And then you subtract from that the burning that has been done with the platform and the oil on the surface with the controlled burn, for example -- the application of dispersants, skimming operations and in situ.

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The closest thing out there to LED photomodulation is a controversial procedure called nonablative laser treatment, which uses heat to burn away sub-surface skin so that new cells will replace it.

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Most are smaller than a grain of sand, according to the American Meteor Society, and usually burn up before they hit Earth's surface.

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The laser would only singe the surface of an object in space, but that tiny burn could still help point it downward, Dr. Campbell says.

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