TECH Sometimes, it feels like humans have already thought of every invention that could exist—but then some smarty-pants comes up with something new that changes our lives. This year, the whiz kids among us created biodegradable coffins, figured out how to 3-D print replacement rotator cuffs, built the world’s largest roller coaster, and much more. Below are the top inventions and innovations from the past year, ranging from smartphone apps to lunar landers—as well as some of the creative companies turning these ideas into realities. Innovations and inventions Folk-dancing humanoid robots grabbed headlines this year, but some less flashy inventions could have major impacts. Think: new hormone-free IUDs, redesigned emergency-transport cots, and wood that’s stronger than steel. Consumer tech The world of gadgets, gizmos, and thingamabobs grew last year. Some noteworthy new devices are practical, like NexiGo’s HelloCam webcam, while others are just fun, like Modem’s video-generating Dream Recorder. Scientific breakthroughs A hidden moon orbiting Uranus sounds like the punchline of a seventh-grader’s joke, but NASA actually found one this year. Despite facing layoffs and funding cuts, scientists managed to advance specialities from AI to zoology. Companies pushing the envelope AI firms dominated the lists of the most creative companies winning the biggest investments, and Perplexity AI in particular was a top call-out among startups. —JW |
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MEDIA The weather outside is frightful, but the bingeing options inside are delightful. This year was full of new media as industries from Hollywood to gaming seemed to finally get projects out post-pandemic. Music Before Bad Bunny hops onto the Super Bowl Halftime Show stage in 2026, he became Spotify’s most-listened-to artist of the year for the fourth time. Joining him in the 2025 global rankings are Taylor Swift, The Weeknd, Drake, and Billie Eilish. TV It was a satisfying year for long-awaited second seasons, with Season 2 of Severance remaining mysterious and important, The Last of Us once again scaring the world with fungus-zombies, and The Rehearsal showing Nathan Fielder trying to solve air safety. Movies Paul Thomas Anderson stans will notice that One Battle After Another seemed to make every top-movie ranking. But 2025 was also the year of slaying scary creatures, with KPop Demon Hunters and Sinners both earning acclaim. Podcasts The Rest is History got everyone chatting about historical events like they just happened yesterday. At the same time, millions of people continued to listen to grisly true-crime pods while shopping at Trader Joe’s. Video games Indie games dominated a year with few blockbuster releases (still waiting on Grand Theft Auto VI), featuring quirky heroes like a bug that battles with a needle and a daughter of Hades and Persephone. —JW |
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INTERNET The impact of social media this year can’t be high enough on your feed. Addison Rae went from TikTok star to pop song hitmaker, and Netflix’s KPop Demon Hunters was propelled to popularity after becoming an internet sensation. Meanwhile, for the first time this year, social media beat TV as people’s go-to news source, according to the Reuters Institute. TikTok TikTok, which didn’t end up banned in the US this year (ICYMI), is where many of the biggest trends started. Were you in Group 7? Singer Sophia James created seven nearly identical TikToks to promote her new music, with each one declaring that its viewers were part of groups one through seven. The seventh and final video blew up with commenters declaring group 7 was the most elite. The original video now has about 86 million views, and more than 1.5 million videos have been tagged with Group 7 since. Everyone and their mom is apparently part of the “exclusive” group: Shark Tank investor Barbara Corcoran, actress Madelyn Cline, the Kansas City Chiefs, and Northeastern University were just a handful of the accounts that posted videos about being in Group 7. Beyond the Tok Google searches for “holy airball” spiked this year as internet sleuths tried to keep up with the year’s most memorable memes. —JW |
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LITERATURE If you made it this far through today’s newsletter, we already know you’re a reader. This year, #BookTok continued to love romantasy, while journalists dug into everything from generational wealth transfers to telekinesis. There’s still time to meet your Goodreads goal for the year—or at least, to get ahead for 2026. Books #Dramione (Draco x Hermione) fanfiction had a year, along with a Hunger Games prequel and the third romantasy book in the Empyrean series. Articles No need to keep 100 tabs open to remember all the articles you plan to read—we pulled together the top reads of the year, from Caity Weaver’s attempt to quit sugar to Oliver Kim’s essay on the origins of GDP. Other writing “Morning Brew makes lists. Technically, lists of lists. Read them and smile.” We promise that haiku is by far the worst poem you’ll read in this section. —JW |
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RECS This week, we’re bringing you the most-clicked links from the Recs section across the entire year. Here are some of your faves:  Snack: Become the most popular person in the office with a box of these at your desk.**
Make it better: One-off actions that can improve your life. Learn: Truths about marriage that a psychologist says most people discover too late. Go deep: The story of the iconic Endless Summer movie poster. Ancient walking trend: Transform your body with Tai Chi walking. Take this quiz to find your optimal walking routine. So far they’ve helped millions of people lose weight.* Let’s go, SBO: Whether you’re traveling for or scaling up your business, the |
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