Was it an intellectual tipping point? New concepts in politics, technology, healthcare and house building might have a lasting impact on society
Review of the year: the big ideas
Bright sparks?: The election of right-wing figures such as Donald Trump has boosted the success of cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Dogecoin. Glossary
Right-wing - Sometimes referred to as 'conservative', this is a range of political beliefs that emphasise the value of tradition, individual freedom and responsibility, low taxes and a hands-off approach to government.
Immigration - The permanent movement of people into a country.
Elite - The richest, most powerful, best-educated or best-trained members of society.
Cryptocurrency - A digital currency in which transactions are verified and records maintained by a decentralised system using cryptography, rather than by a centralised authority.
Bitcoin - A virtual currency that is "mined" using computers. Bitcoin was inspired by the idea that currencies' value should not be controlled by central banks. In truth, however, its value has fluctuated much more wildly than that of most centralised currencies.
Donald Trump - An American politician, media personality, and businessman serving as the 47th president of the United States since January 2025. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as the 45th president from 2017 to 2021.
Nuclear energy - The use of nuclear reactions to produce electricity. It produces nearly zero greenhouse gas emissions.
AI - A computer programme that has been designed to think.
Data centres - A large group of computer servers used by organisations to store, process and distribute very large amounts of data.