Explore the ancient and advanced world of ceramics, a technology born from heating clay to transform it into a durable, rock-like material. This fundamental process, known as vitrification, has been used for millennia to create everything from the earliest known works of art, like the 29,000-year-old Venus of Dolní Věstonice, to the first written records, such as the cuneiform clay tablets of Mesopotamia that preserved the Epic of Gilgamesh. The name itself comes from the Greek keramos, meaning "potter's clay," based on the Proto-Indo-European root ker meaning "to heat" highlighting the essential role of heat in its creation.

The applications of ceramics are vast and surprising, ranging from the special heat-shielding tiles that protected the Space Shuttle during atmospheric re-entry to the ancient Japanese art of Kintsugi, where broken pottery is beautifully repaired with gold lacquer. This versatile material is also at the heart of modern life. High-tech ceramics are essential components in your smartphone, from microscopic capacitors to the chemically-strengthened glass screen. Delve into practical uses like the ancient Olla irrigation system and uncover the real reason pottery can explode in a kiln.

Want to learn more? Head over to my website www.funfactsdailypod.com and be sure to listen to my other podcasts Who ARTed: Weekly Art History for All Ages or Art Smart. For family fun, check out my son's podcast Rainbow Puppy Science Lab

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