The discussion centers on the mechanics of how a high-speed pellet can shatter glass, emphasizing the role of kinetic energy and atomic interactions. It explains that when the pellet strikes the glass, its atoms transfer momentum, causing a wave of stress that leads to atomic displacements and bond breakage in the glass. The conversation explores whether the effect is due to high pressure at a point or the equivalent of a larger mass acting on the glass, ultimately concluding that the speed of the pellet increases the number of atomic bonds broken. The participants clarify that the breaking of glass is a result of momentum transfer rather than thermal effects or changes in electron behavior. The thread concludes with an appreciation for the complexity of the atomic interactions involved in such impacts.