At $65 million, the Gulfstream G650 is the biggest, fastest, and overall best private jet money can buy.

It also takes a lot of patience to get your hands on one. If you want one, you'll have to wait years for delivery after you place an order.

But once you're on board, you can fly around the planet faster and higher than on any commercial jet, in a cabin flooded with natural light and filled with air that is actually richer than what you breathe in cheaper planes.

With the G650, Gulfstream "established a new market segment for the whole industry," communications head Steve Cass said in an interview at the 2013 Paris Air Show. And there won't be any real competitors until 2016/2017, when Bombardier's Global 7000/8000 is scheduled to go into service.

Until then,the G650 will remain the gold standard, and it's easy to see why.

[An earlier version of this post was written by Alex Davies.]

The G650 is the largest purpose-built private jet on the market, and has the tallest, longest, and widest cabin in its class.

At its maximum takeoff weight, it can climb to 41,000 feet (above bad weather and crowded commercial jet routes) in just 22 minutes.

Its range is more than 8,000 miles. Flying from London at near its top speed, it can reach New York and Beijing. At a slower, more fuel-efficient rate, it can get to Buenos Aires and Los Angeles.

Every year, the Society of Biology holds two competitions for amateur photographers, one for those over the age of 18 and one for those under. Each year, the impressive photographs and photographers are awarded prizes, including around $1,200 for over-18 and around $600 for those shooters under 18.

For this year's competition, the judges decided on the theme of "Home, Habitat, and Shelter," and all the photos play on that concept of where nature seeks haven.

After receiving over 800 submissions, the judges have whittled them down to a short list of 12 photographs, which we share with you here.

One of the judges, Tim Harris of the Nature Picture Library, said, "It was refreshing to see some unusual and imaginative interpretations of this year’s theme, and especially some which related the theme to man as well as animals."

Winners will be announced Oct. 14, as part of Biology Week. For more information, check out the Society of Biology's website.

This photo, taken by Lukas Gawenda, shows two Bison near the Grand Prismatic Spring in Yellowstone National park. Grand Prismatic is the largest colorful hot spring in the United States.

This spider, photographed by Krasimir Matarov in Bulgaria, builds his own home.

The first concept of shelter, the womb, is depicted here by Robert Cabagnot in this photo of a chick embryo inside a hardened eggshell.

October 27 is Navy Day in the United States, celebrating the world's largest fleet, with 317,054 active duty personnel, 109,671 reserves, and 285 ships and more than 3,700 aircraft in active service.

It is the force that gives America the ability to project military power around the world. Although the Navy has been out of the spotlight after a couple of decades of land wars, it is expected to play a bigger role given America's Pacific pivot and growing reluctance to deploy troops.

"You're going to see a much greater emphasis on using sea-based forces to produce an effect,"Admiral Gary Roughead told Reuters. "You're seeing it in the Mediterranean, with Syria, and you're seeing it in the Pacific and the Middle East."

To celebrate America's Navy, we've pulled out some of the coolest photos from the archives.

After Reconstruction from the Civil War, America began a new era of foreign intervention, with the Navy leading the way. This 1899 photo shows sailors eating on the USS Olympia, which was America's flagship during the Spanish-American War of the previous year.

The USS Holland was the Navy's first commissioned submarine, as seen in this 1900 photo.

President Theodore Roosevelt ordered a fleet of U.S. ships to circumnavigate the world from 1907-1909.

To be successful in the technology-driven internet age, a company has to attract "smart creative" employees and then create an environment where they can thrive. 

At least that's the argument that Google's Eric Schmidt and Jonathan Rosenberg make in "How Google Works."

In the new book, executive chairman and former CEO Schmidt and former SVP of product Rosenberg outline what they learned while building Google into a company now worth hundreds of billions of dollars. 

The duo created a fun, illustrated presentation to highlight the main principles of the book.

Google gave us permission to republish those slides here.

The modern gentleman doesn't just know where to go and how to dress — he knows how to think.

The only way to do that, to learn how to make sense of the world with your mind, is to consider a lot of different thoughts. By and large, the best of those thoughts can be found in books that have stood the test of time.

We have compiled a list of classics that can teach you how to think — about politics, love, philosophy, bravery — everything a man should know to face the world.

All these books were written before 1980. You'll have to wait for another list for more recent reads. In the meantime, check these out.

'Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance' by Robert M. Pirsig

Pirsig's novel addresses the fundamental question of how to live life. Pirsig suggests that no matter what a person is doing, he should do it with care and without external distractions.

You can buy the book here.

'The Prince' by Niccolo Machiavelli

Machiavelli boldly asserts that it is better to be feared than loved in his 16th-century text.

Whether a leader should be feared or loved is a question that has yet to be solved — which makes this work an extremely modern and relevant read for anyone holding (or looking to hold) a leadership position.

You can buy the book here.

'To Kill a Mocking Bird' by Harper Lee

Harper Lee's only novel is a heavy hitter. The book explores the moral nature of human beings — how we all have good and bad in us — and addresses the prejudices associated with social classes.

You can buy the book here.

Facebook billionaire Mark Zuckerberg has purchased a 750-acre property on the North Shore of the Hawaiian island of Kauai, Forbes confirms.

The purchase includes two separate parcels: the Kahu'aina Plantation, a 357-acre former sugarcane plantation, and Pila'a Beach, a 393-acre property with a white-sand beach.

Zuckerberg paid a reported $100 million for both properties, though a source tells Forbes that he plans to build just one home. 

The Kahu’aina Plantation is located on 357 acres of land in Kilauea, Hawaii.

It includes 2,500 feet of white-sand beach.

Source: Kahu’aina Plantation

It also has a working organic farm with a variety of crops, including ginger, turmeric, and papaya.

Source: Kahu’aina Plantation

On Monday night, news broke that hackers had reportedly obtained nearly 7 million Dropbox usernames and passwords. Dropbox says its service wasn't hacked, but that the usernames and passwords had been stolen from various third-party services.

There are a ton of apps and services that integrate with Dropbox, making it nearly impossible to track down which ones have been compromised.

To play it safe, you should probably change your Dropbox password and enable two-step authentication if you haven't already done so. The process takes less than five minutes, and is well worth it.

Two-step authentication is a method in which an app or service requests a separate means of authentication besides your password to log into your account. In most cases, this includes sending a text message with a code to your smartphone. 

Once you log into your account, press the down arrow near your name in the upper right corner.

Then select 'Settings' from the drop down menu.

Click on the 'Security' tab and select 'Change password.'

Week 6 was a huge week for favorites in the NFL.

Only one top-13 team from last week's power rankings lost. As a result, most teams stayed more or less where they were.

There is, however, a new No.1-ranked team and new No. 32-ranked team.

1. Denver Broncos (previously: 2nd)

Record: 4-1

Week 6 result: 31-17 win over New York Jets

One thing to know: Things are about to get really interesting for Denver. They have San Francisco, San Diego, and New England in the next three weeks.

2. San Diego Chargers (previously: 3rd)

Record: 5-1

Week 6 result: 31-28 win over Oakland

One thing to know: It was the worst performance of the year for the defense. They came into the game ranked 13th in defensive DVOA, and gave up 28 points to the NFL's 31st-ranked offense.

3. Dallas Cowboys (previously: 7th)

Record: 5-1

Week 6 result: 30-23 win over Seattle

One thing to know: The offense line is monstrous, and not picking Johnny Manziel is a big reason why.

A delicious dessert is the ultimate, cherry-on-top ending to any meal. Just as most of us have personal preferences for our go-to cakes and pastries, each state has iconic favorites as well. 

In celebration of National Dessert Day, we put together a list of the best desserts from around the US, from Georgia's peach cobbler to fresh cinnamon rolls in Montana. 

We scoured high and low for the ultimate treats in every state, using reviews, recommendations, and of course, our own sweet tooth. Did we miss your local favorite? Let us know in the comments.

ALABAMA: Alabama is proud of its moon pies, and Felix's Fish Camp in Mobile takes the graham cracker, marshmallow, and chocolate-dipped dessert a step further, pairing it with ice cream in a Moon Pie Sundae.

Felix's Fish Camp

ALASKA: Alaska is famous for its plentiful, fresh berries. You can sample them with the Triple Berry Pie, filled with local raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries, from A Pie Stop in Anchorage.

A Pie Stop

ARIZONA: While Phoenix's Urban Cookies may be best known for its iconic cookies, the bakery also has incredible cupcakes, which were featured on the Food Network's "Cupcake Wars."

Urban Cookies

Although it is best known for its huge sedans like the Mulsanne, Bentley insists it makes cars that are meant to be driven by their owners, not chauffeurs.

We reviewed the 2013 Continental GT Speed last year— and we believe them. The GT Speed is a real driver's car, with 616 horsepower coming from a W12 engine, permanent all-wheel drive, and a quite fun Sport mode.

But we've had just as much fun driving in cars that cost a tiny fraction of this one. The GT Speed has a $238,700 MSRP; the well-equipped one we tested goes for $272,220.

So what do you get for all that dough? Here's a full breakdown of everything that comes standard (like the knurled gear knob and "seatbelt presenter") and the often exotic options (try carbon fiber panels in the backseat and a neck warmer for chilly nights).

[An earlier version of this post was written by Alex Davies.]

First off, let's acknowledge it's a great looking car. Not the sexiest we've ever seen, but it does a better job than most convertibles of combining comfort with performance.

Okay, standard features first. Hands down the best one: the W12 engine that produces 616 horsepower. (Enough to go from 0 to 60 mph in just 4.1 seconds.)

There's trunk space for two people's bags. The car seats four, but the backseat is so small, no one will tolerate sitting in it for any kind of trip.

Air Koryo, the state-owned airline run by the North Korean government, has regularly been called the "world's worst airline." The airline is the only one in the world to have a "one star" rating on airline rating website Skytrax, thanks to its aging planes, perfunctory stewardesses, barely edible food, and propaganda handed out onboard.

But as the DPRK ramps up its tourism sector, are things still as bad as people say?

Photographer Aram Pan recently flew aboard one of Air Koryo's Ilyushin Il-18s. Pan, who has flown in and out of Pyongyang many times, had never flown on one of Air Koryo's older propeller planes.

"It was an experience I will remember for a long, long time," he tells Business Insider.

The Il-18, first operated by the Soviet Union's national airline Aeroflot in 1957, served as the workhorse airliner for the superpower for the much of the Cold War. These days, with Aeroflot's fleet dominated by Boeings and Airbuses, only in North Korea can you still fly on the Soviet Unions Cold War relics. 

While the fixtures on the airliner seemed rudimentary compared to today's standards, Pan arrived at his destination in one piece, surviving to share these photos with us. For more photos of North Korea by Aram Pan, visit his Facebook page.

As you'll quickly learn, everything on Air Koryo is a little (or a lot) outdated. Pan's bags were weighed at Samjiyon Airport using an old school method.

Pan was greeted by stewardesses who seemed friendly enough.

On board, Pan could see the aging plane in all its former glory. This aircraft is currently banned from flying in and out of the EU, due to safety concerns. Air Koryo's newer TU-204s have been deemed 'safe' to enter Europe, though.

The world is a beautiful place — but it's not perfect. Not even close.

So, if you had the opportunity to fix just one thing — big or small — what would it be?

That's exactly what LinkedIn asked its network of top minds across all fields to write about for its most recent Influencers editorial package, titled "Let's Fix It."

Over 60 thought leaders shared original posts in which they identified a vexing problem and proposed a workable solution.

"Their scope ranged from global initiatives like reversing climate change to closer-to-home annoyances like seemingly endless meetings,"writes LinkedIn editor Amy Chen. "But whether they chose to sketch out moon shots or just get that pebble out of our shoes, the common thread in their fixes was inventiveness — and viability."

Richard Branson would end the war on drugs.

Branson says the war on drugs has been "a spectacular failure — a waste of public resources and a boon to crime cartels," and that it hasn't reduced drug use or addressed addiction around the world.

"After more than $1 trillion [has been] spent, and tens of thousands of lives lost in law enforcement, the global drug market remains a multi-billion dollar industry firmly controlled by organized crime," he explains. "Demand for all types of drugs is going as strong as ever, serviced by highly efficient supply chains that have so far adapted to every conceivable strategy to fight this war." 

Branson, a member of the Global Commission on Drug Policy himself, says he believes treating drugs as a health issue rather than a criminal problem "could have a profound positive effect on society." And he also believes current drug laws "need a whole range of fixes."

But, he says, there is one issue where "relatively simple changes in the law could literally mean the difference between a life behind bars and a fresh start for thousands, while saving millions in taxpayer funds: I'm talking about sentencing reform."

Click here to read Branson's full post. 

Neil Blumenthal would end gender inequality.

If this Warby Parker executive could fix any issue facing the world, he'd focus on ending gender inequality.

"Empowering women is key to achieving sustainable development and tackling many of the problems that we face today, from poverty reduction to education reform," he writes.

Even in developed countries, such as the US and Japan, women still make lower salaries and have access to fewer prestigious jobs when compared to men. Women earn a mere 10% of the world's income, according to Blumenthal, meaning that a significant percentage of the world's capable workers go underutilized. 

"The imperative to empower women is one that every person of every age and gender has a stake in," he explains. "The faster we unleash our full human potential, the faster we'll be able to make progress on other big issues."

Click here to read Blumenthal's full post.

Laszlo Bock would fix the unemployment problem.

Google's HR boss says part of the reason so many people are out of work, while simultaneously so many jobs are unfilled, is that the job-matching process is "fragile and error-prone."

He believes neither recruiters nor job hunters really know what the other needs or wants, and that "unemployment is an information asymmetry problem."

Most people think recruiters "are great at assessing candidates. We're not. We are biased, ask bad interview questions, rarely go back and check if our predictions were correct, and so on," he says. "Much unemployment could be eliminated by doing a better job of matching people and jobs."

He says mapping the reality of what you, the job seeker, have to offer against the reality of what an organization needs — and who will thrive in that specific context — is a hard problem to resolve. "But it is solvable," he writes.

Click here to read Bock's full post.

Whenever you hear or read anything from a CEO, chances are that it went through many stages of filtering to match a specific message.

Companies spend lots of money to train their executives how to deal with the media and what not to say in public.

But sometimes, on stage or on social media, these execs go too far off script, sending their PR teams scrambling to craft a response to the backlash. 

We compiled a list of the most infamous CEO gaffes and the apologies they issued after telling us what they really think.

Satya Nadella, Microsoft

Nadella gave some advice on how to negotiate a raise during a gathering of women in tech last week. He told the audience to trust the system to advance their salaries instead of asking for the amount they want. 

"It's not really about asking for a raise, but knowing and having faith that the system will give you the right raise," he said.

People in the audience immediately took to social media to criticize his comments. Women are hugely underrepresented in Silicon Valley, and last week's event aimed to address this very problem. The week before Nadella spoke, Microsoft shared its demographic data, which showed that only 29% of its employees are women. 

Nadella tweeted an apology shortly after the event.

Was inarticulate re how women should ask for raise. Our industry must close gender pay gap so a raise is not needed because of a bias #GHC14

— Satya Nadella (@satyanadella) October 9, 2014

He also sent an email to Microsoft employees saying that he "answered that question completely wrong."

James McNerney, Boeing

Earnings calls with company executives every quarter are a great opportunity to hear about their vision for the companies they run. But after Boeing released its second quarter earnings in July, McNerney said something in the Q&A with analysts that enraged unions.

According to The Seattle Times, he was talking about his plans to stay on at the company after he turned 65, the company's official age for executives to retire, when he said:

"The heart will still be beating, the employees will still be cowering, I'll be working hard." 

One union said his statement represented "anti-personnel management," and another circulated a foldable poster that showed a man crouched behind his desk with the caption "if I'm away from my desk, then I must be cowering somewhere."

McNerney later spoke directly with some employees and sent a company-wide email. "I should have used different words, and I apologize for them," it read. "I will definitely be more careful going forward."

John Legere, T-Mobile

Legere is known for frequently ditching the script for more frank, profanity-laden comments when he speaks. He's told Business Insider that he does this to connect with employees and customers.

But during a press event in June, he pushed it too far when describing rivals AT&T and Verizon:

"These high and mighty duopolists that are raping you for every penny you have ... they f------ hate you."

T-mobile employees called him out for trivializing sexual violence in an online letter, even though he quickly apologized the following day:

The drawback to having no filter when I speak… sometimes I need a filter. Genuinely apologize to those offended last night

— John Legere (@JohnLegere) June 19, 2014

Scientists in Belgium have accurately recreated a beer found in an 1842 shipwreck off the coast of Finland. And now you can try it, as Finnish brewery Stallhagen has been tasked with its (re)production and bringing it to market.

The 19th century beer was found in 2010 during an exploration of the ship and was perfectly preserved 50 meters down in the dark, cold environment of the wreck. 

“Based on the micro-organisms in the bottles, we were able to figure out which type of yeast and bacteria were used by the beer’s 19th-century brewers. This information allowed us to trace the beer back to Belgium,” Professor Gert De Rouck told The Guardian.

The government of the autonomous Finnish region of the Åland Islands, where the shipwreck was located, claimed the finding and asked VTT Technical Research Center of Finland to analyze it. They recreated it with help from the University of Leven's Institute for Beer Research. 

"The VTT results gave knowledge of alcohol content, Colour, and bitterness of the beer. The
living cells still present in the bottle helped us to determine the type of yeasts and bacteria
used to produce this beer," De Rouck said.

So how does a 170-year-old beer taste? Surprisingly sweet, it turns out. Because of the way the malt was produced and the smaller amount of hops used, the beer takes on what Stallhagen's CEO  Jan Wennström calls a "champagne taste" that is more akin to a wine taste profile than a beer one.

Two beers are being released: A more expensive version using the exact same yeast and hops as the original brew found in the shipwreck that sells for $143 a bottle, and a more affordable version that uses replica ingredients and only sells for about $7 a bottle.

A portion of the proceeds from the later version, which is expected to see a global market, are expected to fund marine archaeological research as well as research of the history and environment of the Baltic Sea, according to Minister for Culture Johan Ehn of Åland.

SEE ALSO: The Definitive Explanation For Why Beer Gets Skunked

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Those of you who have seen David Fincher's new drama, "Gone Girl," will certainly remember the creepy and ominous abandoned mall visited by police in the semi-fictional town of East Carthage, Missouri.

For those of you haven't seen the movie (go see it now!), we won't spoil anything, other than to say that the setting was mysterious and fascinatingly foreboding. The location fits perfectly with the cold, dark, and eerie mood of the movie.

The abandoned mall is actually not in Missouri at all, but instead is a "dead mall" in Hawthorne, California, southwest of Los Angeles.

While initially popular when it opened in 1977, The Hawthorne Plaza Mall saw a steady decline in the 90's and finally closed its doors in 1999.

Since then, the mall has been a popular spot for Hollywood location scouts. "Gone Girl" is not the only movie to film there. Other productions have included "Evolution,""Minority Report,""The Fast and The Furious: Tokyo Drift," and "The Green Hornet."

The mall originally was anchored by department stores J.C. Penney, Montgomery Ward, and The Broadway. Today, only a Quiznos and a few government offices remain open.

The mall is 900,000 square feet and features a five-acre parking lot, though not many cars park there anymore.

Hawthorne Plaza was looted in the Los Angeles riots of 1992, and from there, things never got much better for the mall.

Police Officer (and celebrity food critic) Chris Cognac grabbed these shots when he visited the mall during a security check prior to some demolition inside the building. 

Currently, there are no plans to remodel or renovate the mall. At the very least, it will continue to serve Hollywood as a spooky place to film movies.

To see more, check out this video inside the mall, made by YouTuber Tom Explores Los Angeles:

SEE ALSO: 21 Hauntingly Beautiful Photos Of Deserted Shopping Malls

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The Mercedes-Benz GLA, a compact SUV designed to compete with cars like the Audi Q3 and BMW X1, hit the market last month.

After showing off a flashy concept version of the ride at the Shanghai Motor Show last year, Mercedes officially debuted the GLA at the Frankfurt Auto Show.

The GLA starts at just over $33,000 and does 0-62 mph in 7.1 seconds. Fuel economy is a remarkable 54 miles per gallon with the most efficient, diesel-powered version — which, sadly, hasn't made it to the U.S.

The German automaker says the little SUV is capable in moderate off-road conditions, but that it's especially practical for "day-to-day urban lifestyle" driving.

And of course, it's filled with the little luxury features and trims that set Mercedes-Benz cars apart from the rest of the pack.

[An earlier version of this article was written by Alex Davies.]

Here's the GLA concept car Mercedes showed off at the Shanghai Motor Show last year.

Mercedes-Benz bills the GLA as a compact SUV that's both capable off-road and practical for everyday driving.

The GLA is a rather small package as Mercedes go.

Thanks to social networking apps, it's never been easier to keep in contact with your friends.

Many of the best social networking apps out there have been around for a while, but as smartphones get smarter, so do the apps, and you can now do more than ever.

From fan favorites like Instagram and Facebook to newcomers like Hinge or Secret, there's never been a better time to find a social network that's tailored to your tastes.

WhatsApp is a simple way to message for free.

There's a reason Facebook acquired WhatsApp for $19 billion earlier this year, and that's because WhatsApp is exactly what every messaging app should aim to be. It's designed well, free to use (even for international messaging), has a thriving user base, and lets you send texts, voice messages, pictures, and videos.

Price: Free (iOS, Android, Windows Phone)

Vine is a creative way to share 6-second looping videos.

Vine lets you splice together clips that play on a loop and share them with your friends. You can edit videos on the spot and post to Twitter and Facebook, and you can now import videos from your phone, too. The community also allows you to find, follow, and interact with other Vine users.

Price: Free (iOS, Android, Windows Phone,)

Snapchat is the best photo messaging app out there.

Snapchat began as just an app for sharing self-destructing photos and videos to your friends, but it's quickly evolved into the No. 1 app for visual communication. With its new Stories feature, you can now weave together photos and videos into a visual status of sorts, and you can also send texts from directly within the app.

Price: Free  (iOS, Android)

Mid-terms are coming up for many of America's college students, but not all of them are studying up on their calculus and comparative historical European literature.

These days, universities offer classes on everything from zombies to porn to aliens, and tie traditional courses of study to popular singers, shows and movies. You can now study political theory through "The Hunger Games," philosophy through "Star Trek," and gender politics through Beyoncé.

Learn about global issues by becoming a guerrilla activist.

Guerrilla Altruism: A Mini-Manual of Subversive Activism – Temple University

This Temple University course investigates the strategies of contemporary "guerrilla artists and activists, reformers and humanitarians" to help solve global problems like poverty and educational disparity. The course is influenced by Argentine guerrilla leader Che Guevara. 

The best part may be the opportunity for students to become guerrilla activists themselves, "culminating in the design and realization of one or more small-scale humanitarian interventions within Temple's surrounding communities."

Study political theory through "The Hunger Games."

"The Hunger Games:" Class, Politics and Marketing — American University

American University in Washington, DC has been quick to attach some serious topics to a pop-culture phenomenon. "The Hunger Games" book trilogy about kids who compete in death matches has spawned a blockbuster movies series making millions worldwide, and now it has its own study unit.

"Using the series as a case study, this course examines the interplay of class, politics, ethics, and marketing. Topics covered include oppression, feminism, food deserts, rebellion, the publishing industry, and social media marketing," the course guide states.

Have a close encounter with aliens.

Aliens: Close Encounters of a Multidisciplinary Kind — Hampshire College

The first sentence of the description for this Hampshire College course says it all: "This course can be summed up as: everything you wanted to know about aliens but were afraid to ask (a scientist)."

The class covers everything from psychological and sociological factors behind alien abduction claims to the scientific search for extraterrestrial life. 

Even though Pinterest is the fastest-growing content sharing platform, some people still assume that it's only for cupcake pictures and wedding inspiration. 

Not even close to true.

There are a bunch of ways that people are using Pinterest that you may never have thought of. 

Because it's possible to play videos directly from Pinterest, you can create playlists

A bunch of Pinterest users post workout inspiration, which means you can build a fitness plan through the site.

When you pin food pictures, Pinterest will often list the recipe, making an automatic grocery list if you find something you can't wait to make!

It's no secret that the world is rapidly changing.

"Twenty years ago, there were fewer than 3 million people with Internet access; now there are nearly 2.5 billion. Mice can grow human ears. Robots make cars. Guns can be manufactured with a 3-D printer," Citi's Andrew Pitt writes.

For investors, it's important to understand how all these changes are going to shake up the global order in the coming decades.

Pitt led a team of Citi Research analysts and Oxford University contributors teamed up to analyze the impact of six global mega-trends in a new 92-page report to clients.

"We live in a turbulent world. Knowledge will help you ride the winds and avoid the storm," Pitt writes in the report.

We present the key points here.

Trend 1: The world is getting more integrated.

The number of democracies has increased, and national borders have gotten more permeable.

Over the past 18 years, approximately 5,000 miles of land borders were opened, which has allowed 400 million citizens to live and work where they choose. Even non-democratic nations like China have increased global trade. 

And of course, there's also globalized media. More than 1.1 billion people use Facebook every month, and more than two-thirds of Hollywood's revenues come from international markets.

Source: Citi Research

Dropping tariff rates have led to increased integration and trade.

Tariff rates have greatly decreased from the 1980s, which has made it easier to export and import goods and services. Take India, for example. Its peak tariffs on industrial products were over 200% in the 1990s but were less than 10% in 2009. 

Reduced tariff rates have also helped domestic investments. Regional trade agreements are seeking broader goals of deeper economic and political cooperation and integration as well.

Source: Citi Research

Trend 2: The global population is getting older.

Several factors contribute to the aging population. First, fertility rates have declined, which has increased the proportion of older people. People now have better access to contraception, and women are pursuing education and employment opportunities as they become increasingly available.

Second, mortality has declined because healthcare has improved and global poverty has dropped.

Third, the Baby Boomers are growing old. The Baby Boomer generation was a "fertility spike," and now those numbers are translating to an "elderly spike."

Source: Citi Research