Looking back, looking forward [Yifei Fang/Moment via Getty Images]
51 = # of commercial space launches this year, including Virgin Galactic, SpaceX, and Blue Origin space-tourism missions (feat. “Star Trek” icon William Shatner and former footballer Michael Strahan).
3,091 = # of times the word “journey” was mentioned on earnings calls, as corporate execs grappled with a mixed bag of financial recovery + major global issues.
$69M = the record-smashing price that an NFT sold for at a Christie’s auction, as the value of digital assets soars. You could buy many metaverse yachts with that money.
+58% = rise in US gas prices from last year. The pump anxiety is real, and could make it way pricier to heat and electrify homes this winter.
313M+ = total “Squid Game” views, including 142M+ views of the actual Netflix series and 171M views of Mr. Beast’s YouTube re-creation.
$2.8B = Alibaba’s historic antitrust fine. As Chinese regulators crack down on tech titans, the value of US-listed Chinese companies has plunged.