2025 was a year of global upheaval. Vox released an 8-minute video summarizing the key events. The year saw political earthquakes and technological leaps.
Donald Trump's second term dominated headlines. The long-awaited Epstein files were finally released. Government shutdowns paralyzed the US. Marjorie Taylor Greene unexpectedly resigned. A ceasefire in Gaza offered a moment of hope. Gen Z led impactful protests globally. Young politicians like Zohran Mamdani rose to prominence.
The world witnessed unexpected cultural shifts. The first American pope was elected. Labubu became a global phenomenon. China's DeepSeek AI model disrupted the tech landscape. This AI development challenged existing models. It raised questions about AI dominance and ethical considerations. DeepSeek's architecture allows for faster processing. Its training data remains largely undisclosed.
The year ended with escalating tensions. The US launched new military strikes. Public unrest grew amid ongoing government transitions.
The video, available on Vox's YouTube channel, provides a comprehensive overview. It serves as a crucial record of a transformative year. The implications of these events will continue to unfold in 2026.
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Vox's Future Perfect team has released its annual forecast, focusing on major global events expected in 2026, including the state of US democracy, economic stability, and potential international conflicts. The predictions, accompanied by probability assessments, aim for transparency in acknowledging both known and unknown factors influencing the future.
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Bogotá is pioneering a radical caregiving initiative, "manzana del cuidado," which recognizes and supports women's unpaid work by providing services like childcare and skills training. This innovative approach, aiming to redistribute care responsibilities and empower women, is gaining global attention as a potential model for other cities.
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As AI capabilities advance, experts are considering extreme measures, like deploying counter-AI or using EMPs, to control potentially dangerous rogue systems. These drastic options highlight the urgent need for robust AI safety protocols and raise complex ethical questions about the balance between innovation and existential risk.
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Irish actor Paul Mescal, following a meteoric rise to international fame including an Oscar nomination and roles in major films, plans to scale back his workload to avoid overexposure. Mescal intends to maintain a lower profile until 2028, when he is slated to portray Paul McCartney in an upcoming anthology of Beatles films, a project anticipated to have global cultural resonance.
Jill Scott, the acclaimed American singer-songwriter, is releasing "To Whom This May Concern" on February 13th, marking her first album in over ten years and a significant return to the music scene. The album, distributed via The Orchard, features collaborations with prominent hip-hop and R&B artists, reflecting a blend of contemporary sounds and Scott's signature soulful style, appealing to a global audience familiar with her impact on modern music.
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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, demonstrating the potential of synthetic polymers to replicate complex biological processes.
Researchers have created a novel "chiral fermionic valve" that separates electrons based on their chirality using the quantum geometry of topological bands, eliminating the need for magnetic fields. This innovative device, made from single-crystal PdGa, spatially separates chiral currents with opposite orbital magnetizations, demonstrating quantum interference and opening new possibilities for advanced electronic devices.
In 2026, expect advancements in small-scale AI models potentially surpassing Large Language Models, alongside gene editing clinical trials for rare disorders. A Phobos sample collection mission and the impact of Trump-era US policy changes on science are also key developments to watch.
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