The saga of Los 33 is by far the most exceptional and unusual story that I've encountered in my extensive research on who lives (and who dies) in extreme situations.

The miners call it Hell. The only thing missing is the fire and brimstone. Half a mile underground in northern Chile, 33 men are trapped in a cramped shelter where the temperature is a constant 85 degrees.

An eight year old Dutch boy appears to have been the sole survivor of a deadly plane crash this morning at Tripoli Airport in Libya. How often is there a sole survivor?

Your safety depends largely where you're flying. In other words, commercial jet travel in the domestic United States is safer than most places on earth, especially the developing world.

In the weeks ahead, there will be plenty of hysteria (and misinformation) about the swine flu. If you can, try to focus on what you can control: Your hygiene, your contact with others, and your health.

No one likes to admit it, but bones and eardrums have been broken in the service of preparing American men and women for the reality of captivity.

On these days of Holocaust remembrance, we honor the memory of millions who perished. We also pay tribute to those who somehow survived a massive and systematic attack on Jewish existence.

The captain's courage is a model for all of us. As we await details of how he made it through his four-day ordeal, it's clear that there was much more to his survival than just bravery.