We call them "shooting stars."

That's because they streak across the sky leaving behind thin glowing trails of light.

But meteors aren't really stars at all. They're actually cosmic debris: Tiny specks of dust and ice released from comets that pass too close to the sun.

As Earth passes through this debris, the specks get pulled into our atmosphere, where they rub up against air molecules, then burn up. This creates the streaking that we see in the sky.

Here are the annual meteor showers that you won't want to miss.

SEE ALSO: Here's what you're actually seeing during Thursday night's beautiful meteor shower

DON'T MISS: Tonight, a meteor shower created by a mysterious comet will reach its peak — here’s how to watch

The Quadrantids

The Quadrantids are usually active in January. Usually, you can see an an average of about 25 meteors shoot through the sky every hour in dark skies. The radiant point, or the point in the sky that the meteors seem to be shooting from, is the northern tip of the Boötes constellation, near the Big Dipper. This meteor shower is best seen from the northern hemisphere.

Source: EarthSky, American Meteor Society

The Lyrids

The Lyrids are active in April. During the shower's peak, about 10 to 15 meteors can be seen every hour in dark skies. But there can also be rare surges that can boost the rate up to 100 per hour. The radiant point is the star Vega in the constellation Lyra. The Lyrids are best seen from the northern hemisphere.

Source: EarthSky, American Meteor Society

The Eta Aquarids

The Eta Aquarids are active from April to May. Depending on where you are, you could see anywhere from 10 to 60 meteors every hour. The radiant for this shower is the star Eta, in the constellation Aquarius, the Water Bearer. The Eta Aquarids are best seen from the southern hemisphere.

Source: EarthSky, American Meteor Society

Everyone is guilty of a bad habit or two.

But it's not your addiction to Candy Crush or your refusal to recycle grocery bags that worries us. It's the habits that damage your finances — from overspending to procrastinating about paying bills — that set off our alarms.

In fact, we're so committed to helping you change your less-than-stellar money habits for the better that we're featuring a series of articles this month that specifically examine the science, psychology and strategies behind behavior change.

And what better way to kick off the series than with a month-by-month guide to financial self-improvement for the whole year? That's why we asked six LearnVest Planning Services Certified Financial Planners to pick 12 of the most common bad money habits that they see (one for each month of the year) — and then offer their expert advice for breaking them in 2014.

SEE ALSO: 3 Ways To Turn Your Unwanted Gift Cards Into Cold Hard Cash

1. Buying lunch ... and coffee and snacks every day

If you live or work in a city (or your commute brings you past five different drive-thrus), buying lunch out can be irresistibly easy — and problematic if your habit starts absorbing the money you'd prefer to save for something else ... like a Caribbean vacation to escape the frigid cold this month.

"There's nothing wrong with buying the occasional lunch or snack on the go," says Stephany Kirkpatrick, CFP, Director of Financial Planning at LearnVest Planning Services. "But when you're aiming to conquer major financial goals, this is one of the easiest areas to cut back without seriously sacrificing your quality of life."

While an ideal habit would be to avoid last-minute food purchases altogether, that's not always realistic. "If it's too much of an adjustment to go cold turkey, create a budget in the LearnVest Money Center and decide beforehand how much you'll spend — and then challenge yourself to spend $10 less next month," recommends Kirkpatrick. "Be sure to allow yourself one day a week when you do grab lunch — and savor it, so bringing lunch the other days won't make you feel like you're missing out."

How Much You Can Save: If your lunch-buying habits are anything like that of the typical American, you probably buy a lunch that costs around $10 twice a week, spending about $1,000 a year in the process. If you cut your habit back to one lunch per week, you could save around $500.

2. Neglecting to get the best rate

Sure, paying your bills on time is a good habit — but paying more than you should is a bad one.

Case in point? Astronomical cable bills for the 300-plus channels that you never have time to watch. And you're not alone: The average monthly American cable bill, including phone and Internet services, was $128 in 2011 — that's triple the price from 10 years ago.

"Things fall into three buckets," explains Natalie Taylor, CFP with LearnVest Planning Services. "Things you can control, things you can influence, and things you can't control or influence. Monthly bills fall into the second bucket, so use your influence wisely."

You can start by poking around your provider's website to see what kind of introductory and special rates they currently offer or visit lowermybills.com, which looks at your region and current bill to automatically search for better phone and Internet offers. Once you have an idea of what you could pay instead, call your provider to see if there's any wiggle room on your rate.

How Much You Can Save: "Lowering your bills is a great way to find extra dollars for your goals without having to sacrifice your lifestyle," explains Taylor. If you can negotiate only $10 off your monthly bills, you'll save $120 a year. If you go a step further and cancel your cable to save $100 a month, that comes out to $1,200 a year. Put that cash into a retirement account and you could help grow your savings!

3. Not prioritizing high-interest debt

All debt isn't equal. So while you should always pay the minimum on your various debts — be it student loans, credit cards or a mortgage— a more productive strategy is "racking and stacking." Essentially, you rank your debt in order of highest to lowest interest rates, and prioritize paying off the debt with the highest interest rate first by devoting any extra cash toward that debt. Once it's paid off, you move down the list to pay down the next high-interest debt.

"Focusing on paying one debt off at a time (while making minimum payments on all other debts) can not only save you interest, but it can also give you additional cash-flow flexibility over time," explains Taylor. "As each debt is paid off, you have one less minimum payment to worry about every month. You may still decide to dedicate just as much each month toward debt reduction overall, but you've got more flexibility, which always feels good!"

How Much You Can Save: If you're sitting on a $10,000 credit card balance with 12% interest, you're paying $100 in interest a month (and that's a pretty low interest rate). Since most lenders require that you pay at least your interest every month, you'll need to pay more than $100 a month in order for your balance to start decreasing.

"With payments of $150 per month, it would take more than nine years to pay off the debt, costing about $6,500 in interest," says Taylor. "With payments of $400 per month, it would take only two and a half years to pay off the card, and cost $1,600 in interest."

China has begun testing a futuristic-looking electric bus that straddles traffic as it drives down the street.

By straddling the traffic, the bus is able to quickly move above most vehicles, helping cut down on congestion and pollution caused by auto emissions.

Transit Explore Bus, which is the company behind the vehicle, first revealed the concept in May at the 19th China Beijing International High-Tech Expo. But on Tuesday the company showed off a full-scale prototype in Qinhuangdao, China and launched its first road test, according to a report from China Xinhua News.

Let's take a closer look at the prototype.

SEE ALSO: Instagram cloning Snapchat reveals a huge problem with the social network

The straddling bus, or the TEB-1 as it’s called, is the world’s first elevated bus.

RAW Embed

The bus is elevated so cars can pass under as it moves along roads. Cars under 6.5 feet tall can easily fit below the bus.

RAW Embed

Electric chargers are placed along the bus route to charge the vehicle when it's low on energy.

RAW Embed

Contrary to popular belief, "Everyone has the same opportunity to acquire wealth,"says self-made millionaire Steve Siebold. But is wealth in the cards for you?

To help you evaluate that, we've rounded up nine red flags to watch out for. While no one can predict the future, the following choices most likely won't accelerate your path to riches.

SEE ALSO: 15 ways to guarantee you won't become a millionaire

You put too much emphasis on saving — and not enough on earning

Saving is crucial to building wealth, but you don't want to focus so much on saving that you start neglecting earning, which is what rich people focus on.

"The masses are so focused on clipping coupons and living frugally they miss major opportunities,"Siebold writes.

There's no need to abandon practical saving strategies. However, if you want to start thinking like the rich, "Stop worrying about running out of money and focus on how to make more,"Siebold advises.

Some experts say that "it's not about how much money you make, it's about how much you keep," but this shouldn't be an excuse to disregard earning completely. To keep money, you have to earn it in the first place. A common thread among millionaires is that they develop multiple streams of incomeand have smart savings habits.

You haven't started investing

One of the most effective ways to earn more money over time is to invest it, and the earlier you start, the better.

"On average, millionaires invest 20% of their household income each year. Their wealth isn't measured by the amount they make each year, but by how they've saved and invested over time," writes Ramit Sethi in his New York Times best seller, "I Will Teach You to Be Rich."

The more you can set aside, the better, but even a little bit can go a long way, thanks to compound interest. An easy way to dip your toe into the investing pool is to start saving for retirement using accounts where your money is invested, like a 401(k) or IRA.

You're content with a steady paycheck

Average people choose to get paid based on time — on a steady salary or hourly rate — while rich people choose to get paid based on results and are typically self-employed.

"It's not that there aren't world-class performers who punch a time clock for a paycheck, but for most this is the slowest path to prosperity, promoted as the safest,"Siebold says. "The great ones know self-employment is the fastest road to wealth."

While the world-class continue starting businesses and building fortunes, "The masses almost guarantee themselves a life of financial mediocrity by staying in a job with a modest salary and yearly pay raises,"Siebold explains.

You may have heard there's a brand new version of the Xbox One that just came out, called the Xbox One S. Don't be alarmed! Your old Xbox One is still just fine. It will still play the same games and have access to the same services.

So, what's different about this "new" Xbox One? Should you rush to trade-in your old Xbox One in favor of the shiny new model? The short answer, thankfully, is "probably not." But there are some important differences between the two — here's the full rundown:

The new Xbox One — dubbed the "Xbox One S"— is white and features a slightly different design. It's also MUCH smaller than the original Xbox One.

As you can see, the Xbox One S is a nice looking piece of hardware. It's 40% smaller than the original Xbox One and looks much more attractive than the big, black brick we've come to know over the past few years.

There's a new gamepad. It's also white!

The Xbox One S controller isn't a completely new controller, but it's a slightly enhanced version of the existing Xbox One controller. With the ability to connect to PCs via Bluetooth and textured grips for added comfort, it's a slightly better version of an already-great controller.

There's no power adapter this time.

Don't you just hate having to plug in a separate, cumbersome power brick to make video game consoles work? How about hiding a gigantic power supply somewhere behind your TV? Also pretty stupid! The Xbox One S gets rid of this problem by putting that power brick inside the console itself, making it much more convenient to move around. It's also nice that you don't have to put a giant brick somewhere in your entertainment center.

Maria Pettersson's Instagram account is taking off.

If her cockpit selfies are anything to go by, Pettersson is having the time of her life every time she sits behind the controls of a Boeing, earning her a loyal crew of followers.

It's no wonder — after steadily working her way through flight school, she advises up-and-coming pilots about everything from choosing a program to finances to job hunting on her blog, Pilot Maria, where she also chronicles her own travels. 

Maria Pettersson is a pilot with Ryanair, originally from Sweden but now living in Sicily, Italy.

Instagram Embed:
http://instagram.com/p/BGC8hoTQLEe/embed/
Width: 800px

She also happens to have over 130,000 followers on Instagram.

Instagram Embed:
http://instagram.com/p/BEJOcsgQLJL/embed/
Width: 800px

Why? Her epic cockpit selfies, of course.

Instagram Embed:
http://instagram.com/p/9y2HeNwLP6/embed/
Width: 800px

Zika virus has finally made its way to the US mainland, and the virus is now spreading locally in Miami. That means people are getting the virus from American mosquitoes, not just ones that have bitten them while they're abroad.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has even warned pregnant women not to travel to the Miami neighborhood where local cases have been detected.

That may sound scary, but it's not a surprise. Experts expected that the virus would start circulating in Florida.

The question now is: How far will Zika spread across the US?

The most likely answer is that it will spread through southern Gulf states where the mosquitoes that spread the virus are most active.

But the extent of the spread cannot be predicted precisely. It depends on how well public health officials can contain this first outbreak to Miami, and keep imported travel cases from turning into more outbreaks, David Pigott, a global health expert at the University of Washington, told Tech Insider.

"Never say never, but [a local outbreak is] a lot less likely to happen in New York or Washington, D.C. given our current knowledge than it is in Houston, or some cities across Louisiana, or other places in Florida," he said. "In terms of comparative risk, it's the southern states that are going to be the places where you're most likely to see it."

The current state of Zika in the US

Officials have identified 14 people in Miami so far who caught Zika from local mosquitoes, and over 1,600 people across the country who got the virus traveling to infected areas like Brazil. Zika has spread quickly through Puerto Rico, where it's infected a reported 4,600 people since it appeared there in November 2015.

Only one in five people show symptoms, making Zika a particularly hard virus to track. It also only debuted in the Americas last year, so there's a lot we still don't know about the virus. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention only concluded that Zika was causing the birth defect microcephaly in April 2016.

The virus is spread by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which thrives in tropical areas and bites during the day. The Aedes albopictus mosquito can likely spread the disease, too, but that hasn't been observed in the Americas yet.

Keep scrolling for some maps illustrating where exactly Zika might spread.

Here's where those two Aedes mosquitoes are present in the US:

What really matters are the states shaded in blue, since we haven't seen A. albopictus actually spread Zika yet.

And this map shows the maximum seasonal range of the mosquitoes. So in the winter, most states further north likely won't have to worry about Zika because the mosquitoes will die in the cold.

Taking these environmental factors into account, a team of researchers including Pigott modeled the possible global spread of Zika, based on where the A. aegypti mosquitoes that transmit it thrive:

As you can see, the experts expect Zika to stick to Florida, parts of Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas. Any other transmission across the US would likely be sporadic.

If you’ve ever longed for Cuban cigars, rum, or coffee (as we have), then Cuba’s newly opened borders are exciting both for your future travels and your future souvenirs. While there are still limitations on how much you can bring home (the United States places a $400 limit on imports from Cuba—and alcohol or tobacco products can’t account for more than $100 of that), if you shop smart, you’ll be able to snag everything on your list. Here, six truly Cuban things you can legally bring home. Just do us a favor and try to pack enough to share.

Coffee

The tropical climate of the Caribbean makes its islands ideal for coffee production, so it’s no wonder why Cubans are always enjoying a great cup of joe. But part of the addictive nature of Cuban coffee is in how it’s prepared, with a foamy head—called an espumita—made of a mixture of sugar and espresso. Order a cup and a bag of strong coffee beans to bring home at El Escorial, near Old Havana’s lively Plaza Vieja. Then spend your morning people watching.

Rum

When in the Caribbean, you must drink rum, and Cuba is no exception. Once sugarcane—the spirit’s key ingredient—was introduced to the island by the Spanish, rum production skyrocketed. Get a taste of the best by asking forHavana Club Rum at the local bar. (We recommend the añejo especial—its notes of vanilla and caramel, plus a hint of tobacco, mean it lends itself well to an authentic Cuba Libre with Coke, ice, and lime.) Or head to the Havana Club Museum of Rum, where you can get a lesson on the distilling process in a building that also features a bar and rum shop.

Fragrance

Few souvenirs can transport you back to a place the way fragrances can. At Habana 1791, pure scents such as rose, patchouli, vetiver, tobacco, and ylang-ylang are crafted onsite using only their namesake ingredients. Bring a bottle back (the small sizes are TSA-friendly!) and you’ll be able to smell the flowers in the streets or the hint of Cuban cigars long after you leave Cuba. If you can’t decide on just one scent, have the shop’s employees make you a specialized mix of your favorites.

"Pokémon GO" might be the most popular single video game in the 20-year-old Pokémon series, but it actually pulls in precious little from its pocket monster hunting predecessors. There are tons of little features that have appeared in other Pokémon games that would make "Pokémon GO" even more fun for players.

Here is a list of some of the best features from other Pokémon games we'd like to see. Things that have already been confirmed, like trading and battles with friends, are not included, obviously.

SEE ALSO: Instagram cloning Snapchat reveals a huge problem with the social network

Pokémon costumes

In "Pokémon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire," you can get a special Pikachu in your party called Cosplay Pikachu. You can choose between several costumes for Cosplay Pikachu that each give it a unique special attack, with the best being Pikachu Libre, of course.

Let's take it further. If I find a Pokémon outside of an NFL stadium during the upcoming season, it should be wearing the home team's colors. I want Koffing in a Jets hat. It's really all I need in my life right now.

But seriously, the developers could make some sweet money if they sold cute costumes for Pokémon. As ashamed as I am to admit it, I might buy some if the price is right.

Talent contests and other friendly competitions

Right now, the only way to pit your pocket monsters against those belonging to other players in "Pokémon GO" is through battling at gyms. One-on-one friendly battles are coming later, but that's still combat.

All Pokémon are unique creatures with unique personalities, so let's allow them to show off their stuff without hurting each other for a change! Some Pokémon games have optional talent contests, where your chosen Pokémon's moves are judged based on how cute, cool or clever they are, among other traits.

I'm not saying "Pokémon GO" needs to have that specific mechanic, but it'd be neat if there were community events where players could get together and win prizes for doing things other than just having the strongest Pokémon.

Evolution stones

In "Pokémon GO," you evolve Pokémon by simply capturing dozens of that same Pokémon in order to obtain enough candy to make them evolve. This is vastly different from the other games, where they evolve by leveling up through battles.

However, some Pokémon in those other games could also be evolved using stones — no grinding necessary. There are different stones for each type (like water and fire) and using the appropriate stone on the right Pokémon will make them evolve immediately.

If stones could show up in "Pokémon GO" (albeit extremely rarely), it could solve the issue where you have a Pokémon that you can never evolve or power up because of where you live. I chose a Charmander as my starter, and I literally have not seen a single Charmander since the game came out, for example.

The living room is the center of socializing in the home, so it should be the most welcoming place.

Here are 14 products that will make your living room the place to be.

Cubic bookcase

Bring some style into your living room with a cubic bookcase. Each nook is perfect for displaying books, keepsakes, and photographs. 

Giorgio cube unit, $253

Universal remote

Shelling out the cash for a universal remote might seem wasteful at first, but the second you don’t have to fiddle with seven different controllers to get your home theater working, they feel like it's worth it.

The Harmony 650 has a comfortable design, the ability to control up to eight devices at once, and very few worries about your gadgets being incompatible. 

Universal remote control, $58.08

Smart TV

There's no need for extra plug-ins like a Roku or Apple TV if you have a smart TV. It connects to the internet to let you watch cable and stream programs from websites like Netflix or Amazon. 

LG 55" Class LED Smart HD TV, $799.99

In March, the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) came out with an updated "Worldwide Cost of Living" report, which highlights the most expensive cities to live in across the globe.

The biannual report compares over 400 individual prices across 160 products and services, including food, drink, clothing, household supplies, utility bills, private schools, and recreational costs. All cities are compared to a base of New York City, which has a cost-of-living index set at 100.

One factor the EIU chooses not to use when creating the cost-of-living index for each city is accommodation. Roxana Slavcheva, a cities economist at EIU, explained to Business Insider: "We supply prices of rented accommodation for reference, but consider that to be a separate and relatively subjective item to price since choice in apartments and houses is dictated by taste, income, and family size."

We decided to see what it takes to become one of the wealthiest of the wealthy in the priciest US cities.

Using an interactive tool from The New York Times, we gathered the annual household income required to be in the top 1% (and top 5%, for comparison) of earners in the 11 most expensive US cities.

Note that we did not include Honolulu, Hawaii — which tied as the ninth-most-expensive US city — because of insufficient data.

How do you stack up?

SEE ALSO: Here's how much it costs for a family to live in 20 major US cities

Boston

12th most expensive city in the US.

Income required to be in the:

Top 1%: $529,343

Top 5%: $260,286

Miami

11th most expensive city in the US.

Income required to be in the:

Top 1%: $408,153

Top 5%: $180,005

Pittsburgh 

Ninth most expensive city in the US (tied with Honolulu).

Income required to be in the:

Top 1%: $393,600

Top 5%: $169,841

Sharks often get a bad rap simply because people are afraid of them.

But for photographer Michael Muller, sharks are fascinating, and they make for stunning  subjects in his photography series and book, SHARKS, published by Taschen.

Muller was not originally a nature photographer. He is actually well-known for his celebrity work, having shot the cover of Rihanna's Unapologetic album and the movie poster for Deadpool. He has also photographed Michael Phelps during the Olympics.

But over the last decade, he has developed a fascination with sharks after his wife had booked a cage-diving trip for his birthday. Of course, Muller told Business Insider, before he went, he was a little apprehensive — especially after seeing the movie "Jaws." But despite that fear, he felt compelled to go. 

"I went out to Guadalupe Island, about 200 nautical miles off Mexico's Baja Peninsula; it’s a volcanic island," he said. "I was the first one in the water at six in the morning ... I was down there for about five minutes, and out of the darkness comes this first great white. It just swims right by me and we lock eyes, and I was like 'I see you and I know you see me'. There was a connection."

From that point on, he said, he knew that he had to continue to dive and photograph these majestic creatures. Here are some of his breathtaking photos. 

MORE: Humans have dramatically changed Hawaii — here's how

UP NEXT: 8 crazy facts you didn't know about the king of the ocean

It all started with an underwater camera and National Geographic.

Muller received his first camera from his father when he was living in Saudi Arabia in about fourth grade. It was a Minolta Weathermatics. 

With that camera, he took a photo of a photo of a shark in National Geographic, processed the film, and showed all of his school buddies, telling them that he had shot it in the Red Sea. Muller said they were all blown away, but eventually, he did confess to the truth. Still, he said, this is when he realized just how powerful photography can be.

It was then that he decided to become a professional photographer.

At the beginning of his shark career, Muller knew that he needed new technology to capture the true beauty of sharks.

While photographing Michael Phelps and other Olympic swimmers, Muller started looking for better underwater lighting.  After looking around online — and being unsatisfied with everything he found — he decided created  his own underwater lights to effectively bring his photography studio underwater.

After a few false starts, he ended up partnering with a team of people that included an engineer from the Jet Propulsion Labs at NASA. They worked together to create something that hadn't before existed.

They used these newly invented lights for the first time in the Galapagos, photographing hundreds of hammerheads. 

During one particular dive, the idea for the book, SHARKS, was cemented in Muller's mind.

It was while photographing those hammerheads that he got the idea for his book. Before that dive, he said, he was unaware of millions of sharks that were being killed each year. 

"I looked around and said 'I don’t know if my daughters are going to be able to see what I’m seeing now'. And then I said 'maybe I can change people’s perceptions'," Muller declared. 

He went back to Guadalupe about six months later with seven assistants, strobe lights, the first submersible self-propelled cage, and cinema cage with no grates to start shooting the photos that would ultimately make it into his book. 

Despite the major contributions they've made to the U.S. space program, the women of NASA have struggled to get the recognition they deserve.

Maia Weinstock, deputy editor of MIT News and self-proclaimed "LEGO Tinkerer," dreamed up this awesome Lego set to pay homage to five of NASA's most famous female pioneers.

Weinstock submitted a proposal for this set to Lego Ideas, which is a site where the public can submit and vote on future Lego sets.

And considering that this set gathered more than the required 10,000 votes within a few weeks, it might be just a matter of time before Lego releases figurines of these awesome female scientists.

Here are a few facts you should know about the five scientists featured in the set.

SEE ALSO: These LEGOs are on their way to Jupiter

DON'T MISS: Lego's new headquarters is like a real-life Lego building

Margaret Hamilton, Katherine Johnson, Sally Ride, Nancy Grace Roman, and Mae Jemison are the five NASA scientists recognized in this awesome set.

In addition to the minifigures, the full Lego set includes individual vignettes of a micro-scale Hubble Space Telescope, a space shuttle, instruments of the Apollo era, and a replica of a famous photo showing the code that got astronauts to the moon.

Source: Women of NASA

Margaret Hamilton is a computer scientist. She's known for popularizing the modern concept of software.

Source:Women of NASA

When it comes to getting a car with a host of high-tech features, you don't have to settle for a smaller vehicle. 

A lot of SUVs on the market today are just as tech savvy as the coupes you see on the road everyday.

Scroll down for a look at the most teched out SUVs.

1. The Volvo XC90 is a roomy and luxurious SUV, but it also has several, high-tech features. For example, there are four hidden cameras to provide 360-degree views when driving and parking.

The center display shows the cameras' views to assist with parking. The driver can select whether to view from the front or rear cameras using the touch-controlled display.

The car also comes with an autonomous emergency braking system and semi-autonomous features that allows it to accelerate, decelerate, stop, and steer itself at speeds below 30 miles per hour.

Life is funny.

No one gets a handbook upon turning 18, complete with all the rules they'll need to memorize and competencies they'll need to acquire.

Somehow you're just supposed to know that you should have more money coming in than going out, and you shouldn't wear a fuzzy orange sweater to a job interview.

We've put together our own handbook of sorts, which lists many skills you'll need to survive as an adult in the modern world.

It's based on the Quora thread "What are some of the most useful skills to know?" as well as scientific research and expert opinion.

We can't promise we've outlined every skill you might need, but if you've mastered these, you're off to a good start:

SEE ALSO: 10 life skills every young professional should have

1. Accepting feedback gracefully

"For most of us it is hard to hear how we made a mistake or could have done something better,"writes Quora user Pedram Keyani. "An amazing skill (which you can learn through practice) is to set aside your emotional response in the moment and focus on the information presented to you. Some of it will be valid and some of it invalid but let your brain decide that, not your ego."

Depending on what kind of feedback you're receiving, there are different strategies for responding with a cool head. For example, if your boss points out what she thinks is an error and you're not sure she's correct, you can say, "I hadn't thought of that, and I'm going to look into it right away."

2. Apologizing sincerely

To err is human, but to craft a believable apology isn't a universal skill.

The apology "needs to be sincere, not qualified, not quantified, and also needs to outline how X will not happen again,"Keyani says.

According to one CEO, there's a six-step strategy for successfully saying you're sorry:

1. Act quickly.

2. Apologize in person.

3. Explain what happened.

4. Show how you are going to avoid the problem in the future.

5. Apologize.

6. Make restitution.

Keyani gives an example of what you might say if you were tardy for an appointment:

I'm sorry I was late for the meeting. It must have been frustrating because you spent a lot of time preparing and got up early. I did a poor job accounting for traffic and didn't give myself enough buffer. That is my bad and I'm going to give myself an extra 10 minutes instead of five moving forward.

3. Managing your time wisely

There will probably never be a time in your life when you aren't juggling multiple personal and professional priorities. Time-management skills are a must, unless you want to feel constantly frazzled.

Perhaps the most important time-management lesson is that you should stick with one task at a time. Research suggests that multitasking is generally counterproductive because the brain expends energy as it readjusts its focus from one activity to another.

You'd be wise, too, to limit the hours you spend working. Decades ago, Henry Ford discovered that productivity started to decline after employees logged more than 40 hours per week. Other research suggests that, after three weeks, 60-hour workweeks become less productive.

Airbnb is a popular option for travelers hoping to get a little more local flavor on their vacations.

Millions of people have opened their homes to strangers on the site, but of those many, many options, which are the most popular? We collaborated with Airbnb to find out which properties have been wishlisted by their users the most.

From fairytale-like treehouses to secluded wood cabins, these are the top 10 most popular Airbnbs in the world. 

10. Off the Gridit House, Pioneertown, CA

Located in the middle of the California desert, this property is is 100% off-grid, and powered by solar panels. The $380 a night spot is a favorite for photoshoots, and won the "Western Home Award" by Sunset magazine.

9. Brand New Mini Loft, Rome, Italy

This modern, spacious loft is a comfortable spot to rest after a full day of touring around Rome. Since hotels are especially expensive in the Italian capital, it's a bargain for $42. 

8. Balian Treehouse, Bali, Indonesia

A three minute walk from the beach, this $87 a night tropical treehouse has a private pool, veranda, and garden. 

As architect Florian Heinzelmann traveled around Indonesia, he noticed that many villages lacked communal spaces.

That's why he — and his Netherlands-based design firm, Shau — decided to create a small public library in the village of Bandung.

Like most libraries, the goal is to foster a love of reading and encourage community members to hang out, Heinzelmann tells Tech Insider. But unlike most libraries, it's made of 2,000 used ice cream buckets.

Take a look.

Located in Bandung, Indonesia, the micro-library measures just 1,720 square feet — about half the size of a one-car garage. It was completed in July 2016.

The team ordered 2,000 used ice cream buckets from an online seller to build the walls. Besides reducing waste, using recycled materials fosters awareness of Indonesia's growing amount of plastic waste, which has been clogging waterways and beaches in recent years, Heinzelmann says.

On the facade, the buckets spell out "books are the windows to the world" in binary code, the language computers use to interpret information. The bottoms of the buckets represent ones, and the tops represent zeroes, Heinzelmann says.

Coming fast on the heels of "The Bachelorette," it's time for the premiere of "Bachelor in Paradise."

The show takes rejected contestants from previews "Bachelor" and "Bachelorette" seasons and places them in a remote tropical locale in an effort to help them find love.

"Bachelor in Paradise" is returning for its third season, and while contestants will experience more broken hearts, it has found some success. One couple — Jade Roper and Tanner Tolbert — ended the second season with an engagement and tied the knot four months later.

So there you have it, throw in some alcohol, paradise, and a ton of single people looking for love, and you've got the perfect recipe for a dynamic drama.

Check out what fans can expect when the third season premieres Tuesday night:

Chris Harrison doesn't get enough drama from hosting "The Bachelor" and "The Bachelorette," so returns as host of "Bachelor in Paradise." As he told Entertainment Weekly, it is his "guilty pleasure."

Source: Entertainment Weekly

Former "Bachelor" and "Bachelorette" contestants are shipped off to Mexico in the hopes of finding love. There are 16 hopefuls starting off this season — nine girls and seven guys.

They break off into couples to see who they might want to marry after a few weeks of getting to know each other.

The Olympic Games plant seeds of innovation all around the world.

Some of the most architecturally stunning stadiums and sports venues in existence came to be because the Olympics were coming to town. In Beijing, China, the Bird's Nest dazzled spectators with its intricate latticework and lights. The London Shooting Venue looks straight out of a Dr. Seuss book.

Here are 13 venues built for the Olympic Games that have made a lasting impact on athletic architecture.

The Bird's Nest, more formally known as the Beijing National Stadium, features twisting steel sections and crisscrossing columns that make it a massive work of art.

Beijing 2008 Summer Olympic Games

Architects: Herzog & de Meuron; Li Xinggang; and Ai Weiwei

The Olympic Arch soars 226 feet over the Italian city of Turin, highlighting a pedestrian bridge that connects the Olympic Village to nearby sports event areas.

Turin 2006 Winter Olympic Games

Architect: Hugh Dutton

The Olympic Stadium in Nazi Germany captivated people with its ring of stone columns, described by one critic as "a symbol of fascism's absolute disregard for the individual."

Berlin 1936 Summer Olympic Games 

Architect: Werner March

Source: The New York Times

Surgeons and lawyers aren't the only professionals raking in six figure-paychecks. There are plenty of other high-paying jobs out there — and many don't require an advanced degree.

To give you a better idea of the variety of high-paying careers available to you, Glassdoor put together a list of 11 jobs that pay over $100,000 a year, along with advice on how to get hired for each one.

For many of these jobs, total pay is highly dependent on the base salary. But for other jobs, a big part of employees' total pay is earned through other forms of compensation (i.e. commissions, tips, and bonuses). To be considered for the list, a job must have received at least 60 salary reports shared by US-based employees over the past two years.

Here's how to land these 11 high-paying jobs:

SEE ALSO: 10 jobs that will make you happy and rich

Equity research associate

Total median pay: $100,000

Median base salary: $85,000

How to get hired, according to Glassdoor: Equity research associates report on financial trends using financial models and other analytical techniques. Their research and reports inform other financial analysts' efforts. So while the position incorporates much of the excitement and rewards of investment banking, it is different, as much of the workload involves generating information. To qualify for the position, candidates need a bachelor's degree in finance, economics, or a similar field.

Physician assistant

Total median pay: $100,392

Median base salary: $100,000

How to get hired, according to Glassdoor: A physician's assistant (PA) holds a master's degree and a license. PAs — who examine patients, order tests, and prescribe some medications, among other things — attend medical school rather than nursing school. 

Nurse practitioner

Total median pay: $101,600

Median base salary: $100,000

How to get hired, according to Glassdoor: Nurse practitioners (NP’s) have at least a master's degree in nursing. Individual states may require additional certifications. NPs are qualified to perform physical exams, treat common injuries and illness, and prescribe some medications. Some NP’s have their own private practices.