2025 was a year of global upheaval. From Trump's second term to Gen Z protests, the world witnessed significant shifts. The year also saw China's DeepSeek AI model challenge the global landscape.
Dolly Li at Vox produced a video summarizing the key events. The video, released December 31, 2025, highlights political turmoil, including a record-breaking federal shutdown and Marjorie Taylor Greene's resignation. A Gaza ceasefire and the rise of young politicians like Zohran Mamdani offered glimmers of hope.
DeepSeek's unveiling disrupted the AI conversation. The model's capabilities sparked debate about AI dominance and ethical considerations. Simultaneously, the release of the Epstein files triggered widespread outrage and calls for accountability.
The year began with political uncertainty. It ended with escalating tensions as the US launched new military strikes. Public unrest grew amid these global transitions.
Expect continued debate on AI regulation and its societal impact. Further investigations into the Epstein files are anticipated. The political landscape remains volatile, setting the stage for an uncertain future.
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A team of forecasters revisited their predictions from the past year, evaluating their accuracy in anticipating various events. Out of 25 forecasts with assigned probabilities, 19 proved correct, while 4 were incorrect, resulting in a high success rate. This exercise highlights the challenges and potential of predictive models in understanding future trends.
The Trump administration is significantly undermining federal data collection efforts across various sectors, including environment, public health, and demographics, due to ideological resistance, budget cuts, and personnel reductions. This degradation of data integrity will likely hinder scientific advancements, obscure economic realities, complicate the identification of critical health trends, and erode public trust in governmental institutions.
Vox's Future Perfect team has released their annual predictions for the coming year, focusing on major global events and trends. The forecasts, while wide-ranging, lean towards a pessimistic outlook, assessing the likelihood of events like a US recession, geopolitical conflicts, and shifts in cultural trends. The team emphasizes transparency in their predictions by assigning probabilities and promising a year-end review of their accuracy.
A recent trend shows a decline in plant-based meat consumption after a decade of growth driven by health, ethical, and environmental concerns. Despite initial enthusiasm and investment in companies like Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat, consumers are shifting away from meat alternatives, signaling a potential change in dietary priorities. This shift raises questions about the future of the plant-based food industry and its impact on animal welfare and environmental sustainability.
Global K-pop sensation BTS is set to release their first album in almost four years on March 20th, marking a significant return after a hiatus for solo projects and mandatory military service. This comeback highlights the evolving dynamics of the music industry, where artists balance group endeavors with individual pursuits, impacting fan engagement and market trends.
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China's box office rebounded in 2025, exceeding $7.4 billion with a 20% increase in admissions, driven by the success of animated films like "Ne Zha 2" and "Zootopia 2." This resurgence underscores the power of IP-driven content and animation's growing influence in the Chinese film market, signaling a potential shift in audience preferences and market dynamics.
Netflix experimented with a limited theatrical release for the "Stranger Things" finale, allowing fans to experience the highly anticipated conclusion on the big screen. This event-ized approach transformed the viewing experience, fostering a communal atmosphere among dedicated fans dressed in show-related attire at select theaters.
Researchers have developed random heteropolymers (RHPs) that mimic enzyme functions by strategically positioning functional monomers to create protein-like microenvironments. This innovative approach, inspired by metalloprotein active sites, allows for catalysis under non-biological conditions, potentially revolutionizing industrial applications by offering robust and adaptable enzyme alternatives.
Researchers have created a novel chiral fermionic valve that separates electrons based on their chirality using the quantum geometry of topological bands, achieving this without magnetic fields. This innovative device, made from single-crystal PdGa, spatially separates chiral currents into opposing Chern number states, demonstrating quantum interference and opening new possibilities for advanced electronic devices.
In 2026, expect to see the rise of smaller, more efficient AI models challenging the dominance of Large Language Models, alongside advancements in gene editing therapies for rare diseases. A mission to collect samples from Phobos and the impact of US policy changes on the scientific community are also key developments to watch.
Researchers have discovered a surprisingly large hydrothermal vent field near Milos, Greece, revealing a dynamic system where hot, gas-rich fluids escape from Earth's interior through seafloor fractures. This unexpected find, documented with advanced underwater mapping and robotic vehicles, positions Milos as a crucial location for studying the interplay between geological activity and unique microbial life in the Mediterranean.
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