About 5, 500 years ago, some Phoenicians cooking dinner in the desert found that heat turned sand into glass.

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The flight bans came amid fears that the ash - a mixture of glass, sand and rock particles - can seriously damage aircraft engines.

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Although barely visible in the air, the ash -- made up of tiny particles of rock, glass, and sand -- poses a serious threat to aircraft, stalling engines and causing electrical failure, experts have said this week.

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The company is the second largest producer of commercial silica, which is a sand-like substance used in fracking as well as glass making and chemical manufacturing.

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The stylish development has a bit of a resort-like feel, with a pool area, outdoor barbecue grills and a sand volleyball court behind a spacious student recreation center with towering glass walls enclosing a fitness center, ping pong tables and a video game-playing area (on huge flat-screen TVs), among other amenities.

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Who knew then that the glass-gathering would be good exercise later lifting little things out of the sand so that her bad hand became accustomed to opening and closing normally?

NEWYORKER: Starlight