Yet another eventful year has drawn to a close. 2022 was marked by plenty of ups and downs globally: despite the fall in the number of cases, COVID continued to make news, Ukraine and Russia were at war, Queen Elizabeth II passed away, people traveled a lot more, and we got to see stunning images of the first galaxies in the universe. There are, as usual, a lot of expectations as we step into a new year.
While the beginning of each year can often feel a bit daunting, there’s every reason to be positive about 2023. This year is expected to see a number of trends and breakthroughs that will both inspire and entertain, including notable athletic events and medical advancements.
1. A universal vaccine against COVID?
2020 was the year of COVID. 2021 was the year of vaccines. 2022 became the year of worldwide reopening. Will 2023 be the year of a universal vaccine widely effective against SARS-CoV-2 and all its variants? Scientists are certainly trying.
Although vaccinations provide people immunity, the virus keeps evolving into a form that, at least partially, gets around this defense. We saw this first with the Delta strain of SARS-CoV-2 and then a succession of Omicron sub-variants. Additionally, recent research indicates that coronaviruses gradually change over time, making previous immunity less effective.
Scientists are now working on devising vaccines that are more broadly effective against SARS-CoV-2 and all its variants. Researchers at the Francis Crick Institute in London achieved positive results by targeting the S2 region of the coronavirus' spike protein. The current vaccines target the S1 region but the S2 region is considered less likely to mutate.
In July last year, scientists from CalTech published research on a new type of vaccine candidate that protects a variety of SARS-like viruses, including SARS-CoV-2 variants, in mice and monkeys.
Reports suggest that about a dozen more efforts are currently underway for making universal coronavirus vaccines, which will be highly effective against a wide range of variants. Some winners are likely to emerge this year.
2. The year of Artificial Intelligence
The wonders of Artificial Intelligence (AI) continue to amaze us. From writing emails to hearing and understanding sounds, we’re seeing AI do the most impossible of tasks. In addition to handling complicated activities, AI has recently assisted in streamlining automation and enhancing the speed and accuracy of labor-intensive processes across several sectors. According to AI specialists, with the correct data sets, artificial intelligence may even assist in eradicating backlogs in almost any sector, including manufacturing, healthcare, and a wide range of other industries.
Healthcare experts say that AI is all set to play a more prominent role in frontline healthcare in 2023. This is especially true in places like the UK and Europe, where there is a shortage of doctors and general practitioners.
Adonis Celestine, director of automation at Applause, says that Chatbots were used to diagnose symptoms during COVID. This is why we’ll see more instances of artificial intelligence screening patients through to the correct medical professionals, once the initial diagnosis has been identified.
Another area where AI is expected to play a significant role is in travel, in the form of AI assistants. These automated assistants will help to create a smoother travel experience by simplifying flight and hotel bookings, 24/7 business travel support, and more. They will also be able to provide you with information about where to visit and where to eat during your stay, according to Celestine.
The year 2023 promises to be a memorable one for movie fans. After pandemic shutdowns and delays, movie studios are finally firing on all cylinders and have a host of interesting flicks lined up for us in the next twelve months.
But what to watch? In case you're tired of the constant onslaught of superhero movies, don't worry, there are plenty of other films to see in 2023 that the whole family will enjoy. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, Dune: Part Two, and A Haunting in Venice are some that might interest you. Indiana Jones, in particular, will attract plenty of fans who are eager to see Harrison Ford reprise his famous character after more than a decade.
Then there’s Christopher Nolan’s much-awaited Oppenheimer, Netflix’s The Pale Blue Eyes starring Christian Bale, the next installment of the Mission: Impossible franchise, and A Haunting in Venice, an adaptation of Agatha Christie's novel Hallowe'en Party.
The streaming bubble has exploded, and there’s no stopping it now. Get ready to be spoiled for choice with the most delightful assortment of TV shows at your disposal this year.
Here are some brand-new series we believe should hold your interest.
* The Last of Us (Coming to HBO Max in January)
Based on the popular video game of the same name, The Last of Us takes place in post-apocalyptic America. It centers on Joel, a survivor tasked with sneaking Ellie, a 14-year-old girl, out of a quarantine area.
* That '90s Show (Coming to Netflix in January)
In That ‘90s Show, a follow-up series to the hit sitcom That ‘70s Show, we go back to Point Place, Wisconsin. But instead of the ‘70s, it’s 1995 now. The story revolves around Leia Forman — daughter of Eric Forman and Donna Pinciotti – who has come to Point Place to spend the summer with her grandparents, Kitty and Red.
* Love and Death (Coming to HBO Max in spring)
Starring Elizabeth Olsen in the leading role, the series is the chilling true account of Candy Montgomery, the woman who murdered her neighbor, Betty Gore, after having an affair with Betty’s husband in Wylie, Texas in 1980.
* Masters of the Air (Coming to Apple TV+ in spring)
Loved Band of Brothers and The Pacific? Here’s some good news for you. Steven Spielberg is back to complete his World War II trilogy with Masters of the Air. As the name implies, this series explores the aerial wars of WWII. It centers on an American bomber squadron that helped bring the war to Hitler's front door.
* White House Plumbers (Coming to HBO Max in March)
HBO Max’s five-episode limited series White House Plumbers follows Ronald Reagan operatives E. Howard Hunt and G. Gordon Liddy, the men who accidentally destroyed Nixon’s presidency, despite working on his team.
The FIFA Men's World Cup in 2022 proved to be one of the most intensely-contested editions of recent times. The World Cup mania continues in 2023, and it’s time for the women to shine now. Australia and New Zealand will co-host the FIFA Women's World Cup in July, which will see 32 nations participating in the tournament for the first time, including the defending champion USA, Argentina, China, Costa Rica, Denmark, Germany, Jamaica, the Philippines, and Vietnam. The first match will be played at Eden Park in Auckland, and the final will be held at Stadium Australia in Sydney.
Women's football is becoming increasingly popular. A recent report by FIFA on women's soccer noted that the sport is seeing increased interest from fans while seeing growing revenues globally from sponsorships, broadcast deals, and merchandising. Make sure you tune in to catch all the exciting action.
If you can’t get enough of global sports competitions, you can also enjoy the Rugby World Cup, all set to kick off in September in France.
6. Celebrating 100 Years of Walt Disney
The Walt Disney Company was founded as Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio in 1923. This year marks the centennial jubilee of the beloved company. The celebrations, called “Disney 100 Years of Wonder”, for the momentous occasion will kick-off on 27 January at Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California—home to the original Disneyland Park. The resort will don a new platinum décor throughout. Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse and all of their friends will be in platinum as well.
Guests can look forward to Wondrous Journeys, a special night-time event showcasing all films by Walt Disney Animation Studios through projections and fireworks. At Disney California Adventure Park, a new show called World of Color will take guests through the journey of Disney’s innovative storytelling.
Meanwhile, the reimagined Mickey’s Toontown section of Disneyland Park will feature the new Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway attraction. Later, in spring, Disneyland Park has planned to bring back its Magic Happens parade, a daytime event celebrating magical moments from beloved Disney stories. There will also be new collectible merchandise for fans of Disney.
Keep your eyes peeled for more details in the coming months about other special entertainment moments that the park has planned.
7. Other Social Media Alternatives
Every year, the number of people signing up for and using social media is increasing rapidly. While less than a billion people were using social media back in 2010, the number has risen to more than 4 billion in the last 12 years, according to the Social Media Benchmark Report.
Most of us tend to rely on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter for our regular dose of social media. However, a new era of social media is unfolding where you will have plenty of interesting alternatives to pick from. One platform already generating plenty of interest is Mastodon, which is open-sourced and decentralized, meaning it allows users to join a host of different servers run by various groups and individuals instead of one central platform controlled by a single company. Therefore, users can host and run communities, while setting their own conduct policies.
Other apps picking up steam include Hive Social, BeReal, and Post News. BeReal, the winner of Apple's annual "app of the year" award in 2022, encourages people to post unfiltered photos of themselves once a day. Hive Social integrates concepts from Myspace, Instagram, and Twitter to create a simple social media experience. Meanwhile, Post News is an emerging Twitter alternative that promises to be a “civil place to debate ideas; learn from experts, journalists, individual creators, and each other; converse freely; and have some fun,” according to its makers. Here, you can write posts, comment, like, share, and repost content with your opinion. The biggest incentive is that there is no word limit on posts.
8. A new James Bond
Who will be the next James Bond? That’s a question on the minds of film buffs ever since Daniel Craig announced that he would be turning in the tuxedo after 2021's No Time To Die. Fans have been waiting for official confirmation as to who will be the next actor to don the 007 mantle.
Reports suggest that Bond producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson will make a casting announcement in March 2023. There are speculations that Henry Cavill, Tom Hardy, Idris Elba, Charlie Cox, and Richard Madden will assume the role. The producers have stated that they like a "thirty-something" Bond, so don't anticipate a younger version of the character.
Based on the works of the late Ian Fleming, the long-running espionage franchise has charmed fans for over 60 years. The next film will serve as a reboot of the entire franchise once more. It will indeed be exciting to see who portrays Bond going forward. Hopefully, the next 007 will cast his spell on us just like many of his predecessors did.
9. Exciting page-turners
2022 was a fantastic year for books, but 2023 is shaping up to be even better! If you like reading autobiographies and biographies, you’re in for a treat. King: A Life by journalist Jonathan Eig explores the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr., while Spare by Prince Harry tells his side of the story about life within the Royal Family. There's also Tom Hanks' The Making of Another Major Motion Picture Masterpiece, in which a director decides to make a superhero movie based on a 1970 comic book.
Cariad Lloyd's book You Are Not Alone examines how society avoids talking about death and what it means for individuals who are left behind.Also check out Robert Waldinger and Marc Schulz's The Good Life: Lessons from the World's Longest Scientific Study of Happiness, which explores how we might live better, more fulfilling lives.
Among the highly anticipated fiction titles, Central Park West, a crime thriller by ex-FBI director James Comey, should be worth a read. Victory City by Salman Rushdie, an epic tale about a young, grief-stricken girl in 14th-century southern India, is another title that’s generating a lot of interest.
10. Asian Games
The 2022 Asian Games were originally scheduled to be held in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China, from September 10–25, 2022. Unfortunately, China’s coronavirus crisis forced the mega tournament to be postponed to 2023. Now, the multi-sport event will be held from September 23 to October 8, 2023. China is hosting the tournament for the third time, after Beijing in 1990 and Guangzhou in 2010. They also lead the medal tally since 1982.
The first Asian Games in 1951 had 11 participating countries, with the latest Games in 2023 having 45 participating nations. The most recent event will feature 40 sports, including swimming, archery, athletics, badminton, baseball and softball, basketball, and boxing, and a total of 61 sporting activities spread over four categories: Competitive Sports, Ball Sports, Adversary Sports, and Water Sports.
11. Launch of iPhone 15 and Pixel tablet
Apple is all set to launch a variety of brand-new products this year, including the highly-anticipated iPhone 15 Series. While the company has not confirmed the official launch dates of the series, it’s expected that they will include a new processor and camera upgrades in the latest installments. There’s a high possibility that the iPhone 15 series will also feature USB-C charging — a first for any Apple phone. That feature alone can prove to be a game-changer in terms of convenience for Apple users as they will be able to charge multiple devices with the same cable.
This year, an Android competitor to the iPad is also coming in the form of Google’s Pixel tablet. It will run on the Tensor G2 chipset and contain all the features that you find on a Pixel phone, like video calling, photo editing, and hands-free help with Google Assistant. Its biggest highlight, however, is a Charging Speaker Dock - a magnetized base and speaker combination that will allow users to charge their tablet while also using it for things like listening to music, watching videos, managing other smart home devices, and more.
12. The biggest cycling event in history
This summer, the world's best cyclists will gather in Glasgow and across Scotland for the biggest cycling event in history. About 8,000 amateurs and professionals from around the world will compete for the first time in the Union Cyclists International's Cycling World Championships, which include disciplines such as mountain biking, cross country, indoor cycling, and BMX racing. A total of 190 new world champions will be crowned during the event. If all goes well, the competition will be held every four years in the summer prior to the Olympic Games.
13. Revolutionary animal-free protein grown with Co2 and hydrogen
Finnish company, Solar Foods, has been granted regulatory approval for making Solein, an animal-free protein powder grown using hydrogen and carbon dioxide. Solein will be in the form of a yellow powder that can be used in food formulations.
Solein is grown without using conventional farming practices, which eliminates most of the emissions associated with modern agriculture. It is produced via a bioprocess in which bacteria are fed carbon dioxide, hydrogen, oxygen, and small quantities of nutrients to help them thrive. The process is similar to fermentation in winemaking, in which carbon dioxide and hydrogen replace sugar as sources of carbon and energy. Since the entire production process doesn’t require animals or plants, Solein is being called the ‘world’s most sustainable’ protein.
Another advantage of this revolutionary new protein powder is that it can be produced in harsh conditions such as deserts or Arctic areas. The innovative protein, according to its creators, blends with other components without altering the food's flavor or look. Its nutritional profile is 65-70% protein, 5-8% fat, 0-15% dietary fiber, and 3-5% minerals. Additionally, it contains iron and vitamin B.
“I’d compare this to the discovery of the potato: we are introducing an entirely new ingredient to the world of food. It’s a watershed moment for how we think of what we eat,” says Solar Foods’ CEO Pasi Vainikka.
