Glass is the oldest man-made material. Its invention about five thousand years ago should be considered as one of the crucial events in the history of mankind. Glass has given man the possibility to have daylight in his protected living environment and to compensate the defects of his sight. Glass containers and tableware have played and still play an important role in man's everyday life. Glass elements in microscopes and telescopes have given us the possibility to learn the secrets of micro- and macrocosm. Glass participates in the most sophisticated technologies: glass fibers have caused a...