“An old story about glass goes something like this: A glassmaker, presenting his wares to the Roman emperor Tiberius, handed over a bowl for inspection. After studying it, Tiberius returned the bowl to the man, who promptly hurled it to the ground. Rather than smash to pieces, the glass merely dented; it had been fashioned from a substance that the ancients called vitrum flexile. Amazed, Tiberius asked if anyone else knew how to make it. When the artisan said no, the emperor—fearing that such an invention would devalue treasuries filled with gold and silver—had him executed.” Luckily, we can still make tough glass. Because we suddenly need a lot of it. The New Yorker: The Race to Make Vials for Coronavirus Vaccines.

+ WaPo: The cold rush: Pfizer’s covid vaccine jump-starts race for special freezers.

+ The Atlantic: Dry Ice Is Hotter Than Ever.