It takes just 1.1 lbs (500 grams) of hair to create a two-foot square, one-inch thick (60x60x2.5cm) mat, which can soak up roughly 1.5 gallons (5.6 liters) of oil.

What a surprise. Turns out that the hair collected by beauticians all across the country and sent to the Gulf of Mexico isn’t the answer to containing the massive oil spill. This sounded absurd ...