Breakthroughs and everyday innovations from the year.
HEADLINES ON December 23, 2009
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- Headline: Hergé: The Creator of Tintin's World. Impact: If Hergé had never created Tintin, we might have been stuck with even more reality TV shows as our main source of adventure. Just imagine a world where dog and boy adventures are replaced by endless episodes of people arguing over who gets the last slice of pizza.. Fact: Hergé's full name is Georges Remi, but he chose 'Hergé' as a pen name because it sounds cooler and less like a guy who just sat around doodling dog adventures..
- Headline: Dining at La Grenouille. Impact: The revelations from La Grenouille caused a chain reaction where people started believing that fine dining could actually hold deeper meanings than just overpriced food. This led to an era of food critics who now think they are philosophers because they can taste a hint of saffron.. Fact: La Grenouille is so fancy that just stepping inside increases your chances of developing a pretentious accent by 50%..
- Headline: Voting Rights Clash in Taghkanic, NY. Impact: This little spat over voting rights led to a series of increasingly ridiculous laws across the country. Who knew that a simple argument about a ballot could create a whole new breed of political memes?. Fact: The only thing more divided than party lines in politics is the average person’s interest in who gets to vote in Taghkanic..
- Headline: Latino Leaders Use Churches in Census Bid. Impact: This census push paved the way for churches to become not just places of worship, but also the unofficial headquarters for all things related to demographic data. Who knew that God had such a vested interest in statistics?. Fact: Some churches are now offering free Wi-Fi to churchgoers, because apparently, counting heads is less effective if the congregation is too busy scrolling through social media..
- Headline: No Perk Too Small for Top Fliers. Impact: As airlines scrambled for the elite dollar, the concept of flying morphed from a means of travel into a competitive sport. This ultimately led to the invention of 'first-class yoga' classes at 30,000 feet. Namaste, turbulence.. Fact: Airline perks are directly proportional to how much you're willing to pay for a seat that smells less like a foot and more like a flower..
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Netflix - If you invested $1,000 in 2009, it would be worth $220,288 today (220.3x return)