LA Times - Saturday, Sunday, and a Little Bit of Monday

New aerogel is sponge for some toxins

Scientists have developed a lightweight, foamy material that can suck up toxic heavy metals like a sponge, according to a study published Friday.

The porous material, known as an aerogel, is made of sulfur or selenium instead of the traditional oxides.

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Hearing loss may foretell SIDS risk

Hearing tests routinely administered to most newborns may soon be used to identify children who are at risk of sudden infant death syndrome, or SIDS, according to Seattle researchers.

Records of hearing tests administered to 62 infants in Delaware show that those who later died of SIDS had a unique pattern of partial hearing loss, according to a report this week in the journal Early Human Development.

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Hollywood turns to birth control to clean up its (pigeons') act

Eager to reduce the neighborhood pigeon population and the mess that comes with it, Hollywood residents appear ready to try a new birth control method on their wild birds.

Beginning within the next couple of months, a substance called OvoControl P will be placed in kibble in new rooftop feeders, say residents and state and local officials. The substance, which interferes with egg development, generally is viewed as a humane way to lower the birthrate of the birds, which many residents consider a nuisance.

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