The biggest shocks of the last decade?

[LilSaihah]

Halo 4 being announced. I thought Microsoft was smarter than trying to beat that horse!

[Spectral]

The Virginia Tech massacre was pretty shocking for me. At the time, I was a graduate student of a school of similar size and prestige, so it really hit home in a way that other tragedies hadn't. It made me sick to my stomach, I had to leave campus for the day and go home, just couldn't focus.

[Deleted]

Maachan graduating. This is not supposed to say you anything at all, but if it does, more power to you.

Also, that earthquake + tsunami + reactor meltdown in japan


everything else, I didn't give a damn

[DeltrusDisc]

I would say the Twin Tower terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. I know it was 11 years ago now, but if we think maybe from a 2000-2010 (first decade of the new millennium you get the idea) it's probably one of the biggest shocks, attacks on American soil are not typically expected, especially one such as that.

[Jackmoves]

#1
The Tsunami on boxing day of 2004, my cousin was down there with her man and their little daughter celebrating xmas as well, so that was a big deal. +230 000 dead people.

This is a great documentary, consisting of video photage by people(british, german, swedish mostly) that was on those beaches+interviews, gives me the creeps watching it.
All parts are up on Youtube.


#2 Utöya, Norway

#3 9/11

[mvaliz]

The extinction of Chelonoidis nigra abingdoni is far more shocking than anything else mentioned here

//cry!!!!

Awww man! I never knew! I'm a big turtle/tortoise fan too. So sad. =(

[Grummgug]

Except "decade" while meaning 10 consecutive years, is also accepted to mean specific periods. In this case it would be 2001-2010. English.

Also some people accept a decade as 0-9 and not 1-10, despite the fact that there was no year zero. They just feel more comfortable that way. And because there is no controlling legal authority, its as much personal preference as language and local dialects. So some people will say the last decade is 2000-2009.

[cudomix]

Greece winning the European Football Championship

[Collegeguy]

Or how the universe is speeding up not slowing down.

They have proof of this? I thought it was a theory.

---------- Post added 2012-11-18 at 11:09 PM ----------

Halo 4 being announced. I thought Microsoft was smarter than trying to beat that horse!

If it sells, what's wrong with that.

Honestly, I wish more games would do that. We're getting to the point were video games are more like interactive shows and movies. I would be a little annoyed if everyone felt they had to stop every show at 3 seasons just because they are afraid of being tacky or cliche. However, I could see where your going with games like COD.

[Deleted]

No one mentioned 9/11? Weird...

I'm sorry to say it, but it hasn't affected me personally in any shape or form.

[LilSaihah]

If it sells, what's wrong with that.

Honestly, I wish more games would do that. We're getting to the point were video games are more like interactive shows and movies. I would be a little annoyed if everyone felt they had to stop every show at 3 seasons just because they are afraid of being tacky or cliche. However, I could see where your going with games like COD.

I never said anything was inherently wrong with it, just that it was surprising. The general overinvestment into specific franchises and reluctance to branch into original IPs is a problem, in my eyes, and perhaps an indication of the medium's adolescence.

I also have absolutely no idea how good Halo 4 is. Should probably get around to trying it sometime.

[ptwonline]

How good The Lord of the Rings movie trilogy was, and how bad the Star Wars prequel trilogy was.

How Apple has gone from underdog to pretty much owning the tech world.

[RaoBurning]

They have proof of this? I thought it was a theory.

Hubble Red Shift + Farther objects are moving faster, proportionally. Pretty much nails it.

Obligatory "theory in science doesn't mean the same as theory in the common tongue."

Last decade? Finding the Higgs Boson was pretty bitchin'. Twilight being a thing, I guess, kinda caught me off guard.

Voting for Higgs Boson.

I never said anything was inherently wrong with it, just that it was surprising. The general overinvestment into specific franchises and reluctance to branch into original IPs is a problem, in my eyes, and perhaps an indication of the medium's adolescence.

I also have absolutely no idea how good Halo 4 is. Should probably get around to trying it sometime.

Word from the Penny Arcade boys is all praise for the campaign. As for multiplayer...couldn't tell you. I suck at all forms of PVP.

[IRunSoFarAway]

Halo 4 being announced. I thought Microsoft was smarter than trying to beat that horse!

Halo 4 grossed US$220 million on its launch day, with an estimated $300 million opening week, marking a new record for the franchise.[11]

Yeah...why would you continue a game franchise that's still lucrative? You'd think they'd be smarter and try to NOT make money.

OT: Only thing I can think of is Obama being elected, never thought something like that would happen in my lifetime. I would say 9/11, but since it was known that an attack was being planned since 1998, it wasn't exactly surprising Maybe it's more surprising that someone would ignore so many warnings of an impending attack than it actually happening.

[Clockwork Pinkie]

06/06/06. It was a fun day, since my night sky was fucking red. @_@.

[Ashnazg]

Bush being reelected - nobody thought America was that dumb.

Bin Laden being captured and killed.

Arab Spring taking off the way it did.

Google domination

[haxartus]

China's economy getting to where it is right now. There were some predictions that this might happen, but not on such a large scale.

[SpongeGuard]

Maybe because it happened 11 years ago?

For me, as a norwegian, 22/7 was a big shock for me. A single day cant pass without me thinking about it.

Did it affect you personally? If not, I don't understand why this would have such an impact on your life? Call me cold and heartless, but I've always wondered how someone could break down in tears when, for example, Steve Irwin died. It's not like they knew him personally, so why cry?
Confused Dwarf is confused!

[McTurbo]

Economic collapse of the US. Growing up in a poor country hearing about all the wonders of the US I never thought it could fall into an economic crisis. I was a kid too so..

excuse me? we are still growing just not as fast.. when it takes the next 3-4 countries combined to match our GDP and yes that includes china. im not sure you could say its a collapse..every country is going to have periods where its rough and even if we shrunk by 2-3% .. we would still have the largest economy in the world.. don't believe everything that foxnews/cnn tells you use your own common sense and see that they are trying to shift public opinion. they get larger ratings based on giving bad news.. so of course they will spin it to seem worse than it is.

sometimes a buisness has to remain stable not expand tilll things settle back down.. we arnt done growing or succeding in america far from it to be honest.

2011
United States 15,075,675 (thats in millions so yes.. thats 15 trillion)
2 China 7,298,147n2
3 Japan 5,866,540
4 Germany 3,607,364
5 France 2,778,085

[Deleted]

Everyone on the BBC pre-1990 being a dirty paedophile.

Well, not everyone! They will all probably turn out to be freemasons covering up for each other or something.

Can I say how shockingly mediocre the last series of the X-files were?