Top videos of 2016 – editor's picks

From groundbreaking new technologies to coral reefs, we made a lot of videos over the course of 2016. Here are some of our personal favourites.

1. The Fourth Industrial Revolution

Ubiquitous, mobile supercomputing. Artificially intelligent robots. Self-driving cars. Neuro-technological brain enhancements. Gene editing. The evidence of dramatic change is all around us and it’s happening at exponential speed.

This Fourth Industrial Revolution is characterized by a range of new technologies that are fusing the physical, digital and biological worlds, transforming disciplines, economies and industries, and even challenging ideas about what it means to be human.

Winner of a Vimeo Staff Pick, the film is based on the book The Fourth Industrial Revolution by Klaus Schwab, founder of the World Economic Forum.

2. Let's turn China’s smog into diamonds

Dutch architect Daan Roosegaarde’s smog-sucking towers are an innovative way to tackle China’s severe pollution crisis. With more than 32 million views on Facebook, this is one of our most viewed social videos.

3. Why should we care about coral reefs?

Coral reefs are suffering – and we aren’t going to save them through small-scale, feelgood actions like reusing our shopping bags or hotel towels, says Kristen Marhaver, a postdoctoral scholar at the University of California at Merced. She explains why the reefs matter, and what actions we need to take to save them.

You can also watch Marhaver's World Economic Forum lecture here.

4. The Fourth Industrial Revolution in ASEAN

In June 2016, the Forum held a meeting in Kuala Lumpur. Bringing together leaders from all sectors and demographics, from established thought leaders to millennials, to explore how to foster the region’s inclusion and growth agenda in the face of technological change.

5. Can we sleep on demand?

Inadequate sleep is related to a wide range of problems, from depression to obesity. Dan Yang, professor of neurobiology at the University of California, Berkeley, discusses our growing understanding of the neuronal circuits involved in sleep: one day, it could become possible to control these circuits, allowing us to fall asleep as and when we wish.

Still curious? Watch the full Davos session from January 2016 here.

6. Can we make a globalization that works? With Joseph Stiglitz

Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz shares his views on how to make globalization work for all, not just the few.

7. Moving beyond GDP

Surely there are better ways to measure a country's success than by the size of its gross domestic product? Find out more with our animated explainer.

8. Explaining the Fourth Industrial Revolution

In this six-part animated series, we explain new technologies such as blockchain, artificial intelligence, big data and their effects on communication and human activities.

9. The Global Competitiveness Report 2016

Discover the key findings of this year’s Global Competitiveness Report with our three-minute video.

10. Social Entrepreneurs 2016

Every year, the World Economic Forum selects a new class of Social Entrepreneurs, whose goal is to promote social innovation and transformation in various fields including education, health, enterprise and the environment. They do this using business methods and the courage to innovate and overcome traditional practices.