are lots of old jars for sale on the internet. Why are there lots of old jars on the internet? People collect old ball jars? Holy crap they're everywhere and they sure as $%*# do. How long do jars last? Oh look, here is a fancy blue glass "perfect mason" ball jar from 1920s on ebay for $26.
Wait! How is a 100 year old jar still kicking when my highs school science teacher told me that glass is actually a liquid that just flows very slowly!!!??? How is that jar not a fat bottom jar to make the rocking word go round? I remember all the discussion about the stained glass windows in churches with extra thicccc bottoms??? How come a jar can make it be a hundo and still work???!!!
Because facts. Glass is a solid, albeit an amorphous one. It never was liquid. I've been suckered by a science myth.
But like really? Come on.. I can't have been that wrong... right? Aha! Shipwrecks! I know some of them had glass. There must be an old one to prove this. Oh, Damn.! The Capo Corso 2 shipwreck had intact Roman glass that is over 2000+ years old.... Yes that should do it.
The TLDR: Your glassware won't slowly melt over time. Glass doesn't flow, its not Barry Melrose's hair. (RIP).
