AWL Trends & Fads

By the late '90s, "girl power," a slogan that began its life in the pages of Riot Grrrl 'zines, was appropriated by U.K. pop sensations the Spice Girls.

Whether Scientology is a "religion" is a matter of debate. Scientology presents itself as a "technology" that leads people to "true spiritual release and freedom."

Here is a flashmob video with a little more class than we're used to: a full orchestra emerges from alleyways and storefronts to play the final movement of Beethoven's 9th Symphony in the town square of Sabadell, Spain.

With one-click shopping and smartphones, buying media online becomes an impulse purchase, like the candy or gum by the cash register.

Snake the Planet uses projection mapping techniques to project the classic game on to any available surface. Windows, signs and even people become pixelated obstacles in the game.

Found in most any local convenient store, Coke and Mentos react together in an epic eruption of fizz. The stunt has generated loads of viral buzz.

Nike's release of a limited-edition shoe based on the pair worn by Michael J. Fox in "Back to the Future II" has sparked a mania among movie fans and shoe collectors.

Thousands of artists leverage Facebook and Twitter to raise money for creative projects. But crowdfunding isn't just for hipsters anymore; it's moving into all kinds of other spheres, like research and personal causes.

Popular weight-loss shows are motivating their viewers to lose weight themselves, a trend that behavioral economists attribute to the TV's powers of socialization.