Was it an intellectual tipping point? New ideas in politics, technology, healthcare and house building may change how we live forever?
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
Original - New, or the first time something is done or used.
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.
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.
Nuclear power - Nuclear energy is the energy in the nucleus, or core, of an atom — a tiny piece of matter. It can be used to create electricity.
AI - A computer programme that has been designed to think.