glass
"Glass is like water in some respects. The atoms of glass are silicon, oxygen, calcium, and sodium, all small atoms. The electrons in small atoms are close to the nuclei. The forces restoring the electrons to their points of zero force are strong. The electrons resonate at frequencies in the ultraviolet range. Photons of visible light are transmitted, rather than absorbed. Some of the photons are scattered, so that very thick glass is noticeably less than perfectly transparent."
METAMIA is a free database of analogy and metaphor. Anyone can contribute or search. The subject matter can be anything. Science is popular, but poetry is encouraged. The goal is to integrate our fluid muses with the stark literalism of a relational database. Metamia is like a girdle for your muses, a cognitive girdle.