Inventions & Breakthroughs of December 2011
Gadgets, lab surprises, odd bets, and future-shocks from this slice of the calendar.
1 
Voice Assistant (Siri)
2 
Cloud Storage Consumer Services
3 
Electric Vehicle Supercharging
4 
Mobile Payment Systems
5 
Social Messaging Apps
6 
Genome Sequencing Cost Reduction
7 
Digital News Aggregation
8 
Autonomous Vehicle Research Program
9 
Smart Home Automation Platforms
10 
Medical Robotic Surgery Expansion
The Sounds of
Popular recordings and roots/country selections associated with the year
HEADLINES ON December 28, 2011
Full News Archive
- Headline: Somali Women's Struggle Amidst Famine. Impact: The plight of Somali women in conflict zones sparked global discussions about women's rights, leading to countless hashtags and awareness campaigns. Because nothing says 'we care' quite like a viral tweet.. Fact: In a twist of irony, the term 'spoil of war' has been used so frequently that it now sounds like a bad reality show. Spoiler alert: it's not entertaining..
- Headline: The High Cost of Failing Artificial Hips. Impact: The failure of artificial hips not only drained finances but also inadvertently led to the creation of a booming industry in hip replacements. Now, every time someone walks with a slight limp, there's a chance they contributed to the economy.. Fact: Did you know that the phrase 'hip replacement' could also describe your friend’s attempts to stay relevant in the music scene? It’s all about timing..
- Headline: Online Merchants Home In on Imbibing Consumers. Impact: The rise of online shopping while intoxicated led to a spike in novelty item purchases, such as inflatable unicorns and self-stirring mugs, thereby reshaping consumer culture into one giant drunk-fest of regret.. Fact: Fun fact: The most popular item bought while drunk online is still that 'buy one, get one free' offer on regret. It's a real crowd-pleaser..
Wall Street Time Machine
The Right Call: If you'd invested $1,000 in any one of these companies in 2011, here's what the stored 2025 dataset estimates.
Rank #1
NVDA
NVIDIA
Price in 2011
$0.36
2025 dataset value
$480,243
NVIDIA - If you invested $1,000 in 2011, it would be worth $480,243 today (480.2x return)
🦸 Top 5 Comics
Detective Comics #1
$1,500,000
Action Comics #1
$8,000
Ultimate Fallout #4
$1,500
Batman #1
$2,220,000
Justice League #1
$750
🧸 Top 5 Toys
LEGO Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu
$20.00
Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure
$200.00
Monster High Dolls
$150.00
LeapPad Explorer
$50.00
Beyblade: Metal Fusion
$150.00
🎮 Top 5 Video Games
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
$200.00
Portal 2
$30.00
Dark Souls
$200.00
Batman: Arkham City
$16.00
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
$200.00
⚾ Top 5 Trading Cards
2011 Topps Update Mike Trout #US175
$2,000
2011 Panini National Treasures Cam Newton RPA #328
$3,000
2011 Bowman Chrome Bryce Harper Autograph #BCP111
$9,716
2011 Panini Gold Standard Kobe Bryant #24
$1,500
2011 Magic: The Gathering - New Phyrexia's Karn Liberated
$250