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A crash involving two trains and a fire aboard a long-distance bus in China caused a total of 80 deaths in a two-day period late last week, raising questions about that nation's safety culture. [More]

Oslo terrorist Anders Behring Breivik's extensive Internet presence gives us a look inside the inner workings of a madman. Meet a young man obsessed with Muslims, liberals, commercial techno music, and World of Warcraft. Oslo terrorist Anders Behring Breivik, like most nutjobs, had a substantial Internet presence.

Dear EarthTalk : I have a carpet made out of recycled PET bottles in my baby’s room and I started noticing a lot of the fibers on our clothes and even in my mouth! Is it dangerous for me or my baby to be in contact with and possibly ingest these fibers? -- Ashley Riccaboni, via e-mail

Google just bought a high-tech face recognition unit called Pitt Patt.

Today we are starting a new feature on the Scientific American Blog Network. [More]

Warming in the Arctic is causing the release of toxic chemicals long trapped in the region's snow, ice, ocean and soil, according to a new study. Researchers from Canada, China and Norway say their work provides the first evidence that some persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are being "remobilized" into the Arctic atmosphere.

Renting with Airbnb, RIM layoffs, Facebook iPad app revealed, and more.

For the background on what Open Lab is, see this post. [More]

This and other breaking news, updated throughout the day by Fast Company's editors. RIM Ditches Over One In Ten Staff .

In 1989 when scientists discovered the defective gene that causes cystic fibrosis, a serious hereditary disorder that primarily strikes children of European descent, it seemed as though a long-hoped-for cure might soon follow. After all, tests in many laboratories showed that providing normal copies of the gene should enable patients to make healthy copies of the protein specified by the gene. If successful, that feat would go a long way toward restoring health in the tens of thousands of people around the world who suffered from cystic fibrosis and typically died in their late 20s

Two decades ago individuals with cystic fibrosis (CF) had an average life expectancy of less than 30 years. A serious hereditary disorder that makes breathing and digestion difficult, cystic fibrosis still cannot be cured, but several drugs and supportive health regimens have helped extend the life span of many people to 40 years or more.

Professionally edited new media feeds kept concerned citizens informed, without having to sift through an unfiltered global reaction. This past year, social media replaced traditional news outlets as an unrivaled source of information for at least a few era-defining stories: Twitter broke the Osama Bin Laden story and YouTube became the window into the Arab Spring .

Girls and the rest of us aside, diamonds can be a geologist's best friend--especially if that geologist has a mass spectrometer and is looking for clues about what Earth looked like billions of years ago. [More]

Some are calling him the next Tony Robbins.