Inventions & Breakthroughs of December 2016
Gadgets, lab surprises, odd bets, and future-shocks from this slice of the calendar.
1 
Artificial Intelligence AlphaGo
2 
Smart Home Ecosystems
3 
Autonomous Vehicle Pilot Fleets
4 
Virtual Reality Room-Scale Tracking
5 
Mobile Augmented Reality
6 
Blockchain Smart Contract Platforms
7 
Digital Health Monitoring Devices
8 
Cloud-Based DevOps Tools
9 
Medical AI Diagnostics
10 
Electric Scooter Sharing
The Sounds of
Popular recordings and roots/country selections associated with the year
HEADLINES ON December 11, 2016
Full News Archive
- Headline: Chinese Investors Shift Wealth Abroad. Impact: As middle-class Chinese investors send their money abroad, they inadvertently set off a global game of wealth musical chairs. Spoiler alert: the music never stops, and someone always ends up with the short end of the stick.. Fact: Did you know that the phrase 'money talks' was coined long before social media influencers? They just didn’t have the proper platforms to show off their wealth back then..
- Headline: Jingle Ball Tour Highlights Pop Music Trends. Impact: The Jingle Ball Tour may have cemented the idea that all pop music sounds the same, paving the way for more 'innovative' artists to blend genres into a smoothie of mediocrity.. Fact: Did you know that iHeartRadio is like the gym membership of music? You pay for it, but you still end up listening to the same five songs on repeat..
- Headline: The New Reality of TV: All Trump, All the Time. Impact: The Trump presidency turned the political landscape into a reality show, making future politicians think they need a catchphrase and a theme song. 'Make Politics Great Again' anyone?. Fact: Did you know the phrase 'fake news' was actually coined by a disgruntled journalist who just wanted to get a rise out of his editor? Oh, wait, that was just this week's headlines..
- Headline: Standing Up to a Strongman. Impact: The protests against the Philippine president may have sparked a global movement, reminding leaders everywhere that people can and will stand up for their rights — even if it takes several decades and a lot of social media hashtags.. Fact: Did you know that protests have been around since ancient Rome? They just didn’t have catchy hashtags back then, which is probably why they didn’t trend as well..
Wall Street Time Machine
The Right Call: If you'd invested $1,000 in any one of these companies in 2016, here's what the stored 2025 dataset estimates.
Rank #3
NVDA
NVIDIA
Price in 2016
$0.79
2025 dataset value
$220,545
NVIDIA - If you invested $1,000 in 2016, it would be worth $220,545 today (220.5x return)
🦸 Top 5 Comics
DC Universe: Rebirth #1
$15
Black Panther #1
$100
Walking Dead #150
$300
Civil War II #1
$30
Wonder Woman #1
$2,500
🧸 Top 5 Toys
Hatchimals
$20.00
NES Classic Edition
$150.00
LEGO Ninjago: Ship Destiny's Bounty
$300.00
Star Wars The Black Series Kylo Ren Force FX Deluxe Lightsaber
$200.00
FurReal Friends Torch, My Blazin' Dragon
$75.00
🎮 Top 5 Video Games
Overwatch
$50.00
Uncharted 4: A Thief'S End
$15.00
Pokémon Go
$0.00
Dark Souls Iii
$200.00
Final Fantasy XV
$6.75
⚾ Top 5 Trading Cards
2016 Pokemon XY Evolutions Charizard Holo #11
$650.00
2016 Panini Prizm Dak Prescott Rookie Card #231
$250
2016 Panini Select Ben Simmons Rookie Card #T-1
Unknown
2016 Upper Deck Auston Matthews Young Guns Rookie Card #201
$255
2016 Magic: The Gathering Kaladesh Inventions Sol Ring
$1,500