ATOM & COSMOS Listen to a recording of electromagnetic disturbances called chorus waves in “Extraterrestrial chorus heard in radiation belts.”Curiosity sends back results of its first full analysis of Martian soil, including signs of carbon. See “Mars rover deploys final instrument.” ON THE SCENE BLOG Scientists compete for best short sell in “Cell biologists hone elevator pitches.” SCIENCE & THE PUBLIC BLOG Janet Raloff reports on looking for life under glaciers in “Antarctic test of novel ice drill poised to begin.” (p. 4)

ENVIRONMENT Lab experiments show that low exposures to oil spills can kill young fish. See “Gulf spill harmed small fish, studies indicate.” MATTER & ENERGY Underwater landslides are more complex than dry avalanches. Read “Underwater avalanches go with the flow.” GENES & CELLS Pregnant rodents receiving low doses of radioactivity gave birth to healthier pups than nonirradiated rodents.  Read “A little radiation is good for mice.” Humans today carry far more rare genetic variants than scientists ever imagined. See “Across 1,000 genomes, rarities abound.�... (p. 4)

GENES & CELLS Understanding inherited conditions is proving to be difficult. See “Rare genetic tweaks may not be behind common diseases.” ATOM & COSMOS Titan and other moons may be crash debris. See “Violent birth proposed for Saturn’s moon mishmash.” BODY & BRAIN An invasive surgery works best for some. Read “Heart bypass surgery outperforms stents in diabetics.” EARTH A deluge of freshwater may have triggered a cold spell 13,000 years ago. See “New pathway proposed for ancient flood.” (p. 4)

ON THE SCENE BLOG Geneticists poke a little fun at themselves during a recent meeting. Read “Buzzword bingo.” SCIENCE & SOCIETY Mapping U.S. votes for president according to state population gives a new view of politics. See “Red state, blue state.” EARTH Feedback loops are melting more ice than predicted, raising oceans faster. Learn more in “Sea level rise overflowing estimates.” MATH TREK COLUMN Theory shows why policy efforts fail in “Game theory suggests current climate negotiations won’t avert catastrophe.” (p. 4)

ATOM & COSMOS Astronomers see two baby black holes where they expected none. See “Cohabiting black holes challenge theory.” EARTH Meteorological conditions combine to make Sandy a record-breaker. See “Low central pressure among Hurricane Sandy’s unusual features.” Warm temperatures in the Antarctic have helped hold down the size of the hole in the ozone layer this fall. Read “Ozone hole at smallest size in decades.” LIFE Vampire squid are scavengers, not blood-sucking predators. See “Vampire squid no Gordon Gekko.” (p. 4)

ON THE SCENE BLOG Deep brain stimulation shows promise for treating spinal cord injuries. Read “Brain zap helps spine-damaged rats walk.” ATOM & COSMOS Two white dwarf stars may have triggered a supernova that left bubble-shaped remains. See “No companion in supernova debris.” HUMANS       A small-scale society figures out how to put an end to years of violence. Read “In New Guinea, peace comes with a price.” ENVIRONMENT Poor ventilation in classrooms may affect student cognition. Learn more in “Elevated carbon dioxide may impair ... (p. 4)

MATTER & ENERGY Chemists find more evidence of the existence of ununtrium in “News in Brief: Japanese lab lays claim to element 113.” ON THE SCENE BLOG Middle-schoolers tackle scientific challenges at the Broadcom MASTERS competition. Read “Building a funner mousetrap.” HUMANS Pastoralists may have constructed England’s ancient stone monuments. See “Herders, not farmers, built Stonehenge.” BODY & BRAIN Magnetic resonance imaging can detect heart attacks that EKGs often miss. Read “MRI spots silent heart attacks.” (p. 4)

HUMANS Some judges may be more lenient when criminals offer biological explanations for their behavior. See “Psychopaths get time off for bad brains.” ATOM & COSMOS Astronomers see a black hole pick up its matter-sucking activity right on schedule. Read “Black hole’s annual feast begins.” BODY & BRAIN Changing gut microbes may set the stage for weight gain. Read more in “Antibiotics linked to fat buildup.” One olfactory brain region ramps up when scents go away. See “Smell deals with deprivation differently.” (p. 4)

ON THE SCENE BLOG Spinning neutron stars called pulsars keep turning up in new and exotic flavors. Read “Weird pulsars debut at Beijing astronomy meeting.” SCIENCE & SOCIETY The world’s first moonwalker left a legacy of exploration. See “Neil Armstrong, first man on moon, dies at 82.” NUMBERS The busiest air-traffic hubs aren’t always tops for epidemics. See “Top airports for spreading germs ID’d.” GENES & CELLS Teens with one form of a gene may have a harder time just saying no. Read “Gene may boost effects of peer pressure.” (p. 4)

LIFE Insects practice their own form of suicide bombing. See “Terminator termites have unique technique.” ENVIRONMENT Iron fertilizer passes a test as a climate aid in “Field test stashes climate-warming carbon in deep ocean.” SCIENCE & THE PUBLIC BLOG Dental resins may be linked to some behavioral shifts in kids. Read “Putting BPA-based dental fillings in perspective.” BODY & BRAIN Some allergic kids’ immune systems can be retrained to handle egg proteins. Read “Egg in tiny doses curbs allergy.” (p. 4)