--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It may not look it, but all the glass on…" description: "\"“It may not look it, but all the glass on Earth is flowing downwards under the relentless drag of gravity. Remove a pane of really old glass from the w..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/733/bill-bryson-340_glass_it-may-not-look-it-but-all-the-glass-on_411261.png" --- # It may not look it, but all the glass on Earth is flowing… ![“It may not look it, but all the glass on Earth is flowing downwards under the relentless drag of gravity. Remove a pane of really old glass from the window of a European cathedral and it will be noticeably thicker at the bottom than at the top.” quote by Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/733/bill-bryson-340_glass_it-may-not-look-it-but-all-the-glass-on_411261.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/733/bill-bryson-340_glass_it-may-not-look-it-but-all-the-glass-on_411261.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/733/bill-bryson-340_glass_it-may-not-look-it-but-all-the-glass-on_411261.png) > ““It may not look it, but all the glass on Earth is flowing downwards under the relentless drag of gravity. Remove a pane of really old glass from the window of a European cathedral and it will be noticeably thicker at the bottom than at the top.”” [Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. All glass on Earth slowly flows downward due to gravity, making older panes thicker at the bottom. **In simple terms:** Glass flows downward over time. Key Takeaway Consider the slow effects of forces. Themes science physics observation Mood curious informative Type educational scientific When to use this quote - architecture - geology - engineering Key Concepts gravity material science time Questions to Reflect On - What other everyday objects change slowly? - How does this affect preservation? A Different Perspective Gravity’s impact is subtle but real. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [Perhaps life is like an hour glass, with dear ones the sand that slips from the upper glass--the earth--into the second--eternity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-george/perhaps-life-is-like-an-hour-glass-with-dear-ones-the-sand-that-slips/) [Margaret George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-george/) > [All babies look like Renée Zellweger pushed against a glass window.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-rivers/all-babies-look-like-ren-e-zellweger-pushed-against-a-glass-window/) [Joan Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-rivers/) > [When we opened the doors, we saw that the entire room was scorched black and you were on the floor possibly dead, surrounded by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-whalen-turner/when-we-opened-the-doors-we-saw-that-the-entire-room-was-scorched/) [Megan Whalen Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-whalen-turner/) > [“Vampires are slicker than goose shit on a glass window.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-wendig/vampires-are-slicker-than-goose-shit-on-a-glass-window/) [Chuck Wendig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-wendig/) > [“Let my words be as clear as glass, a window to my soul.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-wagstaff/let-my-words-be-as-clear-as-glass-a-window-to-my-soul/) Sarah Wagstaff > [“She couldn't see him, but his voice was like light through a stained-glass window in a cathedral.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graham-joyce/she-couldn-t-see-him-but-his-voice-was-like-light-through-a-stained/) [Graham Joyce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graham-joyce/) > [“There was a stained glass window in the room with the image of a woman holding a spear. It was a beautiful piece of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-scott-earle/there-was-a-stained-glass-window-in-the-room-with-the-image-of-a/) [Michael-Scott Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-scott-earle/) > [“Life, it now seems, is a stained glass window composed of bits of translucence and opacity—fragments of yesterday, chips of today, pieces of someday,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-vallone/life-it-now-seems-is-a-stained-glass-window-composed-of-bits-of/) Jan Vallone > [For me a stained glass window is a transparent partition between my heart and the heart of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-chagall/for-me-a-stained-glass-window-is-a-transparent-partition-between-my/) [Marc Chagall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-chagall/) > [“...he liked his transcendence out in plain sight where he could keep an eye on it -- say, in a nice stained-glass window --…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/he-liked-his-transcendence-out-in-plain-sight-where-he-could-keep-an/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [God Ain't no stained glass window, cause he never keeps his window closed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-cash/god-ain-t-no-stained-glass-window-cause-he-never-keeps-his-window/) [Johnny Cash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-cash/) > [“You saw me through a stained-glass window? How'd you pull that off' 'I could find someone as beautiful as you no matter where you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-angelini/you-saw-me-through-a-stained-glass-window-how-d-you-pull-that-off-i/) [Josephine Angelini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-angelini/) > [The easiest thing to do is throw a rock. It's a lot harder to create a stained glass window. I used to get upset…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-foreman/the-easiest-thing-to-do-is-throw-a-rock-it-s-a-lot-harder-to-create-a/) [Jon Foreman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-foreman/) > [I consider myself a stained-glass window. And this is how I live my life. Closing no doors and covering no windows; I am the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-consider-myself-a-stained-glass-window-and-this-is-how-i-live-my/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The current best estimate for the Earth’s weight is 5.9725 billion trillion tonnes, a difference of only about 1 per cent from Cavendish’s finding.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/the-current-best-estimate-for-the-earth-s-weight-is-5-9725-billion/) [Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/) ## More by Bill Bryson > [Most big companies don't like you very much, except hotels, airlines and Microsoft, which don't like you at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/most-big-companies-don-t-like-you-very-much-except-hotels-airlines/) [Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/) > [“But Welsh spellings are as nothing compared with Irish Gaelic, a language in which spelling and pronunciation give the impression of having been devised…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/but-welsh-spellings-are-as-nothing-compared-with-irish-gaelic-a/) [Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/) > [“Pantaloons were often worn tight as paint and were not a great deal less revealing, particularly as they were worn without underwear. . .…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/pantaloons-were-often-worn-tight-as-paint-and-were-not-a-great-deal/) [Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/) > [If you go out on the Appalachian Trail, you have to bring so much more equipment - a tent, sleeping bag - but if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/if-you-go-out-on-the-appalachian-trail-you-have-to-bring-so-much-more/) [Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/) > [“The dining table was a plain board called by that name. It was hung on the wall when not in use, and was perched…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/the-dining-table-was-a-plain-board-called-by-that-name-it-was-hung-on/) [Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/) > [“From almost nothing, France in four years built up an aircraft industry that employed nearly 200,000 people and produced some 70,000 planes. Britain built…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/from-almost-nothing-france-in-four-years-built-up-an-aircraft/) [Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/) > [“Every twenty minutes on the Appalachian Trail, Katz and I walked farther than the average American walks in a week. For 93 percent of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/every-twenty-minutes-on-the-appalachian-trail-katz-and-i-walked/) [Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/) > [“A diarist named George Templeton Strong recorded in the winter of 1866 that even with two furnaces alight and all the fireplaces blazing, he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/a-diarist-named-george-templeton-strong-recorded-in-the-winter-of/) [Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/) > [Tune your television to any channel it doesn't receive and about 1 percent of the dancing static you see is accounted for by this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/tune-your-television-to-any-channel-it-doesn-t-receive-and-about-1/) [Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/) > [As a rule of thumb, I would submit that if you need to call your floss provider, for any reason, you are probably not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/as-a-rule-of-thumb-i-would-submit-that-if-you-need-to-call-your-floss/) [Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/) > [Nobody gets excited about the future at all, ever. The future is something we find depressing and worrisome.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/nobody-gets-excited-about-the-future-at-all-ever-the-future-is/) [Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/) > [“What made this particularly interesting is that John Howard is by far the dullest man in Australia. Imagine a very committed funeral home director…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/what-made-this-particularly-interesting-is-that-john-howard-is-by-far/) [Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/) > [I would make a genuinely terrible guide. I can't remember things. I would get half way through telling a story or explaining something and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/i-would-make-a-genuinely-terrible-guide-i-can-t-remember-things-i/) [Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/) > [“In the mystifying world that was Victorian parenthood, obedience took precedence over all considerations of affection and happiness, and that odd, painful conviction remained…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/in-the-mystifying-world-that-was-victorian-parenthood-obedience-took/) [Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/) > [If this book has a lesson, it is that we are awfully lucky to be here-and by 'we' I mean every living thing. To…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/if-this-book-has-a-lesson-it-is-that-we-are-awfully-lucky-to-be-here/) [Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/) [Explore all 656 Bill Bryson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/) ## More Glass quotes > [A poor self-image is the magnifying glass that can transform a trivial mistake or an imperfection into an overwhelming symbol of personal defeat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-d-burns/a-poor-self-image-is-the-magnifying-glass-that-can-transform-a/) [David D. Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-d-burns/) > [“I'll just have a glass of water.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/various/i-ll-just-have-a-glass-of-water/) Various > [Like everybody, you get nights where you feel completely depressed. You start thinking about all the bad things and think about the glass half…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lights/like-everybody-you-get-nights-where-you-feel-completely-depressed-you/) [Lights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lights/) > [Is the glass half empty or half full? Life and relationships work better when the glass is half full. Below are some simple yet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nate/is-the-glass-half-empty-or-half-full-life-and-relationships-work/) [Nate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nate/) > [“Someone who has the delusion Glass, is made of, does not literally believe herself to be made of glass but rather feels fragile and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarlett-thomas/someone-who-has-the-delusion-glass-is-made-of-does-not-literally/) [Scarlett Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scarlett-thomas/) > [“Bourbon, Kentucky bourbon especially, is like Dante’s Inferno in a glass, fire walks down your throat, lungs, and heart and everything in between with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-crown/bourbon-kentucky-bourbon-especially-is-like-dante-s-inferno-in-a/) [Bruce Crown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-crown/) > [No phone, a movie, a glass of wine, and some salad. Perfect!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-moss/no-phone-a-movie-a-glass-of-wine-and-some-salad-perfect/) [Kate Moss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-moss/) > [It's commonly said that if slaughterhouses had clear glass walls, nobody would eat meat. I think people go out of their way to remain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-o/it-s-commonly-said-that-if-slaughterhouses-had-clear-glass-walls/) [Steve-O](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-o/) > [“It was darker in the tower than any place Devnee had ever been. The dark had textures, some velvet, some satin. The dark shifted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-b-cooney/it-was-darker-in-the-tower-than-any-place-devnee-had-ever-been-the/) [Caroline B. Cooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-b-cooney/) > [I drive a Prius. I always turn my faucets off. I never use plastic bottles anymore. I use glass bottles. I bring my own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brooke-d-orsay/i-drive-a-prius-i-always-turn-my-faucets-off-i-never-use-plastic/) Brooke D'Orsay > [I buy 1920s iridescent Scottish glass. I love the way the sun hits it every morning. You touch something and you know. To me,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-miller/i-buy-1920s-iridescent-scottish-glass-i-love-the-way-the-sun-hits-it/) [Judith Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-miller/) > [“I think this is one bad side of a mirror; it helps us to see the reflection of the effects of our own actions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/i-think-this-is-one-bad-side-of-a-mirror-it-helps-us-to-see-the/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Lois, this isn't my Batman glass.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-griffin/whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa-lois-this/) [Peter Griffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-griffin/) > [“The power of evil was nothing more than a tangible thing, something that given the strength of will, could be broken as easily as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-robinson/the-power-of-evil-was-nothing-more-than-a-tangible-thing-something/) Nathan Robinson > [The message I like to convey to women and girls across the globe is that there is no glass ceiling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/venus-williams/the-message-i-like-to-convey-to-women-and-girls-across-the-globe-is/) [Venus Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/venus-williams/) Browse all 720 Glass quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“It may not look it, but all the glass on Earth is flowing downwards under the relentless drag of gravity. Remove a pane of really old glass from the window of a European cathedral and it will be noticeably thicker at the bottom than at the top.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Bill Bryson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/it-may-not-look-it-but-all-the-glass-on-earth-is-flowing-downwards/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Glass" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/it-may-not-look-it-but-all-the-glass-on-earth-is-flowing-downwards/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/733/bill-bryson-340_glass_it-may-not-look-it-but-all-the-glass-on_411261.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/733/bill-bryson-340_glass_it-may-not-look-it-but-all-the-glass-on_411261.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/733/bill-bryson-340_glass_it-may-not-look-it-but-all-the-glass-on_411261.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It may not look it, but all the glass on Earth is flowing downwards under the relentless drag of gravity…” — Bill Bryson", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Bill Bryson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“It may not look it, but...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/it-may-not-look-it-but-all-the-glass-on-earth-is-flowing-downwards/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/it-may-not-look-it-but-all-the-glass-on-earth-is-flowing-downwards/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```