As 2025 draws to a close, Vox is offering a reflective look back at its most impactful stories of the year, hand-picked by its own journalists. This curated list encompasses a diverse range of topics, promising to both entertain and inform readers as they navigate the final days of the year. While the list is presented without ranking, the underlying theme points towards innovation and progress across various sectors.
Grid-Scale Batteries: Unlocking Clean Energy’s Potential
Umair Irfan’s April report on grid-scale batteries stands out as a beacon of hope in the clean energy landscape. He argues that these massive batteries are not merely incremental improvements, but rather a crucial component for fully harnessing the power of wind and solar energy. Irfan aptly describes them as “the peanut butter to the chocolate of renewable energy,” emphasizing their role in smoothing out the intermittency of renewable sources and enhancing their overall effectiveness. This development addresses a critical weakness in America’s aging power grid, paving the way for a more reliable and sustainable energy future. The advancement signifies a shift from simply generating clean energy to effectively storing and distributing it, a pivotal step in the transition to a carbon-neutral economy.
Beyond Energy: A Year of Diverse Innovation
While the provided excerpt only details one story, the promise of a diverse range of topics suggests Vox covered other significant developments throughout 2025. Based on the title and description, we can infer that the full list likely delves into other areas of technological advancement, potentially including artificial intelligence, automation, and biotechnology. The focus on “best stories” indicates a selection of articles that not only captured important events but also offered insightful analysis and forward-looking perspectives.
Looking Ahead: The Importance of Informed Journalism
Vox’s retrospective provides a valuable service by highlighting the year’s most impactful stories. In an era of rapid technological change, informed journalism plays a crucial role in helping the public understand complex issues and their potential consequences. By curating and presenting these stories in an accessible format, Vox empowers readers to engage in meaningful conversations about the future and the role of technology in shaping it. The act of reflecting on progress allows for critical evaluation and course correction, ensuring that innovation serves the best interests of society.
Based on materials: Vox
