There are plenty of people who would be happy to shut the door on 2016 and forget it entirely. But as bad as 2016 was (and it was often very bad), it was also a year of stunning upsets, victories, and excitement. However optimistic or pessimistic you might be feeling in the waning days of December, there is no argument that the events of 2016 are going to have long-lasting reverberations.
So, how best to sum it all up? Here are a few attempts to nail down exactly what this messy (and occasionally beautiful) year has been all about.
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Year of diversity in clinical trials
Year of ridiculously silly DJ names
Year of the social media detox
Year of melting ice, monster storms, and Australia's big wet
Year of terror, war, and political turbulence
