Breakthroughs and everyday innovations from the year.
HEADLINES ON November 21, 2014
Full News Archive
- Headline: Exploring Philip Larkin's Life and Poetry. Impact: Larkin's poetry inspired future generations to question the very fabric of their mundane lives, leading to the rise of coffee shops filled with angst-ridden millennials and their sad latte art.. Fact: Philip Larkin famously declared that his poetry was 'not for the faint-hearted.' Clearly, he hadn't encountered the modern Instagram poet..
- Headline: Manufacturing Wages Hit Hard by Decline. Impact: The decline in factory wages set off a chain reaction, eventually leading to the invention of the 'middle class existential crisis'—the phenomenon where people who can’t afford avocado toast ponder the meaning of life.. Fact: The term 'middle class' was first used in 1774, and it took just over 200 years for them to realize they were essentially living in a sitcom..
- Headline: Sunday at the Opera With Edgar. Impact: The success of 'Little Dancer' led to the unfortunate trend of every Broadway show featuring a character who is a 'ballerina with street cred,' resulting in a generation of hip-hop ballet dancers wondering why they aren’t taken seriously.. Fact: Ballet and hip-hop are like oil and water—except in this case, they somehow created a bizarre smoothie that nobody asked for..
- Headline: Eavesdropping on Pakistani Official Led to Inquiry Into Former U.S. Diplomat. Impact: This eavesdropping incident triggered a series of diplomatic faux pas, eventually leading to the creation of the 'Diplomat's Guide to Not Getting Caught'—a bestseller among spies.. Fact: Eavesdropping is not just a pastime for spies; it’s become a competitive sport for gossip lovers everywhere..