A graphic showing traces of collision of particles at the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) experience is pictured with a slow speed experience at Universe of Particles exhibition of the the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN). Credit: FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP/Getty Images

Exotic particles made headlines again and again in 2012, making it no surprise that the scientific breakthrough of the year was a big physics finding in a small package: confirmation of the Higgs boson. Hypothesized more than 40 years ago, the elusive particle completes the standard model of physics, and could be the key to how other fundamental particles obtain mass. The only mystery that remains is whether its discovery marks a new dawn for particle physics or the final stretch of a friend that has run its course. Space shuttle Endeavour’s relocation to the California Science Center captivated Los Angeles, dodging bridges, trees and power lines at a 2 mile-per-hour pace to complete its final journey. NASA’s Curiousity Mars rover landed on the red planet after ‘Seven Minutes of Terror,’ and a $2.5 billion mission.  And SpaceX became the first privately-held company to launch a spacecraft that reached the International Space Station.

Michael Shermer, founding publisher of Skeptic magazine and Executive Director of the Skeptics Society

Phil Yam, Managing Editor, Online for Scientific American

Still from the film "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey." Credit: New Line Cinema

Peter Jackson is known in Hollywood and around the world for making visually captivating films including The Lord of the Rings films, an updated version of King Kong, and most recently “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.” While Jackson’s latest film, the first of three following Bilbo Baggins’ fantastical journey, has garnered a lot of attention, not all of it has been positive.

In order to fully understand why, a little Film School 101 is required. Most feature films are recorded at the standard film projection rate of 24 image frames per second because seeing that number of images per second is enough to trick the human brain into processing flickering still images as actual movement. Jackson, however, decided to not only film “The Hobbit” in 3D, but also at 48 frames per second – twice the normal rate.

This may sound impressive, but audiences and film critics alike are having mixed reactions. New Yorker film critic Anthony Lane remarked “HD has the unfortunate effect of turning every film into what appears to be a documentary about a film set, not just warts-and-all but carefully supplying extra warts where a wart has no right to be.”

According to scientists and researchers in the field of consciousness perception, the human brain perceives reality at a rate somewhere between 24 fps and 48 fps, and there’s a “sweet spot” somewhere in between. Going beyond that rate, they say, spoils the perception of reality. If you’ve seen “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” at 48 frames per second, what did you think? Did you find that it bring you closer to the action? Do all those extra frames diminish the cinematic experience?

Claudia Puig, film critic for KPCC and USA Today

James Kerwin, film and theatre director whose credits include the feature film "Yesterday Was a Lie,” and a frequent lecturer on the science of film perception and frame rates.

Vintage postcard published by M. Kashower. Credit: Image via Postcardroundup.com

How should you tip during the holidays? During the season of giving, many people find themselves asking whether to give something extra to the people who work for them: mail carriers, housecleaners, nannies, dog-walkers. This year, we have a guide for how to gift outside of family and friends circles – who to tip, and how much.

Do you treat the people who work for you to something extra during the holidays? When it comes to employees and service people, is money more appropriate than a thoughtful gift? How do you give back? David runs through a holiday how-to and opens the phones for listeners to answer age-old questions of holiday giving.

House Speaker John Boehner holds a press conference at the Capitol on Friday. The night before, he did not have enough backing from his own party to pass his fiscal cliff legislation.
Credit: Win McNamee/Getty Images

President Obama had stern words for congressional leaders Friday when he urged them to approve legislation before the New Year to prevent tax increases on millions of middle class Americans and an expiration of long-term unemployment benefits.

After House speaker Rep. John Boehner was unable to convince members of his own party who staunchly oppose tax increases to back his ‘Plan B’ legislation last week, Obama said he still wants a bill that requires the wealthiest American to pay more. The key players made the rounds on Sunday talk shows but there’s still no sign they’re closer to a deal.

With Republicans not buying into Boehner’s plan, who does the President negotiate with? Meanwhile, economists fear the looming fiscal cliff could deliver a blow to the U.S. economy. Will Congress finalize a deal before the New Year?

Steven Sloan, Senior Tax Reporter for POLITICO

Arnold Steinberg, veteran political strategist and analyst

National Rifle Association Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre calls on Congress to pass a law putting armed police officers in every school in America during a news conference at the Willard Hotel December 21, 2012 in Washington, DC. This is the first public appearance that leaders of the gun rights group have made since a 20-year-old man used a popular assault-style rifle to slaughter 20 school children and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, one week ago. Credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

The NRA shoots from the hip: The infamously reticent National Rifle Association held a press release on Friday to react to the Newtown shootings. Many were expecting the NRA to strike a cooperative tone in wake of the tragic events and the heavy calls for reform from gun control advocates, the public and Democratic politicians.

Instead, NRA Executive Director Wayne LaPierre suggested that a plan be put in place to introduce armed guards at every school in the country. Critics of the NRA claim that LaPierre is simply trying to shift the blame from his organization and its concentrated, decades-long effort to relax or eliminate gun control laws. And these complaints aren’t just coming from Democrats.

After LaPierre’s comments, Republican Michael Steele stated that he found it “haunting and very disturbing.” Despite growing opposition from gun control advocates, the NRA continues to be one of the most powerful lobbying organizations in the country.  And in the face of public sentiment for less availability of weapons, LaPierre’s call for even more guns seems brazen.

How have they managed to turn the conversation away from gun regulation and towards arming schools?  Are they instilling a climate of fear, or offering a reasoned and logical solution to a national problem?  Can their ideas take hold?  

Richard Feldman, president, Independent Firearm Owners Association

Marijuana plants for sale at Studio City's Perennial Holistic Wellness Center. Credit: Bear Guerra/KPCC

In the November Colorado and Washington passed legislation that will make recreational marijuana legal, leaving the two states to navigate the issues of enforcing state laws that are different from federal laws. Marijuana may be legal on a state level, but it’s still outlawed by the federal government.

In California, where medical marijuana is already legal, and the punishment for being caught with recreational marijuana is relatively lax, the drug is everywhere. California Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom expressed his support for reforms to California marijuana laws, saying. “It’s shocking, from my perspective, the number of people that we all know who are recreational marijuana users… these are incredibly upstanding citizens: Leaders in our community, and exceptional people. Increasingly, people are willing to share how they use it and not be ashamed of it.”

Should California adopt marijuana laws that more accurately reflect citizen’s attitudes towards the drug? What difference would such laws make, considering marijuana’s current status in the state? How could it benefit or harm California to be a leader in drug law reform?

Bruce Margolin, California NORML Deputy Director

Can you be too attractive for the office? Iowa rules that employers can fire employees who they see as an "irresistible attraction." Credit: Oleg Nikishin/Getty Images

An Iowa Supreme Court composed of only male judges ruled unanimously that a dentist who fired his employee because he and his wife viewed her as a threat to their marriage was acting within the law. The court determined that employers could fire someone they consider to be an “irresistible attraction,” regardless of the nature of their relationship with the employee.

Dentist James Knight fired Melissa Nelson after his wife became wary about platonic text messages between the two. In his defense, Knight’s lawyers claimed that the termination was not an act of gender discrimination – Knight fired Nelson because he was attracted to her, not because she was a woman.

Although the court ruled in his favor, many critics have jumped to Nelson’s defense, saying that the all-male court failed to recognize the gender discrimination women face in the workplace. They argue that the judges have sent the message that men can’t be held responsible for controlling their desires, and that responsibility for monitoring attraction falls on female employees.

Although hiring and firing power lies with employers, especially in small business without a formal HR presence, the lines between preference and discrimination are frequently blurry. 

Could Knight’s decision to fire Nelson for being too attractive be considered sexual harassment? Should employers be able to fire anyone they deem “irresistible,” even if the person being fired has shown absolutely no interest in pursuing a relationship? Even if the decision to terminate employment based on attraction is legal, is it morally out of bounds? Have you ever been fired for no reason, or a bad one?

Nancy Bornn, employment law attorney with a practice in Marina Del Rey

France's President Francois Hollande arrives to deliver a speech on December 21, 2012 at the Elysee Palace, in Paris. Credit: AFP/AFP/Getty Images

While America is home to some harsh critics of France, it might have gained a few new supporters, particularly amongst those who are still in school. That’s because President François Hollande announced that he intends to ban homework for all primary and middle school students.

While students in France may be celebrating, their counterparts in the United States are being drowned with homework. Critics of homework in this country range from limiting the amount teachers are allowed to assign to abolishing it completely. That’s because many progressive educators claim that there is no correlation between homework and the ability to make good decisions later in life.

To them, and to most students, homework is simply designed to keep children busy or as a means to check an objective off a list of core standards. But not everyone is against homework in the United States. Some claim that there is a correlation between school success and homework, but even that is not a very strong correlation and there are still criticisms that homework is assigned too heavily.

Which camp do you agree with? What about your kids? Do you find yourself scratching your head when you’re asked to help them with an assignment? Have you seen homework make a difference in your child’s education?

Steven Schlossman, Professor of History specializing in education at Carnegie Mellon University

Patricia Hinchey, Ph.D,  Professor of Education at Penn State

A database of mentally ill people barred from buying guns lacks all the records required. Credit: Karen Bleier/AFP/Getty Images

On Monday in upstate New York a 62-year-old man who was once convicted of manslaughter ambushed and shot four firefighters who had responded to a fire at his home.  Two of the firefighters were killed, and two were seriously wounded; the gunman then shot and killed himself.  Convicted felons are not allowed to own firearms, so the question is – how did William Spengler obtain his arsenal of weapons? Should the existing gun laws in this country be enough to keep guns out of the hands of a convicted felon? This and other recent tragedies such as the Sandy Hook shooting have focused a sharp lens on gun policy in this country. But while both gun owners and gun control advocates agree that something has to be done, where do we start? Do tougher guns laws need to go into effect immediately? Or is it going to take generations of different thinking to change the culture?

LAPD 2012 Gun Buyback Program

Erika Aguilar, KPCC reporter, speaking with us from the LAPD gun buyback at the Los Angeles Sports Arena

John Lott, author of "More Guns, Less Crime: Understanding Crime and Gun Control Laws" He was also the chief economist at the United States Sentencing Commission.

Jack Scott,former state senator (CA-D), gun control advocate who began his efforts after his son Adam was fatally shot

US President Barack Obama delivers remarks while visiting military personnel eating Christmas Dinner at Anderson Hall at Marine Corps Base Hawaii on December 25, 2012 in Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii. T Credit: Pool/Getty Images

8.2 million California currently lack health insurance. Many hope that will change when the Affordable Care Act (ACA) rolls out in 2014, but it’s almost anyone’s guess what the final bill will be for California.

In 2010, state officials said it would cost California $2.7 billion annually; this year they estimated annual costs would be in the, “low hundreds of millions of dollars”; and the nonprofit Kaiser Family Foundation recently pegged it at almost $14 billion for the first decade.

The discrepancies lie in uncertainty over how many people will sign up for Medi-Cal, the public insurance program for the poor. And in spite of the Californians who will gain health insurance from the ACA, the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research estimates that by 2019, 4.1 million Californians will remain uninsured and rely on emergency rooms for their care, the cost of which counties will still need to absorb.

That intensifies the debate because Brown’s administration is already suggesting reducing Sacramento’s annual $1.4 billion to counties to help them care for the uninsured. David looks at the numbers.

Kavita K. Patel, adjunct assistant clinical professor at UCLA’s Geffen School of Medicine

The freshly painted Hollywood sign is seen after a press conference to announce the completion of the famous landmark's major makeover on December 4, 2012 in Hollywood, California. Credit: ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images

This is one in a series of year-end stories that look back at the most memorable pieces KPCC reporters worked on in 2012 and look ahead at a key issue that will be the focus of coverage in the coming year.

Two of California's most important industries are having a little problem: They can't get along. And they may never get along.  Hollywood is the world's entertainment capital. Silicon Valley is the world's technology capital. Hollywood is Southern California and "laid back" Los Angeles while the Valley is Northern California and the nerdy, youthful energy of hundred of San Francisco Bay Area startups. There are riches to be had in both realms. But Hollywood has been making people rich for a century. It’s old money. It’s mansion and Malibu. Silicon Valley’s riches are much, much newer. And no one cares about how big your house is. It’s all about how big your brain is. Despite that, both Hollywood and Silicon Valley realize that they need each other.

Matt DeBord, KPCC business reporter, writes The DeBord report

General view of the atmosphere at the "Les Miserables" New York Premiere at Ziegfeld Theater on December 10, 2012 in New York City. Credit: Larry Busacca/Getty Images

The highly anticipated musical-cum-movie Les Miserables opened yesterday, breaking box office records for the highest advance ticket sales for a Christmas day release and taking in $18 million in one day, according to Deadline.com. But that apparent enthusiasm has been dampened by reviews like this one from Gawker, which referred to it as “banal schmaltz” and “a nonsensical, emotional vampire of a movie.” Some people will just never like musicals, but is that just generational? Whatever happened to the crooning days of Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire? Are they never to return? Are modern audiences beyond reach when it comes to musical movies?

Wade Major, film critic for KPCC and boxoffice.com

This picture taken on September 12, 2012 shows a couple embracing by a riverside. Credit: AFP/AFP/Getty Images

Having trouble finding a date for New Year’s? Could your credit score be the problem? That’s the lament (or triumph) of some singles on the prowl, who say a bad credit score is increasingly seen as a dating deal breaker. One financial analyst says credit scores are the new dating equivalent of a sexually transmitted disease test.

The credit score is derived from a formula that accounts for outstanding debt and payment histories and in recent years it’s become increasingly ubiquitous. It’s now used to determine credit, housing loan approval, and in 42 states, it can even be considered as part of a job applicant’s file.

The trend has spawned websites such as creditscoredating.com and datemycreditscore.com. Some joke about it, but financial planners say it’s serious. A partner with a bad credit score can prevent a couple from buying a home, drive up rent for an apartment application, or make the difference between high or low cell phone bills or car insurance rates. Do you consider your date’s credit score when dating?

US President Barack Obama steps off Marine One on the South Lawn upon return to the White House on December 27, 2012 in Washington, DC. Obama returned to Washington under pressure to forge a year-end deal with Republicans to avoid the tax hikes and spending cuts of the 'fiscal cliff.' Credit: MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images

With only five days to go before ‘Cliffaggeddon,’ President Barack Obama cut his holiday short and flew back to the capitol to try to broker a deal. But Republicans and Democrats in congress seem to be as far apart as ever.

Last week, House speaker John Boehner handed the ball off to the Senate, admitting he didn’t have the GOP votes to pass his ‘Plan B’ proposal. Christmas came and went, with the Capitol deserted and no viable solution in sight. House members are still in their districts, waiting to be summoned back to D.C. for their input - but the call hasn’t come. What happens if and when we go over the cliff? Taxpayers face an increase across all income levels; the long-term unemployed will see an abrupt end to their federal unemployment benefits; spending cuts will kick in, putting federal programs, national defense and jobs on the chopping block.

Why are both sides willing to risk financial disaster? Who’s really holding up the negotiations?  Can any middle ground be found here? Will agreement be reached before the Times Square ball drops on December 31st?

Tom McClintock, Republican Congressman representing California’s 4th District and a member of the House Committee on the Budget

Xavier Becerra, Democratic Congressman representing California's 34th District and a member of the House Ways and Means Committee

Tim Leiweke, President and CEO of AEG during an event announcing naming rights for the new football stadium Farmers Field at Los Angeles Convention Center on February 1, 2011 in Los Angeles, California. Credit: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

Everyone in Los Angeles was excited to see a new ownership team take over the Dodgers  in 2012, so looking forward to 2013, all eyes are on the NFL. L.A. has been without a  football team since the Raiders moved back to Oakland in 1995.  The L.A. region has made numerous moves to bring the NFL back to town.

This year, the City Council approved a deal with Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG) to build the proposed Farmers Field in downtown L.A., while billionaire Ed Roski’s proposal to build the stadium in the City of Industry remained “shovel ready.”  Pasadena changed a city ordinance to offer a temporary residence to an NFL team at the Rose Bowl.   Now AEG is up for sale, and there’s still a key ingredient missing here: an NFL team.  

Hopefully, 2013 will be the year we find out which NFL team wants to go Hollywood. Teams can apply to make that  move on January 1, 2013. Has the NFL been missed in Los Angeles? Are the USC and UCLA programs enough to quench our thirst for football? Do you have environmental concerns with the new $315 million 76,00-seat downtown stadium? KPCC’s Brian Watt looks into his crystal football to see what’s ahead for the southland’s NFL fans.

Brian Watt, KPCC Reporter

Screenshot of The Journal News's map of gun owners in New York. Credit: The Journal News

The Journal News, a newspaper based in White Plains, NY, attracted attention recently for its online publication of the names and addresses of people with permits to own guns living in Westchester and Rockland counties. The interactive map pinpoints homes where one or more residents are licensed to own a handgun – a pistol or revolver.

The map doesn’t track ownership of long guns, like shotguns and rifles, and only marks homes where someone is licensed to own a gun – they may not actually own a gun, and there is no way to track unlicensed gun owners. The story received a lot of criticism, with many people calling the map an extreme violation of privacy, and some comparing the list to a sex offender registry. Critics also worry that the information makes residents more vulnerable, although they debate whether those with or without guns are in more danger. One blogger retaliated by publishing the names, addresses and home phone numbers of the Journal News’ staff.

By New York state law, gun permit records are public information -- the Journal News used technology to aggregate the records on a convenient Google map and publish them widely.

Should gun permit information be readily accessible? Is the map useful even if it can’t track unlicensed gun owners, or long gun owners? Knowing who in your neighborhood is permitted to own a handgun may seem useful, but is it dangerous to also note which homes don’t have guns? Is publishing this public information online a violation of privacy?

Could there be detectable life on far away planets? Credit: By FlyingSinger via flickr Creative Commons

Sci-fi fans, a planet similar to Earth may be closer than we could have ever imagined. An international team of scientists has determined that Tau Ceti, the star that is most similar to our Sun and closest to the Earth, may have a habitable planet in its orbit.

The planet, which is five times the size of Earth, lies in Tau Ceti’s “habitable zone.” That means that the distance of the planet from the star allows for temperatures to be at a level which would allow for life like we see on Earth. Of course, that doesn’t take into account for the increased gravity. This system is 12 light years away, which in the grand scheme of things is equivalent to a few blocks in the city which is the Universe.

While those jumping ahead may wish to see this as a potential outpost for colonization, scientists are expected to use this discovery as a way of perfecting planetary detection in the future. What else is on the horizon out there? What is the likelihood that this new planet has life on it? How did the scientists find it in the first place?        

Charles Beichman, Executive Director of the NASA Exoplanet Science Institute at the California Institute of Technology

Central Intelligence Agency Director, David Petraeus, participates in a House Select Intelligence Committee and Senate Intelligence Committee joint hearing, on Sept. 13, 2011 in Washington, D.C. Credit: Mark Wilson/Getty Images

While it’s nice to look at who came out on top at the end of the year, it’s also worthwhile to remember the losers. Besides, we learn from our mistakes right? (Or at least learn to laugh at them.)

From pop culture to entertainment to politics, nothing is off limits. Take your pick: General Petraeus’s sex scandal, or the box office disaster that was “The Oogieloves.” And don’t forget Rupert Sanders, after having an affair with Kristen Stewart, or Rupert Murdoch, who has been deemed unfit to rule his media empire. The list goes on and on.

Who do you think ended 2012 with egg on his or her face? What companies came out with products that just didn’t cut it for you…or anyone? Which politicians lost their dignity along with the vote this year? Give us a call and let us know your “favorite” failure or flop of 2012.

Mary McNamara, television critic for the Los Angeles Times

A statue of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Credit: GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP/Getty Images

Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all? Even at 75, the answer is still the original Disney princess, Snow White. In 1937, Walt Disney produced his first full length feature production, kicking off what would become the largest entertainment franchise in history.

While everyone knows Snow White and the lovable dwarfs, most people don’t know that Disney had the entire future of his career riding on the film’s success. Obviously, the gamble paid off. To celebrate, Disney created the Cathay Circle Restaurant and Lounge, a replica of the Carthay Circle Theater at which the film originally premiered 75 years ago.

What did the movie do for Disney and his company? What did it do to legitimize animation as a film genre? What do you love most about this historic and timeless film?

Charles Solomon, film critic and animation historian for KPCC, author for amazon.com

A robot developed by the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology retrieves a carton of juice in a presentation on the first day of the CeBIT 2012 technology trade fair. Advancements to humanoid robots could mean more fluid, accurate movement. Credit: Sean Gallup/Getty Images

The Artificial Intelligence Laboratory of the University of Zurich is working on a humanoid robot designed to move as fluidly as a person. The project, called Roboy, uses tendons to allow for more human movement and actions. A team of scientists and engineers began working on Roboy in June and are set to finish the project by March of 2013. Roboy is designed to do work, and will come programmed to do chores – scientists and engineers aim to eventually program robots that could do human jobs.

Anthropomorphic robots of the past have been characterized by their jerky movements, and serve as inspiration for imitations of robot voice and the “robot dance.” But modern technology has advanced robotics to a new level. Many smartphone users are already familiar with the more human voice of the robots that complete basic search tasks. Developments to soft robots have proven that robots can move flexibly into places that would be unsafe or impossible for humans to access. Defense drones can be programmed to be autonomous; medical robots can even to “read the minds” of users.

As robotic technology becomes more ubiquitous in the fields of defense and medicine, it’s natural to see the same advanced programming in day-to-day life. What kind of changes would a robot like Roboy bring? Should robotic technology mimick the human form? Would it be useful to use robots to do human work?

Maja Mataric, Professor of Computer Science, Neuroscience, and Pediatrics at University of Southern California & Founding Director, of USC's Center for Robotics and Embedded Systems