Look at this strange substance. It's called
Aerogel, and it's a super insulator with the lowest density of any solid substance in the world. Affectionately known as "frozen smoke," it happens to be really good at sucking up a bunch of slimy oil. Its maker, AeroClay, is hard at work creating a spongy version of this shapeable goo that could be fabricated into gigantic sheets that soak up only oil, but not water. This would be perfect for cleaning up that gigantic oil slick, otherwise known as the Gulf of Mexico.
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