• Sometimes the way in which a crime gets solved is the most interesting part of its story.
• The presence of pet hair, chance high school friendships, and even advanced NASA technology have been used to solve crimes.  
• Whether by chance or intense investigative effort, some crimes get solved in mind-bending ways.

Discovering the culprit is the goal of any crime investigator. But sometimes the story of how the crime gets solved is even more fascinating, whether it's through intense investigatory efforts or little twists of fate.

Read on to learn how coincidental friendships, NASA technology, and even the presence of cat hair have helped solve some serious crimes in non-traditional ways.

A kidnapping solved by a high school friendship

For most people, high school friends offer camaraderie, study partners, and people to sit with at the lunch table. But for one young woman, a chance high school friendship unearthed the truth about her abduction as a baby.

Zephany Nurse was born in the Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town, South Africa, on April 28, 1997. Two days later, a woman disguised in a nurse's uniform took the infant and escaped with her, possibly through a tunnel from the maternity unit to a nearby road, according to a February 2010 news report in IOL.

Zephany's biological parents, Morné and Celeste, spent years trying to raise awareness about their kidnapped daughter in the media, to no avail. Even after their family kept growing with the arrival of their second daughter, Cassidy, they kept a yearly remembrance of Zephany every April 28.

Years later, Cassidy began attending a new school and became friendly with a girl four years her senior. Even fellow classmates noticed their strong resemblance. When Morné and Celeste Nurse learned about the striking similarity, they decided to investigate. DNA evidence soon concluded that the girl, who had grown up with a different family under a different name, was in fact the missing Zephany, according to a 2015 report in The Mirror.

The woman who raised Zephany for most of her life was sentenced to 10 years in prison for the harm she caused the Nurse family, according to The Telegraph. As the report further stated, the sentenced woman's husband had no idea Zephany was not his biological child.   

For her part, Zephany said she can't dismiss the only people she knew as parents for almost two decades.

"There isn't a quick fix. I mostly live from day to day. My mother [who raised me] will always be part of my life," said Zephany Nurse in a 2017 News24 report.

A murder solved by evidence from plants

Fans of crime shows know that almost anything can provide evidence, including bugs, stray hair, and even fabric fibers. In one 2002 case, however, a murder was solved by the humble nettle, of all things.

When the bodies of 10-year-old schoolgirls Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman were discovered in a ditch in Suffolk, England, the horrific crime baffled the local community.

Forensic botanist Patricia Wiltshire was brought in to investigate the scene. She discovered some stinging nettles in a path to the ditch were growing new side shoots, which only happens when a plant has been trampled underfoot. Using this knowledge, Wiltshire determined that the nettles had been walked on some 13 days before, which gave the investigation a timeline for the murder, as noted by The Guardian.  

Furthermore, pollen in her soil sample evidence helped convict Ian Huntley for the crime.

"It was the fibre evidence and my evidence from the soil analysis on his car and other belongings, I suppose, that helped to put him away," said Wiltshire in The Telegraph.

This case proves that even the smallest, silent witnesses can provide crucial information toward solving a crime.

Homicides solved by a card game

The introduction of the Cold Case Homicide Playing Cards into Florida jails in 2007 resulted in the resolution of murder cases that had gone cold.

The playing cards, which feature photos and information about murder victims within the state, keep the cases public and in the focus of inmates. Gretl Plessinger, a spokesperson for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, said in The Flyer Group, "We have two murder investigations that have been solved as a result of tips we received from Florida inmates. It's kind of like interviewing 93,000 inmates for new leads and it has worked wonders."

In the case of Thomas Wayne Grammer's murder, the cards proved invaluable. In the card pack, the three of spades provided a photo of Grammer, as well as the details of his 2004 murder, in which an unknown gunman entered his home, shot Grammer, and fled the scene.

An inmate at the Polk County Jail in Florida recognized Grammer's photo on the card and tipped off police to some possible suspects, according to the National Clearinghouse for Science, Technology and the Law (NCSTL). Based on this one tip, two men were indicted for murder in 2004, as further explained by the NCSTL. Since the introduction of the cards in Florida, several other states have offered cold case cards to their inmates, including Oklahoma in 2017, according to US News & World Reports.

And, yes, you can find packs of the cold case cards for sale on Ebay.

• Some of the world's largest and most popular clothing brands are being superseded by their sister labels.
• Many of these smaller sister stores are able to respond to changing trends more quickly. 
• Gap, Abercrombie, H&M, and American Eagle all have popular sister stores. 

Sibling rivalries are the clothing business' latest trend. 

Increasingly, some of the most popular apparel stores are finding themselves outpaced by the very brands they created.

This week, Racked reported that J.Crew would be bringing its successful sister brand Madewell to some of its stores. Madewell is known for its denim but prides itself on its effortless and timeless clothing that doesn't chase after fast-fashion trends. While J.Crew has struggled in recent years, Madewell has become one of the company's sweet spots.

J.Crew isn't alone. H&M, American Eagle, Abercrombie, and Gap have all increasingly found themselves being outshined by their sister labels, which are helping to boost sales at the parent company overall.

Take a look at some of these stores and their wildly popular sister brands:

SEE ALSO: We went to Old Navy and saw why the brand is Gap's secret weapon

J.Crew and Madewell

As customers leave J.Crew, citing poor quality and expensive prices, Madewell's sales are soaring. 

Same-store sales have been down at J.Crew for the past three years, dropping by 8% in 2016 following a 10% decrease the year before. In its most recent earnings report, in the third quarter of 2017, sales had dropped by 12%. The company has not yet released its fourth-quarter results.

Meanwhile, Madewell's same-store sales grew by 5% in 2016 and increased by 10%, 11% and 13% in the first three quarters of 2017.

The company is now rolling out Madewell products in some of its J.Crew stores in an effort to revitalize sales, Racked reported Friday. J.Crew did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment on the arrangement.

Madewell has been around since 1937. It was founded in New England by Russian immigrant Julius Kivowitz, who originally sold bib overalls, jeans, and dungarees for factory workers and fishermen.

It was acquired by J.Crew in 2006 under the direction of former CEO Mickey Drexler. Drexler set his mind to make it huge and put Somsack Sikhounmuong, who started out at J.Crew, in charge of design in 2013. 

"We are cleaning and simplifying, so we're steering the collection towards the classic, straightforward, and effortlessly sexy design and taking the things Madewell has done best — tomboy pieces, denim, and leather — and giving them a bigger platform," Sikhounmuong told WhoWhatWear in 2013.

The secret to Madewell's success has been knowing its customer and not jumping on fast-fashion trends. Its focus is on good-quality, longer-lasting clothing, which historically had a lower price point than at J.Crew. 

Drexler said that increasing prices contributed to J.Crew's downfall. 

Gap and Old Navy

Former J.Crew CEO Mickey Drexler, who oversaw the takeover of Madewell, was also responsible for creating another popular sister brand during his time as CEO at Gap Inc. 

In 1993, Drexler set up Old Navy as a more budget-conscious store to appeal to low-income shoppers. 

Old Navy has become the parent company's saving grace. While Gap Inc. has struggled in recent years, Old Navy has seen positive same-store sales growth for the past five years.

The store has a cult following of price-conscious customers who choose it over Gap because of its lower prices. 

"Maybe there is a little bit of difference [in quality], but not enough that is making me feel like I need to spend more money," Dana McKay, a 39-year-old mother of two who does all her shopping at Old Navy and has done so since her college days, told Business Insider in May 2017.

Old Navy is better at jumping on trends than its sister brand Gap. 

"I wouldn't call it fast fashion but they are replenishing the merchandise more frequently. You are constantly getting new stuff into the store and it tends to be what the consumer is craving," Bridget Weishaar, an analyst at Morningstar, told Business Insider.

Old Navy also has an efficient system in place whereby it can trial products in smaller batches in order to see how successful they are before rolling them out on a larger scale, a spokesperson for the brand told Business Insider. This helps the brand to gauge what sells well.

Gap Inc. did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment. 

American Eagle and Aerie

American Eagle's sister brand Aerie has taken the underwear market by storm, winning over the hearts of millennial shoppers with its body-positive ad campaigns. 

In the fiscal year of 2016, American Eagle's same-store sales grew by a modest 1%, while Aerie was up 23% in the same period.

This growth gap defined 2017 as well. Same-store sales at Aerie were up 25%, 26%, and 19% in the first, second, and third quarters of the year. Meanwhile, at American Eagle, same-store sales grew by 1%, 0%, and 1% in the same period. 

Aerie's decision to nix airbrushed ads has paid off and helped sales to skyrocket in the past four years. It's been an effective way to appeal to customers who favor authenticity over anything else.

Meanwhile, American Eagle has fallen out of favor as there is greater competition among teen and low-cost fashion retailers such as H&M and Forever 21.

American Eagle did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment.

• How much money it takes to be "rich" varies from city to city.
• About 20% of Americans are upper-income, or "rich," meaning they earn at least two times the national median household income.
• The amount of money it takes to be considered rich is largest in San Francisco.

Everything in life is relative.

That phrase is especially true when looking at how much money it takes to be considered "rich" in different US cities.

While terms like "middle class" and "rich" are used broadly — and often incorrectly — they can be quantified using federal data.

About 20% of Americans are upper-income, or "rich,"according to the Pew Research Center. This group of earners makes at least two times the national median household income: $59,039 in 2016, according to the latest data from the US Census Bureau's 2016 American Community Survey.

Nationally, the threshold for "rich" is $118,080, but that figure varies from city to city depending on the local median income.

To get a sense of how much you need to earn to be considered above-middle-class in different cities, Business Insider pulled census data for the largest metropolitan statistical areas. For clarity, we listed the largest city in the MSA (some include more than one).

Below, find out what it takes to be considered rich in the 27 largest metro areas in the US, plus what income is needed to be in the top 1% in those states.

SEE ALSO: Silicon Valley is so expensive that people who make $400,000 think they're middle-class — here's what the middle class actually is in the 25 largest US cities

DON'T MISS: How much you have to earn to be considered rich in every state

Tampa, Florida: more than $102,230

• How much money it takes to be in the top 1% in Florida: $385,410

• Median income in Tampa: $51,115

• Metro-area population: 3 million

Miami, Florida: more than $102,724

• How much money it takes to be in the top 1% in Florida: $385,410

• Median income in Miami: $51,362

• Metro-area population: 6.1 million

Orlando, Florida: more than $104,770

• How much money it takes to be in the top 1% in Florida: $385,410

• Median income in Orlando: $52,385

• Metro-area population: 2.4 million

• "The Mummy Star" Brendan Fraser revealed he was groped in an interview with GQ.
• He claimed Philip Berk, a former president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, touched him inappropriately in 2003.
• Berk admitted to touching him but said it was just a joking pinch.
• Fraser is just one of some the male celebrities who have come forward as victims of sexual misconduct.

Brendan Fraser is the latest actor to talk openly about the alleged sexual misconduct he experienced in Hollywood.

Since initial reports by the New York Times and the New Yorker detailed a series of sexual harassment and assault claims against mega-producer Harvey Weinstein, dozens of women have come forward to share their own experiences with sexual misconduct in the industry. The #MeToo movement has gained momentum and hundreds of industry people banded together to form Time's Up, an initiative aimed at ending harassment and systemic sexism in workplaces across the United States. 

But women aren't the only victims of sexual harassment or assault, and some male actors have bravely come forward with their own encounters. 

In a profile for GQ, Fraser described an incident that occurred to him in 2003. 

Read his story and those of five other male actors below. 

Brendan Fraser

In an revealing profile in GQ, "The Mummy" actor said he was groped by Philip Berk, a former president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, in 2003. The interaction was reported on at the time as a joking butt pinch, according to Berk, but Fraser told GQ it was more than that.

"His left hand reaches around, grabs my ass cheek, and one of his fingers touches me in the taint. And he starts moving it around," Fraser told GQ.

Fraser said he managed to get away, but "felt ill." He said he told his wife at the time what happened but didn't speak about it again, according to GQ. He says he and his career suffered for it.

Anthony Rapp

The "Star Trek: Discovery" actor told BuzzFeed in October 2017 that actor Kevin Spacey made a sexual advance on him when he was 14. Rapp said that during a visit to the then 26-year-old Spacey's apartment, Spacey placed Rapp on his bed and climbed on top of him.

Spacey responded to the allegations with a Twitter statement in which he said he didn't remember the encounter.

"But if I did behave then as he describes, I owe him the sincerest apology for what would have been deeply inappropriate drunken behavior," Spacey wrote.

He also used the statement to publicly say that he now chooses "to live as a gay man."

Terry Crews

In October 2017, the "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" actor detailed his own experience with sexual assault and harassment in a series of tweets. Crews said his privates were groped at a function in 2016. He said he spoke to people who knew the executive, and he later apologized.

"But [he] never really explained why he did what he did," wrote Crews. "I decided not [to] take it further becuz [sic] I didn't want [to be] ostracized — par [for] the course when the predator has power [and] influence. I let it go. And I understand why many women who this happens to let it go."

In November, Crews filed a report to the Los Angeles Police Department against the executive. A few days later, during an appearance on ABC's "Good Morning America," Crews named WME agent Adam Venit as the man in the question. 

Crews filed a suit against Venit and WME in December for nine claims, including assault and sexual harassment. Venit filed a countersuit denying the claims.  

And WME filed their own response defending the agency's actions. 

"The response of WME's senior leadership, upon learning that Mr. Crews had not 'let it go' and had accused one of its agents of the conduct alleged here, was both swift and serious," they said. 

• An engagement ring is an expensive purchase — Americans spend $6,351 on average.
• But when broken down by state, the average amount ranges from $3,518 to $10,241.
• People in California spend the most on engagement rings, while those in Utah spend the least.

Americans on average spend $6,351 on an engagement ring, according to The Knot's 2017 Real Weddings Study.

We asked the sales team at Ritani, an online diamond retailer that specializes in engagement rings, to dive deeper into the statistics and find the average price paid for an engagement ring across the US in 2017.

Many factors go into pricing a diamond engagement ring. Diamonds are graded and priced based on the "four Cs," which are cut, carat, color, and clarity. Each of those can affect the price. A 1-carat round-shaped diamond with an "ideal" cut grade, for example, can range from about $2,000 up to $12,857 at Ritani depending on its grade for clarity and color.

Below we've ranked the average amount of money spent on an engagement ring in each state, from lowest to highest.

SEE ALSO: The most romantic destination in every state

51. Utah: $3,518

50. Vermont: $3,941

49. New Hampshire: $4,053

Infinitely customizeable and fiercely beloved, our nation's obsession with ramen knows no bounds. The ubiquitous instant packs have long been a staple of college students' diets, but the dish's mass appeal has solidified it as both a cultural phenomenon and a global food craze — which is why we decided to find the best bowls of ramen in the US.

To help us locate the nation's best bowls, we consulted Yelp and created this comprehensive guide on where to get the good stuff in each state.

ALABAMA: O Sushi in Hoover

Customers go crazy over the pork ramen noodles here.

Check out its Yelp reviews here.

ALASKA: Ramen House in Anchorage

Both the soup and staff at Ramen House will warm your heart.

Check out its Yelp reviews here.

ARIZONA: Hachi Ramen in Tempe

Haci Ramen actually closes for two hours midday in order to prepare their broth — it's made fresh daily.

Check out its Yelp reviews here.

• Olive Garden has released yet another unorthodox menu item — this time, it's the "Meatball Pizza Bowl."
• People's reactions are fairly mixed, but odd dishes are pretty common at the chain now, so many are taking it in stride. 
• Unfortunately, it doesn't fare as well as its "Italian nacho" cousin — the bowl is difficult to eat and kind of gross. 

Olive Garden's noble quest to disrupt the Italian food industry marches onward with the chain's new meatball pizza bowl. 

Meatballs? Pizza? With a bowl involved somehow? Apparently, it's a pizza crust that's molded into the shape of a bowl, then filled with alternating layers of ragu sauce, cheese, and meatballs. 

It sounds structurally insane, as though this lunch dish relies on a vein of Lovecraftian, non-Euclidean geometry to simply exist in our dimension. The description defies any attempt to place it within a recognizable genre of food items — is it a bowl, a pizza, a casserole? 

Whatever it is, it's available for lunch — on weekdays before 3 p.m. only — as part of Olive Garden's "Lunch Duos" deal. It starts at $8.99, but the cost can vary depending on location. 

The question is: is this strange dish worth getting?

Many online have made their revulsion and suspicion clear. 

Yet despite the culinary unease that automatically blooms after reading the description — well, even the name is enough to turn some people off — I have to give it the benefit of the doubt. After all, the chain's audacious "Italian nachos" that were released earlier this month were strangely good, despite every fiber in my being yearning to dislike them. 

So, off I went to Olive Garden to try it for myself. 

SEE ALSO: We visited the fastest-growing restaurant chain in America — and what we discovered should terrify KFC and Chick-fil-A

DON'T MISS: This controversial burger chain revamped its raunchy image before embarking on a huge US expansion — here's what it's like to eat there now

I return to the Garden of Good and Evil Italian Food, having ordered ahead. Times Square is hectic as ever, but Olive Garden is eerily quiet, having just opened about three minutes prior to my arrival. "Table for one?" the hostess asks with a hint of pity. I demur.

All's quiet on the Alfredo front as I leave, to-go bag of meatball pizza bowl in hand.

Finally I get a look at it. It appears almost exactly as it does in the photos, and I can't decide if that's a good thing or a bad thing. It smells like a meatball sub, which is definitely a good thing. The size is roughly akin to a baseball cap — no verdict on whether or not the bowl makes a good hat, though.

• Like with food, there are some more surprising drinks that pregnant women shouldn't consume.
• Some teas are safe during pregnancy, but others might not be a great idea.
• If you're pregnant and a tea-drinker, you need to know which fall under which category.

When you find out that you're pregnant, there are immediately a lot of changes that you have to make. You learn that you should avoid certain foods, that you should watch out for caffeine, avoid alcohol, tobacco, and pretty much all medication. Well, one thing you may not realize can be potentially harmful to pregnant people is tea.

We rounded up everything you need to know about drinking tea when you're pregnant.

Ginger tea can help with morning sickness.

Ginger tea is considered an herbal tea and, according to Manglani, it's OK for pregnant women to drink, as long as they don't overdo it. "I recommend ginger tea to women who are experiencing nausea and vomiting as well as uterine cramping in early pregnancy, as ginger can help with nausea and cramping," she said.

Since ginger's known to calm the stomach, you might find that ginger tea works well when you're facing down morning sickness and other pregnancy-related nausea too.

Black tea is typically safe, but don't overdo it.

Though you might think that black tea is something you'd need to avoid during pregnancy because of its caffeine content, black tea is typically safe. Kara Manglani, CNM, a New York City-based midwife, told INSIDER that black tea is "generally considered safe," but that she recommends women limit their consumption to fewer than four cups a day, just in case.

Plus, you do have to watch the caffeine content, so make sure you're not drinking too much caffeinated tea. Choosing a decaf version might help.

Green tea is also thought to be safe, but be aware of your caffeine intake.

Manglani said that, like black tea, green tea is usually thought to be safe for pregnant women, but, again, you need to watch out for the caffeine content. Limiting how much you drink and choosing decaf over caffeinated when possible should ensure that you're safe.

We can't all be Olympians. 

But we couch-bound Olympics-watchers can still reap serious health benefits from trying out some of the sports in play at the Winter Games.

We've rounded up nine of the most exciting winter sports to determine about how many calories you'd burn based on a metric called METs.

We calculated how much the average Joe and Jane USA might burn doing each Olympian-style sport for 60 minutes. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the average American woman weighs about 168.5 pounds (~76kg), and the average man is somewhere around 195.7 lbs (~89 kg), so we've used those weights.

The calorie estimates are based on a tool built by researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Arizona State University. Of course, they aren't perfect, and the numbers would likely be different based on your fitness, age, and other factors.

But with that in mind, take a look at what a spin around the rink or slide down an icy chute could do for your body. 

SEE ALSO: We compared 7 popular granola bars based on dietitians' health advice — here's how they stack up

Traveling around the ice at 9 miles an hour or less (that's a regular pace, not an Olympic one) burns around 490 calories for an average man, and 418 for a woman.

In an hour of consistent movement on the ice, you're probably expending around 5.5 METs. By comparison, competitive speed skaters and ice dancers can burn up to 14 METs an hour. 

When people really get moving, ice skating and ice dancing can be some of the most intense winter sports. 

For average Americans, an hour of ski jumping burns 532 calories for a woman and 623 for a man.

Carrying your skis up the hill then hurling yourself off the top can blow through energy — around 7 METs an hour.

If you want to calculate how many calories you might burn in your own hourlong ski-jumping session, multiply your weight, in kilograms, by the MET of 7.

A typical American adult skiing down the slopes at a race pace would burn 608 calories for women and 712 for men.

But that estimate is for someone speeding downhill with their most vigorous effort.

Mikaela Shiffrin, who won a gold medal in giant slalom and a silver medal in women's combined alpine skiing at Pyeongchang, eats 3,000 calories a day to fuel her impressive runs down the mountains. 

But how much people burn skiing and snowboarding depends a lot on how fast they go and how fit they are. Skiing can plow through up to 8 METs in an hourlong race, or as little as 4.3 METs if you exert just a light effort. 

If you're taking it slow, you'd burn closer to 327 calories for women and 383 for men.

Again, multiply your weight in kilograms by the MET to find your hourly calorie burn.

Television can offer magnificent surprises early, often, and anywhere in between. From series and pilots built around an unpredictable twist to moment-by-moment developments that’ll knock you for a loop, time is on TV’s side — and yours.

Great thrillers, mysteries, and other dramatic fair can deliver shocking moments on the regular, while more and more comedies are also getting in on the risk/reward ratio benefitting those who know how to play the odds.

If fortune favors the bold, then consider what’s below a list of the boldest television auteurs (or at least their boldest gambles). Limiting it to 25 slots, IndieWire has culled the most shocking moments and best twists of the 21st century (so far). Each selection is indisputably memorable, meaningful, and — hopefully — not too morbid. Death can often be a surprise, so some of the selections below steer away from the sudden departures and look at other scenes with equal impact.

If any twist or shocking moment is missing, let us know in the comments section, but before you scan the list know this: The below descriptions contain spoilers. While everything in bold and in photographs is safe to see, only those who want the truth need read further, or risk having some of television’s most unexpected delights ruined for you.

SEE ALSO: 47 documentaries on Netflix right now that will make you smarter

25. “Mr. Robot” – “Where do you think you are right now?”

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It would’ve been a bigger twist if Season 1 of “Mr. Robot” hadn’t ended with a Tyler Durden moment. While the show didn’t necessarily need to ask the same kind of season-long question in its follow-up, the answer of who was knocking at the door to Elliot’s apartment got revealed in spectacular fashion halfway into Season 2. Yes, many fans had anticipated the reveal that Elliott was actually in prison. But the way the show melted away Elliot’s facade was still an impressive way of reframing everything that had come in the seven hours prior. At the very least, it’s notable for being a twist that arrives with a direct apology to the audience: Elliot saying, “I’m sorry for not telling you everything. But I needed this in order to get better. Please don’t be mad too long,” is a bit of self-awareness that ultimately made the later Leon developments. Imagine a world gone insane, indeed.

24. “Orphan Black” – They Be Clones

Season 1, Episode 3, “Variation Under Nature”

“Orphan Black” was a series that, for five seasons and 50 episodes, thrived on twists. Enemies became partners, every character had a secret, and even the shadowy organizations behind the show’s central conspiracies would shift. Among the show’s shocks were the death of Dr. Leekie at the unlikely hands of bumbling suburban dad Donnie; the reveal that Delphine, Donnie, Paul and others were actually monitors; and the fact that Mrs. S knew about everything from the start. But perhaps the show’s biggest twist came early on, in Episode 3, when Sarah Manning (Tatiana Maslany) — and the viewers — were let in on the show’s central premise: That the “Orphan Black” lookalikes, all played by Maslany, were clones, and part of a massive experiment. From there, the mystery of how Sarah witnessed someone who looked just like herself commit suicide was revealed, but the “why” wouldn’t come for another several seasons, as part of yet another twist.

23. “True Detective” – The Light’s Winning

Season 1, Episode 8, “Form and Void”

“True Detective” began and remains a very bleak show. In its first (stellar) season, Marty Hart (Woody Harrelson) and Rust Cohle (Matthew McConaughey) were assigned a homicide case involving a 28-year-old prostitute who was discovered with a crown of deer antlers on her head and twig sculptures resembling bird traps around her body. The case itself was dark enough, but the pair of cops investigating it wasn’t much brighter. Though Marty cracked a lot of jokes, he was also a heavy drinking adulterer with an affinity for strip clubs and strong words. Rust, meanwhile, wasn’t invited to many parties, on account of his cold regard for the living and an eerie acceptance of death.

So that these two made it out of the eight-episode, decades-spanning investigation alive, well, that’s something of a small miracle. Nic Pizzolatto and Cary Joji Fukunaga somehow crafted a story steeped in melancholy and loss, yet found an extremely satisfying way to wrap things up without losing either of the leads. Just as Cohle stared up into an inexplicable spiraling vortex near the finale’s climax, so too did audiences stare in wonderment at a twist ending that doubled as a relief: If you look at the dark sky just right, you can see that the light’s winning.

In some ways, it's inevitable that older pop culture will become problematic as our society evolves. Many storylines from the 1950s will seem outdated to teens in 2018, there is rampant sexism in "The Brady Bunch," and the fat-people-are-funny trope in '90s sitcoms now feels both stale and outright offensive.

Still, there are some more recent storylines from our favorite 2000s-era shows that are difficult to stomach even without a huge time gap — storylines that many of us have completely forgotten about. In the era of #MeToo and in a historically divisive political climate, many of our favorite characters seem more flawed than ever, and some of the once-charming jokes or plot lines fall flat under present-day scrutiny.

We rounded up nine problematic storylines you've probably forgotten about from your favorite binge-worthy shows.

The bra incident from “Gilmore Girls.”

There are several "Gilmore Girls" moments that don't quite feel up-to-date (like Luke's dramatic aversion to public breastfeeding and the frequent use of the word "retarded"), but one of the most shocking episodes is the one in which Rory fat-shames a ballerina to get ahead in her budding journalism career at Yale.

Rory mocks the "roll of fat" around the dancer's bra strap instead of her dancing abilities and compares her to a hippo in the press — and then acts confused when Lorelai tells her it was a bit, well, mean-spirited. Instead of recognizing the problematic nature of her piece, Rory's editor Doyle convinces her that it's all part of being a high-caliber journalist.

The teacher-student relationship in "Pretty Little Liars."

The teacher-and-student forbidden romance has always been a risky storyline to romanticize, but Aria and Mr. Fitz cross definitively from cute to creepy when the show reveals that Mr. Fitz knew Aria was in high school when he first met her at the bar in season one —  and proceeded to hook up with her in the bathroom anyways for writing material.

The mocking of cultural appropriation in "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt."

As soon as the third season of "Kimmy Schmidt" debuted on Netflix, critics were quick to debate the plot point in which Titus sparks the wrath of the Asian community with his one-man show "Kimono You Didn't."

Not only does the episode seem to defend cultural appropriation, but it also suggests that those who might protest to such a thing are overreacting and ruining good art. This plot point combined with the treatment of Kimmy's much-debated Asian love interest, Dong, has made some viewers uneasy.

Warning: Spoilers ahead for "Every Day."

"Every Day" is a new rom-com that explores the idea of loving a person based purely on their inner being and not their exterior body. The two characters who fall in love are Rhiannon and "A"— a mysterious soul who wakes up in a different person's body each day. 

"A" appears as 15 different people over the course of "Every Day." Let's take a closer look at each of the actors who play "A" and their importance in the movie. 

We first see "A" wake up in the body of Justin.

Justin is a high school jock who is dating Rhiannon — and takes her for granted. "A" winds up playing hooky with Rhiannon for the day and taking her to the aquarium and beach. "A" seems to know that something is different about this day. 

"A" wakes up the next day inside Amy.

"A" decides they want to see Rhiannon again, so they take Amy to her high school and poses as a new student. "A"/Amy shadows Rhiannon in class for the day. 

Once again, "A" wakes up on a mission to find Rhiannon again. This time they're in Nathan's body.

"A" takes Nathan's body to a house party where they flirt with Rhiannon. Nathan is a religious young man who thinks he's been possessed by the Devil when he wakes up in a van by the side of the road the next day. 

The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships, so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase.

• Twillory performance dress shirts feature a four-way stretch material that resists wrinkles, wicks moisture, and keeps you cool.
• Priced at $54 each when you buy four or more, they're the best value in smart workwear.
• We tested them out and found that they're great for on-the-go and traveling professionals.

Dress shirts are probably the most important workwear essential for men. You can find them at just about any menswear retailer in an abundance of styles and colors, but when it comes to finding shirts that are versatile and comfortable enough for your busy lifestyle, that's where you'll run into problems. 

Traditional dress shirts wrinkle quickly, often fit poorly, and look pretty horrible once you begin to sweat — all things that don't bode well when it comes to looking professional.

But Twillory, a brand best known for making the 100% formaldehyde-free non-iron SafeCotton dress shirt, has developed an new dress shirt that addresses many of the frustrations and limitations of traditional styles. We got to try the shirts, and every one of us loved wearing them. 

The Twillory performance dress shirt features a four-way stretch material made from cotton, lyrca, and the brand's proprietary Cool Max™ fabric. What makes the material special is its ability to resist wrinkles, wick moisture, and keep your body cool. These innovative features help you stay neat and fresh by regulating your temperature on those days when you're going between a freezing cold office and hot weather outside.

Twillory isn't the only brand to try its hand at smarter dress shirts, but it is the very best value on the market. Its performance shirts are priced at $99 each, but can be had for less when bought in bulk — 2 for $119, 3 for $175, and four or more for $54 each.

After testing the shirts, we found them to be convenient for city life, as comfortable as T-shirts, and an all-around great value for the cost. Read on below to see what each of us thought about the shirts, and to check out the different patterns they come in. 

Shop Twillory performance dress shirts here.

Amir Ismael, Insider Picks reporter: Twillory Advancer

I've worn several pieces of performance workwear like blazers, chinos, and dress pants, but never dress shirts. As someone who rarely wears button ups (simply because they're not as comfortable as other tops), I was more than willing to give the Twillory Performance shirt a try. I went with the "Advancer" since it features a blue checked patterns — a style you generally can't go wrong with.

It was wrinkle-free right out of the packaging and fit extremely well. I have a slim build, so most classic-fitting shirts are just too big on me and certain slim shirts are flat out tight. The Twillory Performance shirt only comes in one fit — tailored — but manages to achieve a comfortable in-between for all body types as a result of its dynamic four-way stretch. 

My favorite thing about the shirt is the soft cotton lining in the sleeves and shoulder areas. While other dress shirts are stiff from being starched and ironed, wearing the Twillory Performance dress shirt feels similar to wearing a long-sleeve t-shirt.

Twillory Advancer Performance Blue, $99

Brandt Ranj, Insider Picks associate editor: Twillory Mover

I’ve been a fan of Twillory’s button-up shirts since first getting to try them over a year ago, and found myself impressed again with the startup’s new performance collection. I tried the “Mover,” a gingham-patterned option that was professional-looking enough to wear to the office, but comfortable enough that I liked wearing it on the weekends.

I haven’t exercised while wearing it, but I did benefit from the Mover’s Coolmax moisture-wicking material after putting it on after a midday workout. Unlike other shirts, which stuck to me and felt weird, the Mover continued to feel light and easy to wear until the end of the day. If you’re the type of person whose commute includes a longer walk, or who dreads leaving the office during warmer months because of sweat, you’ll want a shirt from this collection in your closet.

Twillory Mover Performance Gingham, $99

Breton Fischetti, Insider Picks VP: Twillory Explorer

I'm really excited about the idea of Twillory's performance fabric. It has the benefits of all the technical workout gear we've seen evolve over the last couple of years, except that now it's designed to look appropriate in the workplace.

Twillory always delivers when it comes to well-fitted (not tight) dress shirts, and these new styles are no exception. The fabric is great — it feels like a T-shirt, and is comfortable and flexible — but it looks like any other dress shirt.

I will say that if you're the kind of person that likes a stiffer shirt, this won't be your best bet because it's very thin and soft. But I'm very excited about how the shirt will perform when it's hot outside since it's so breathable.

Overall, it's another great development from Twillory and a win-win when it comes to comfortable clothes that look professional.

Twillory Explorer Performance Plaid, $99

The battle between tech titan Vinod Khosla and California activists is heating up.

This week, Khosla filed an appeal with the US Supreme Court to overturn a 2017 ruling that forced him to open public access to a California beach that surrounds his shorefront property.

In 2008, Khosla — who made his fortune as an investor and one of the co-founders of Sun Microsystems  — paid a reported $37 million for an 89-acre parcel near Half Moon Bay, about an hour south of San Francisco. For many decades, surfers and families had enjoyed the beach, which is known for its stunning geological formations, picnic areas, and ideal surfing waves.

When Khosla closed the gate to Martins Beach in 2010, locals revolted. A California appeals court later ruled that Khosla violated state law when he blocked the public from accessing the beach and forced him to reopen it. Now he's taking his case to the nation's highest court.

Here's what we know about Martins Beach.

SEE ALSO: A brazen homeowner at San Francisco's leaning, sinking skyscraper is trying to sell a multimillion-dollar condo for almost double what they paid

The path to Martins Beach has long been gated. The previous owners of the shorefront property kept the gate opened and charged between $2 and $10 for parking nearby.

Surfers and sunbathers came from all over the Bay Area to visit this short stretch of the coastline. It once had a restaurant and a convenience store that catered to visitors.

"It's a family beach that was open to the community for generations," Angela Howe, legal director for the Surfrider Foundation, told Business Insider in 2014.

Source: Business Insider

From Pepsi and Bubble Yum commercials to failed sitcoms and small guest roles, A-list celebrities were once struggling trying to make it in the business, just like everyone else in Hollywood.

Samuel L. Jackson didn't jump right into award-winning movies. He was trained and started on stage. Kerry Washington was popping up in educational videos before dominating in "Scandal," and Nicole Kidman starred in a number of small Australian films before making it in Hollywood. 

We took a look back at 27 A-list celebrities before they were the recognizable names we know today.

Nicole Kidman's career started with a series of small Australian films.

She made her acting debut in two different movies in 1983: "Bush Christmas" and "BMX Bandits." The actress won an Oscar in 2003 for "The Hours" and has recently scored numerous awards for her role on "Big Little Lies."

Tom Hanks made his film debut in the low-budget horror film "He Knows You're Alone."

But before he landed his first movie, Hanks's acting career started on the stage. He also co-starred in the cross-dressing comedy, "Bosom Brothers," for two seasons. Hanks's first leading role was in "Splash" a few years later, and he is now a two-time Oscar winner. 

Before Jennifer Lawrence became an Academy Award-winning actress and franchise star, she started out modeling and acting in small commercials.

She earned her Screen Actors Guild card when she was 14 thanks to a promotional video for MTV's "My Super Sweet 16." That same year, she also appeared in a Burger King commercial as a potential girlfriend to the Whopper Jr.

Even if your travel bucket list seems never-ending, some destinations and experiences are worth prioritizing.

The travel specialists at TripAdvisor aggregated the site's 2017 booking count totals, and ranked global traveler's favorite attractions, tours, and activities to provide you with some inspiration for your next getaway.

From the instantly-recognizable Eiffel Tower in Paris to a magical Harry Potter tour in London, check out TripAdvisor's rankings for the 10 most popular attractions in the world below.

10. Tuscany in One Day Sightseeing Tour

Some of the world's most recognizable and stunning feats of architecture and Renaissance art can be found in Tuscany, a region in Italy.

"The experience overall was a once in a lifetime adventure."— TripAdvisor review.

Book it here.

9. Murano, Burano, and Torcello half-day sightseeing tour

If you're aching to see beyond the central — although admittedly sensational — sites in Venice, this motorboat cruise takes you to several other noteworthy destinations.

"Absolutely spend a day touring the islands. Taking a water taxi allows you beautiful views of Venice and all the islands."— TripAdvisor review.

Book it here.

8. Empire State Building tickets

This Art-Deco skyscraper in Manhattan is a staggering 102-stories high, and thus features incredible views of the city.

"WOW! We went during sunset. Just amazing. The city is marvelous at night with all the lights. Jaw dropping views."— TripAdvisor review.

Book it here.

• With so much information on health out there, it's hard to know what you should believe and what you should ignore. 
• Fad diets like "gluten-free" and "detoxes" can actually do more harm than good, so you should talk to your doctor before trying them. 
• While exercise is great for your overall health, you have to focus on your diet if you want to lose weight. 

Do you believe in "base tans"? Have you sworn off bread forever? Are you logging endless miles on the treadmill? Read this. Now.

The more water you drink, the better.

Water may be the healthiest beverage (not to mention necessary to life) but you can definitely get too much of a good thing, says Neal Schultz, MD, NYC dermatologist, founder of DermTv.com and creator of BeautyRx. At best, overhydrating will have you peeing every 30 minutes and at worst it can kill you. There is a "right way" to drink enough water and it comes down to trusting yourself. Your body is great at knowing how much water it needs, so forget drinking eight cups a day or half your body weight in ounces or any other prescribed amount. "You should drink to your thirst, not to meet an arbitrary number," he advises. Be sure not to fall for any of these 55 rampant health myths that need to die.

Getting a base tan can prevent sunburns.

Even though skin cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in adults under 40, many people still hold the faulty belief that getting a "base tan" will protect them from sunburns and cancer, make them look youthful, or clear up acne. Not so, says Jennifer Caudle, MD, board-certified family physician and assistant professor at Rowan University. There is no such thing as a "little" tan and all tanning increases your risk of cancer. Nor will it help your skin, in fact, sun damage is the primary cause of wrinkles, she adds.

Juice diets or other "detoxes" work.

As long as you have a healthy liver and kidneys, your body can detoxify itself just fine, Apovian says. Moreover, trendy detox diets can harm you. "Drinking lots of juice does not assist with removing toxins from the body," says Dr. Caudle. "In fact, many juices are high in sugar and have no fiber, which results in a blood sugar spike, quickly followed by a crash and accompanying hunger pangs. Furthermore, being on a juice fast for an extended period of time may result in malnourishment."

• Gun-control activists are organizing boycotts and calling for companies to cut ties with the National Rifle Association.
• The NRA has partnerships with companies that offer members special deals, such as discounts on car rentals or hotel bookings.
• The car-rental giant Enterprise and the First National Bank of Omaha are among the companies that have cut since ties with the NRA.

Gun-control activists are organizing boycotts of companies with ties to the National Rifle Association — and they're already producing results.

People on social media are calling for boycotts of companies that offer or have offered special deals to NRA members who, as part of their membership, receive discounts on things like car rentals and prescription drugs.

While companies such as FedEx and Hertz still offer such discounts, other companies have cut ties.

Here are all the brands that have cut ties with the gun-rights group after the recent boycotts as well as past efforts by gun-control activists.

SEE ALSO: Two major hotel chains have cut ties with the NRA — and as boycotts loom, they want everyone to know

Allied Van Lines

In a statement to Business Insider, an Allied representative said the moving company is discontinuing its discount program with the NRA immediately. "We have asked them to remove our listing from their benefits site," the representative said.

MetLife

MetLife told Business Insider on Friday that it would discontinue its NRA discounts program. "We value all our customers but have decided to end our discount program with the NRA," a representative said in an emailed statement.

SimpliSafe

On Friday, the home-security company SimpliSafe told Business Insider that it would withdraw from the NRA discount program. "We have discontinued our existing relationship with the NRA," SimpliSafe CEO Chad Laurans said in a statement.

• Although both are going to be a part of the royal family, Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle are very different people. 
• While William was Kate's first real relationship, Meghan Markle was previously married to a television producer.
• The Duchess is well known for being incredibly close to her family, especially her sister, Pippa, while Meghan remains distant from her father or siblings.

One’s British; one’s American. One woman’s life is consumed by duty; the other is about to shatter centuries of tradition and change the royal family forever. Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle are both beautiful, stylish, and accomplished women who are living what appear to be fairy-tale lives. But one thing is clear: Meghan is no dupli-Kate.

While Prince Harry’s bride-to-be will undoubtedly be subject to a royal makeover of sorts, it’s clear they’re both very different people and both fascinating in their own right. Here are the top ten things that set them apart. And to learn more about the upcoming royal wedding, don’t miss the Real Reason Harry and Meghan Are Marrying in May.

Sense of style

Kate and Meghan are both style stars and have worn outfits that broke the Internet (Kate’s blue Issa dress worn for her engagement announcement; Meghan’s white wrap Line the Label coat for her photocall.)

The Duchess of Cambridge is always polished, put-together, and color coordinated down to the last detail. Not surprisingly, she favors well-tailored, structured clothes from British designers like Alexander McQueen, Erdem and Emilia Wickstead. Kate is also known to rock a DVF wrap dress (but always adds a camisole for modesty). Her Superga sneakers are always spotless and you’ll never, ever see her in a dress without pantyhose or black tights.

Up to this point, Meghan has gravitated to body conscious, sexy silhouettes not unlike the ones worn by her character on “Suits.” She’s been covering up more in public since she began dating Harry, but still favors the bare-legged look and loves lace-up stilettos. Meghan, who famously wore ripped jeans for her first appearance with Harry at the Invictus Games, has also been spotted sporting British wardrobe staples like Barbour jackets and Hunter boots while out and about in London. On her first royal engagement in her long navy coat and black boots, she looked as if she’d taken some fashion cues from Kate. Members of the monarchy have extensive style rules, but here’s another One Thing No British Royal Will Ever Do.

Family life

British-born Kate was raised in Berkshire, England (the family briefly lived in Amman, Jordan was she was a child). She comes from a tight-knit family and is very close to both her British parents, Carole and Michael Middleton, who became millionaires when their online party supply business, Party Pieces, took off.

Meghan, whose mother is African-American and whose father is of Irish and Dutch descent, was born and raised in California. Her parents divorced when she was six years-old. Mom Doria Radlan has a master’s degree in social work and works as a psychotherapist. Her father, Thomas Markle, is an award-winning lighting director who has worked on “General Hospital” and “Married With Children.” Meghan’s mother has frequently been spotted with her daughter and accompanied her to the Invictus Games this year. Her father has been described as “reclusive” and now lives in Mexico.

Education

Kate famously attended St. Andrews in Scotland where she met Prince William. She graduated with degrees in history and art.

Meghan attended Northwestern University where she studied theater and international relations. She was a member of the university’s chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority.

The reasons the Olympics enthrall viewers — the atmosphere, the joy of winning, the agony of defeat, the spectacle of sport — are the same reasons they produce some of the best photos.

The Winter Olympics are nearing the end and photographers have captured some stunning images from the games in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

Though there's too many great photos to count, we used Getty to compile some of our favorites so far.

Take a look below.

Figure skating is an exhausting sport, both physically and emotionally.

But when you get a gold medal, it's all worth it.

Lydia Lassila of Australia floats upside down, as freestyle skiers do.