Once a solid layer has formed at the top of the cauldron, the curds are cut then separated from the whey, pressed into a large mould and set to age in a high-humidity cellar.

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Watching paint dry is a mere instance compared to watching ice form, but each year the organizers have to wait patiently for a solid layer of at least 30 centimeters before declaring the event safe.

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This layer of excrement acted as a solid seal, preserving it over the millennia.

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The technology works by building up layer upon layer of material - typically plastic - to build complex solid objects.

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And, to add another contradictory layer: Financial markets continued to greet the results positively through Friday, as if a solid base for further liberalization was established.

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