Portrait of a scientific glassblower
For the past 16 years, Jim Breen, the highly-skilled artisan, has created glass apparatuses and other vessels for Berkeley researchers - not just those in chemistry, but in engineering, earth and planetary science, physics and other fields.
Breen, who’s blown glass for about 40 years, is one of a dwindling number of scientific glassblowers in the United States. Fifty years ago, the American Scientific Glassblowers Society had roughly 1,000 members; for the past 25 years, the number’s circled 500. But Breen says only about 50 work at colleges or universities.
To read the full story, visit: news.berkeley.edu/2019/06/10/...
Video by Stephen McNally
Music: "Eureka" by Huma Huma, "The Sun is Scheduled to Come Out Tomorrow" by Chris Zabriskie, and "Flickering" by Yven
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Пікірлер: 18
I've been interested in scientific glass blowing as my research department recently lost their glassblower, this video was very inspiring!
I’ve done this for a year after my high school. My grand father is an expert of this work and he’s the one who taught me glassblowing. It’s bittersweet to realise that I left this art due my passion for filmmaking but Man! Watching this put men in such a nostalgic vibe!
Brings back memories of being a chemistry student at UC Berkeley in the late 1970s and hearing the occasional vacuum lines blow up in the inorganic chemistry labs during lectures from one of the best professors at UC Berkeley, namely Kenneth Raymond. I went on too become an organic chemistry in medicinal chemistry, but glassblowers are very important to chemical sciences and were always admired and respected where ever I did research.
@floodlime8620
2 ай бұрын
Love Ken Raymond!
I love the movie type music and the raw passion in this video.
Such an unbelievable and rare skill. I salute you one craftsman to another!
Fun fact: the only institution in the US that offers a certificate in Scientific Glassblowing is Salem Community College in New Jersey.
@nilincekara3377
4 жыл бұрын
UPDATE: Salem Community College is in discussions with local legislators and the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education in further pursuit of this degree program. says the website itself, hopefully it can remain as the last one because i dont want to say now there is none :(
@travismiller5548
2 жыл бұрын
Meh. Salem is only a 2 year degree, while there are more than a dozen institutions that feature courses in scientific glass. I reckon several of which would allow one to make some kind of major out of it. What's that say about the industry? It means that it's small, and that accredited programs are not that important. I sincerely doubt that the majority of companies in need of a scientific glassblowers do their hiring exclusively from Salem grads. Sure, Salem is great- but it's probably all about having a good portfolio demonstrating proficiency.
Great video Jim....... love what you do....
This man needs an apprentice. We can lose these important trades.
@karllee2593
4 жыл бұрын
I agree, but one of the most lovely things about science is that, even if it’s lost, the fundamentals that make it work like it does will never change. It can always be rediscovered.
This is great and important aspect
Such an unbelievable and rare skill. Are you matter.
Been there , done that. Tosoh. Quartz Portland Oregon. I assembled from start to finish , 300 mm wafer boats 27.000$ a pop !! Got laid off ! My dream job 😎
When people use the term “pedestrian” you know right away they are full of themselves . The his guy is a no one in the scientific glass community .
@travismiller5548
2 жыл бұрын
Yeah that term was uncomfortable for everyone else, but this guy is not a nobody. The ASGS is a small community and this man is an esteemed and venerable member. You don't get to stick around at Berkeley that long if you're a nobody in your industry.
@hkkhgffh3613
2 жыл бұрын
Yeah, making testtubes and other standard glassware is an extreme waste of time! Those are mass products....