January

We zoom out to space, where the James Webb Telescope is gliding to a destination a million miles beyond earth. When it turns on, it'll become a new pair eyes pointed out towards the cosmos, following earth's orbit as we make our yearly journey around the sun.

February

Zooming back to earth, we land in the Coliseum of the Winter Olympics in Beijing. China is tasked with the impossible task of managing the Olympics in the midst of a pandemic with peak virality. The combination of China's strict rules & many asymptomatic olympians testing positive and being unable to compete leads to much angst. [footnote: China launches a cryptocurrency at the Olympics]

The angst from the Olympics spills over into the world, with many hearing about the asymptomatic nature of the athletes. In an unintended way, seeing atheletes testing positive but being healthy starts ushering in the transition of COVID-19 from a Pandemic to Endemic.

April

As the spring of 2022 begins in America, the worry of recession is at the top of everyone's mind. The Federal Reserve starts raising interest rates and stocks seem more red these days as they begin to correct.

That said - people are out and happy. Restrictions start to loosen and larger gatherings begin to take place.

June

The topics that dominate the Summer are new cryptos, politics, and space. An announcement by Apple has the company take a strong position in AR creating a new debate around the future of technology in our lives. In addition, there's a new variant of covid, but this one isn't of enough danger to cause concern.

September

As the year progresses, space becomes a bigger and bigger topic. Word has gotten out that NASA has launched a spacecraft to hit an asteroid and change it's course. "No, it is not on track to hit us – this is just a test." NASA assures us. Many are not convinced.

The DART Spacecraft makes impact in late September and the first test of a planetary defense system is a success. The build up coupled with the significance of having a system that could save us from extinction makes this a day that's celebrated around the world.

October & November

In the United States, the celebration is quickly drowned out by the clamor of politics as the midterm elections come up. The year zips by, the FIFA World Cup comes around, and we find ourselves at the end of November. James Webb has started sending us amazing shots of the galaxies and Space is in with culture.

December

As the year draws to a close, there are reports out of a completed clinical trial with the potential of reversing aging. As we head into 2023 we find ourselves pondering new existential questions like what it means to be human.