Laboratory glassware, 1960.

UNITED KINGDOM - AUGUST 15: Glass has been the essential material in laboratory apparatus for hundreds of years, due to its versatility in terms of the shapes it can be worked into. In addition, glass is resistant to chemical action, durable, transparent and able to be used over a wide range of temperatures. Modern manufacturing processes have produced laboratory glassware that is stronger, more chemically resistant, and usable at much higher temperatures than before. Standardisation of shapes, sizes and joints mean that elaborate apparatus can be assembled quickly and cheaply. This particular example is for carrying out a distillation under reduced pressure. (Photo by SSPL/Getty Images)