The computer you're reading this on may be about to explode. That was the gist of the message I received from my university's security department the other day. It seems the lithium ion batteries that power some computers have been spontaneously bursting into flames. That got me looking into alternative batteries in a hurry, and it didn't take long to figure out that most batteries are bad news for the environment.

If you tossed your old cell phone in a drawer and forgot about it once you brought home that shiny new camera model, you'll want to check out a new exhibition at London's Science Museum. "Dead Ringers" looks at what happens to the cell phones we discard, ways of recycling them, and greener designs for the future.

With an online component as well as a featured gallery on the BBC's web site, you don't have to go to London to soak up the mobile 411. Cell phone handsets that end up in landfills can leak toxic chemicals - yet only 10 to 15 percent are recycled. According to the exhibition, there are seven billion cell phones in the world, but only 1.3 billion users.