Gadgets, lab surprises, odd bets, and future-shocks from this slice of the calendar.
The Sounds of
Popular recordings and roots/country selections associated with the year
HEADLINES ON January 1, 2018
Full News Archive
- Headline: Messages of Love for Incarcerated Loved Ones. Impact: The Wall of Love ultimately inspires a global trend of emotional graffiti, leading to spontaneous art installations in unlikely places, such as the Moon. Yes, future lunar explorers will be greeted by heartfelt messages and doodles instead of just craters.. Fact: The first message on a wall of love was actually just a lonely cat's plea for attention. True story..
- Headline: The Astrology Renaissance Online. Impact: Astrology dominates the internet, leading to a chain reaction where everyone starts blaming their zodiac signs for their life choices. 'Sorry, I couldn't show up, Mercury was in retrograde.' becomes the new 'My dog ate my homework.'. Fact: Astrology was originally developed by ancient Babylonians who were probably just trying to figure out why their crops were failing. Spoiler: it was probably the weather..
- Headline: China’s Ambitious New ‘Port’: Landlocked Kazakhstan. Impact: This ambitious port project results in an unexpected trade war where Kazakhstan starts demanding that all incoming goods be delivered by horseback, sparking a renaissance of equestrian logistics and the return of the medieval knight as the ultimate shipping option.. Fact: The last time a land bridge was created, it was just a bunch of kids building a fort in their backyard. It was way less complicated than this..
- Headline: Powerful Hollywood Women Unveil Anti-Harassment Action Plan. Impact: The Time's Up initiative inspires a worldwide movement where every workplace must have a designated 'Complaints Fairy' whose sole job is to listen to grievances and magically turn them into actionable plans—along with a sprinkle of glitter.. Fact: Before this movement, the only time Hollywood women came together was to decide on what shade of red to wear at the Oscars. Now they actually discuss important stuff. How revolutionary!.