The investigation of two poorly understood but technologically important physical properties of silicate glasses and related materials is described. The use of Electron Paramagnetic Resonance to investigate the nature of radiation-induced damage in glasses exposed to a variety of high-energy radiation sources is discussed first. Second, the measurement of the nonlinear index of refraction coefficient in a variety of optical materials related to the design of high-power laser systems is described. The radiation damage investigations rely heavily on the comparison of experimental results for different experimental situations. The comparison of EPR lineshapes, absolute spin densities and power saturation behavior is used to probe a variety of microscopic and macroscopic aspects of radiation damage in glasses. Comparison of radiation damage associated with exposure to gamma rays and fast neutrons (and combinations thereof) are interpreted in terms of the microscopic damage mechanisms which are expected to be associated with the specific radiations. Comparison of radiation damage behavior in different types of glasses is also interpreted in terms of the behavior expected for the specific materials. The body of data which is generated is found to be internally self-consistent and is also generally consistent with the radiation damage behavior expected for specific situations. …