“The technology behind 3-D printing — which initially grew out of work at MIT — has exploded in recent years to encompass a wide variety of materials, including plastics and metals. Simultaneously, the cost of 3-D printers has fallen sufficiently to make them household consumer items. Now a team of MIT researchers has opened up a new frontier in 3-D printing: the ability to print optically transparent glass objects. The new system, described in the Journal of 3D Printing and Additive Manufacturing, was developed by Neri Oxman, an associate professor at the MIT Media Lab; Peter Houk, director of the MIT Glass Lab; MIT researchers John Klein and Michael Stern; and six others.”