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Check out these 20 brilliant ad agency staff photos

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Mekanism

One of the many joys of working in the advertising and marketing industry is that companies tend to squeeze their creative juices wherever they can, even down to their agency staff photos.

Agencies always put a lot of effort into their staff photography: They want to make a good impression to their current and potential clients. Some of the results are beautiful, while others are downright bizarre. 

Take a look at the agency that got its whole office to pose in the nude, the shop that turned its staff photo into a movie poster, and some epic individual shots.

Long before Vince Vaughn and the stars of "Unfinished Business" created their parody business stock photos, Beeby Clark+Meyler posed for their own gallery of stock imagery.



For every photo shared online, Beeby Clark+Meyler donated a toy to charity Toys for Tots.



Webrandcorporation, an India-based agency, went for an action movie poster to act as a metaphor for their office culture.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

One of Warren Buffett's companies sent us a mysterious package — here's what was inside (BRKA, BRKB)

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Photo Apr 22, 1 53 38 PM

On May 1, the 50th edition of the Berkshire Hathaway annual meet kicks off in Omaha. 

Ahead of this meeting, we here at Business Insider were sent a package from one of Warren Buffett's portfolio companies: See's Candies.

See's was acquired by Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway in 1972 for $25 million. To date, See's has earned $1.9 billion in pretax profit for Berkshire and required only $40 million in additional investments.

In his latest letter to shareholders, Buffett discussed the acquisition, writing that, "through watching See’s in action, I gained a business education about the value of powerful brands that opened my eyes to many other profitable investments."

SEE ALSO: How Warren Buffett defines success

Fragile!



A letter from See's Candies, one of the first companies Buffett bought under the Berkshire Hathaway umbrella.



It's a box of special edition candies that will be sold at the Berkshire Hathaway annual meeting in two weeks.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

19 dazzling images of the most important discoveries in space

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The Hubble Space Telescope

Friday, April 24 marks the 25th anniversary of when the world-famous Hubble Space Telescope was first launched into space.

This revolutionary telescope, which uses a series of high-resolution cameras to observe the visible universe, has sparked the awe of the public with its stunning images and captured the hearts of the scientific community with its wealth of data.

From the mysterious nature of dark matter to the birth of stars and the atmospheric composition of exoplanets, Hubble has taught us about the many dazzling wonders of our universe during its 25 years in space. 

To commemorate Hubble's 25th anniversary, NASA released this jaw-dropping shot of some of our galaxy's hottest, brightest, most massive stars contained in the giant cluster at the center of this image. The powerful winds the stars in this cluster generate have hurricane-like force that pushes the surrounding gas away, which is the beautiful cloud of purple, blue and orange you see to the left and bottom.

 

 



In 2006, Hubble set its sites on the mesmerizing Orion Nebula and discovered 16 planets nuzzled within its beautiful confines. Before the Kepler Spacecraft launched in 2009 and began searching the galaxy for exoplanets, the number of known planets outside of our solar system was limited. This Hubble discovery was a momentous find that strongly hinted at the prevalence of planets throughout our universe.



What you're seeing at the center of this Hubble image is a very important type of luminous star called a Cepheid variable. Before Hubble, astronomers had only a vague idea of the age of the universe. But by using the patterns by which these stars brighten and dim over short periods of time, astronomers obtained extremely accurate distances to these objects, which helped them pin down the 14-billion-year age of the universe.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Everything you need to know about Issac Asimov's 'Foundation,' a book that inspires Elon Musk

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elon musk

As you may guess from his work, SpaceX and Tesla Motors mogul Elon Musk is a big science fiction fan.

He especially cites Issac Asimov's 1951 novel "Foundation" and its sequels as a huge inspiration on his life's work.

But what bearing can this science fiction novel, written at the height of the Cold War, have to teach us today? Let's take a look.

Foundation was written by Issac Asimov, an incredibly prolific and influential science fiction author with hundreds of books to his name, who passed away in 1992.



Musk describes Asimov's Foundation series as a kind of "futuristic version of Gibbon's 'Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire."

Foundation describes the downfall and rebirth of a Galactic Empire that spans galaxies, which collapses at the height of its influence, not unlike Rome. 



One of the book's core ideas is "psychohistory," a fictional social science that that lets you predict the future of civilizations, not people.

Psychohistory was invented by Hari Seldon, a scientist who uses it to predict the downfall of the Galactic Empire and summarily tried for treason.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The 30 highest-paying jobs for people who don't want to sit at a desk all day

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veterinarian

Good news for anyone who doesn't want to spend their days in a cubicle, behind a computer screen, or chained to their desk all day: Some of the highest-paying careers in America are non-desk jobs.

A new analysis of labor market data provided by Economic Modeling Specialists Intl. (EMSI), CareerBuilder's labor market data arm that pulls from more than 90 government and private resources, found that 90% of these jobs are medical professions that require a doctoral or professional degree — but there are tons of great options for those without a college diploma.

"The US workforce has gradually shifted to office-based work due to the rise of the professional services economy and productivity gains associated with information technology," said Rosemary Haefner, chief human resources officer at CareerBuilder, in a press statement. "But some of the healthiest areas of job growth year-after-year are in middle-skill occupations that don't require workers to sit in front of computer monitors and phones for 40 hours a week."

Aaron Taube contributed to an earlier version of this article.

30. Orthotists and Prosthetists

Median hourly pay: $30.27

BLS job description: Design, measure, fit, and adapt orthopedic braces, appliances or prostheses, such as limbs or facial parts for patients with disabling conditions.



29. Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers

Median hourly pay: $30.85

BLS job description: Install or repair cables or wires used in electrical power or distribution systems. 



28. Chiropractors

Median hourly pay: $31.40

BLS job description: Assess, treat, and care for patients by manipulation of spine and musculoskeletal system. 



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

WHERE ARE THEY NOW? The biggest NFL Draft busts ever

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jamarcus russell fat

Ending up on this list is the worst-case scenario for any player who enters the NFL Draft.

No one wants to be the next Ryan Leaf.

But while a few of the biggest NFL Draft busts ever have fallen on hard times, many are actually thriving in second careers.

Ryan Leaf was picked No. 2 overall by the Chargers in 1998.



Leaf spent two years in jail in Montana on burglary and drug charges before being released in 2014.

Source: ESPN



Tim Couch was picked No. 1 overall by the Browns in 1999.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

9 ways Google’s smartwatches are better than the Apple Watch (AAPL, GOOG)

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Android Wear

With new market research showing that Apple managed to sell more watches in a single day than Android Wear did in a year, it's easy to dismiss Google's smartwatch software as a bust. 

But there are still some big reasons why an Android Wear watch is a better pick. 

Android wear has much more variety.

Right off the bat, you have many more Android Wear options because a bunch of different companies have taken their own shot at an Android-powered smartwatch, including Motorola, LG, Huawei, Samsung, and Sony. There are 8 different designs so far. 



...Including circular designs if you don't dig the Apple Watch's square screen. You can get a more traditional-looking round watch with the Moto 360 or the LG G Watch R.



You also have much more freedom about what band you get. For now, if you want an Apple Watch you have to buy one of the company's bands. Most Android Wear watches use industry standard 22 mm bands so you can choose almost anything.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The incredible rags-to-riches story of British lingerie tycoon Michelle Mone


The 20 most interesting men in the world

Inside the office of London design company MOO, which prints some of the coolest business cards around

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MOO office London

London-based company MOO lets customers design business cards and other products online. MOO might not necessarily sound like a tech company, but it's using the digital space to enhance the business of reputation management.

In 2012, for example, MOO acquired online profile site Flavors.me. The company has also launched a range of Near Field Communication business cards, which are embedded with a microchip. When the cards are touched to a smartphone, it can download contact information and other details. 

Here are some photos from inside MOO's Old Street offices in London, as well as its printing warehouse in Stratford.

The London office is a large warehouse-style space in Shoreditch.



The MOO office is a colourful place.



Even books in the library are sorted by colour instead of name.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The 70 coolest new buildings in the world, according to architecture fans and experts

19 dazzling images of the most important discoveries in space

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The Hubble Space Telescope

Friday, April 24 marks the 25th anniversary of when the world-famous Hubble Space Telescope was first launched into space.

This revolutionary telescope, which uses a series of high-resolution cameras to observe the visible universe, has sparked the awe of the public with its stunning images and captured the hearts of the scientific community with its wealth of data.

From the mysterious nature of dark matter to the birth of stars and the atmospheric composition of exoplanets, Hubble has taught us about the many dazzling wonders of our universe during its 25 years in space. 

To commemorate Hubble's 25th anniversary, NASA released this jaw-dropping shot of some of our galaxy's hottest, brightest, most massive stars contained in the giant cluster at the center of this image. The powerful winds the stars in this cluster generate have hurricane-like force that pushes the surrounding gas away, which is the beautiful cloud of purple, blue and orange you see to the left and bottom.

 

 



In 2006, Hubble set its sites on the mesmerizing Orion Nebula and discovered 16 planets nuzzled within its beautiful confines. Before the Kepler Spacecraft launched in 2009 and began searching the galaxy for exoplanets, the number of known planets outside of our solar system was limited. This Hubble discovery was a momentous find that strongly hinted at the prevalence of planets throughout our universe.



What you're seeing at the center of this Hubble image is a very important type of luminous star called a Cepheid variable. Before Hubble, astronomers had only a vague idea of the age of the universe. But by using the patterns by which these stars brighten and dim over short periods of time, astronomers obtained extremely accurate distances to these objects, which helped them pin down the 14-billion-year age of the universe.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The happiest countries in the world, according to neuroscientists, statisticians, and economists

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An international team of economists, neuroscientists, and statisticians just released their third World Happiness Report, which measures well-being in countries around the world to help guide public policy.

Switzerland topped the list of the happiest nations, and all of the top eight countries were in the global north. Switzerland was followed by Iceland, Denmark, Norway, Canada, Finland, the Netherlands, and Sweden.

The United States ranked 15th, behind Mexico and Austria. Still, that's a slight improvement from the last report, in which the US ranked 17th.

The World Happiness Report isn't without a scientific basis.

One of its key findings, based on decades of neuroscientific and psychological research, suggests that keeping the brain happy relies on four main factors: 1) staying positive, 2) recovering from negative feelings, like a bout of sadness or anger, 3) caring about and spending time with family and friends, and 4) being mindful and allowing ourselves to feel "captured" by emotions like awe or joy.

Here are the 30 happiest countries from the study. Each color represents one of the six key factors (key below):

happiest countries top 30 2015

world happiness key 2015

Happiness helps us live longer, healthier, and more productive lives, and cultivating that emotion early in life is key, according the 2015 report.

But not to worry: it's never too late to start. 

Research shows that people who participate in meditation and mindfulness training programs (some as short as two weeks) tend to display changes in key areas of the brain connected to memory, perspective, and self-awarenessAnd a handful of recent studies have found a link between experiencing a sense of awe and feeling happier and more satisfied.

"These findings highlight the view that happiness and well-being are best regarded as skills that can be enhanced through training," the researchers write in their report.

With that in mind, here are the 10 least-happy countries, with Togo topping the list:

1. Togo

2. Burundi

3. Syria

4. Benin

5. Rwanda

6. Afghanistan

7. Burkina Faso

8. Ivory Coast

9. Guinea

10. Chad

UP NEXT: Psychologists discover the simplest way to boost your mood

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: How to know if you're smart

25 companies that are revolutionizing retail

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pirch shower

The way people shop is changing every day.

Thanks to the proliferation of smartphones and innovations in delivery and data, the retail landscape is evolving like never before.

We selected 25 companies that are revolutionizing the industry.

From an established e-commerce giant deploying drones to an inventive pizza chain, here are the consumer companies making big impacts.

Zulily is applying the TJ Maxx model to e-commerce.

Headquarters: Seattle

Year founded: 2010

Why it's revolutionary: Similar to discount retailer TJ Maxx, Zulily creates a daily treasure hunt for the mothers who shop its site. While TJ Maxx offers close-out discounts on various brands in its stores, Zulily's website offers flash sales on apparel, home goods, toys, and more.

 The deals and constantly changing selection keep shoppers coming back, and the e-commerce site, which went public in 2013, has nearly 4 million users.



Kroger is writing the playbook for the grocery store industry.

Headquarters: Cincinnati

Year founded: 1883

Why it's revolutionary: Kroger has reported positive comparable-store sales for 45 straight quarters and is expected to surpass Whole Foods Market within two years to become the nation's top seller of organic and natural food. The chain is renowned for its excellent customer service and extensive selection.

The retailer is a leader in offering private-label products to keep prices low and is well-known for its "Kroger Plus Card" loyalty program, which makes customers eligible for discounts and fuel savings.



Brandy Melville built a business catering to teens on Instagram.

Headquarters: Santa Monica, California

Year founded: 1994

Why it's revolutionary: Fashion retailer Brandy Melville was founded in Italy more than two decades ago, brought its tiny crop tops, high-waisted bottoms, and slouchy sweaters to the US just five years ago.

Thanks to a brilliant Instagram account, which features a mix of professional models and real customers, the retailer is now ranked in the top 10 teen clothing brands, and has a major e-commerce presence.

The brand is also notable for offering "one size fits all" clothing. 



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The 18 most hotly contested islands in the world

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Liancourt Rocks

More than ever, islands — and the resources beneath them — are the focus of geopolitical tensions between nations around the world.

The biggest disputes range from the Arctic to Croatia to north of Samoa, and some of the competing claims were made centuries ago. 

SEE ALSO: The 16 most socially advanced countries in the world

Hans Island

Claims by Canada and Denmark

Canada and Denmark are currently going back and forth over who owns a small island in the Kennedy Channel, which separates Canada's Ellsmere Island from Greenland. 

The dispute dates back to the 1980s when the Canadians and the Danes waged the "Battle of the Bottles," during which the Canadian and Danish navies would visit the island and leave bottles of Canadian Club whisky and Akvavit, a Scandinavian liquor, to mark their territory.

Things ramped up in the early 2000s when a Danish fleet descended on the island and planted a flag in the ground, a move that irked the Canadians. In July 2005, the Canadians responded with "Exercise Frozen Beaver," during which they erected a 12-foot flag. 

Tensions settled shortly thereafter when the two governments released a joint statement saying  "all contact by either side with Hans Island will be carried out in a low key and restrained manner."

Denmark and Canada are still trying to reach a mutual agreement regarding Hans Island.



Senkaku (Japan)/Diaoyu (China) Islands

Claims by Japan, China, and Taiwan

The Japanese government has been in control of Senkaku since it formally annexed the islands in 1895, excluding 1945 to 1972 when they were under US occupation authority, but China claims discovery and control of the islands since the 14th century.

The islands are uninhabited (one is used by the US military for drills) but are surrounded by rich fishing grounds.

In 2010 a Chinese fishing boat and a Japanese coast guard vessel collided near the islands, setting off a serious diplomatic spat in which Beijing temporarily froze trade and ministerial talks.

Since then the island has been at the center of rising tensions between the two Asian superpowers, with each releasing formal documents staking their claims last November.

Earlier this month the New York Times reported that Japan had scrambled its jets 943 times in a 12-month period between March 2014 and March 2015, rivaling Cold War levels. A majority of those scrambles were targeted at Chinese aircraft in the vicinity of the disputed islands. 

On April 22, The New York Times reported that China’s president, Xi Jinping, and Japan’s prime minister, Shinzo Abe, met in Indonesia during a gathering of Asian and African nations. The meeting lasted about 30 minutes and while the issue of the islands was likely not broached, the meeting could help open a dialogue for the future. 



Paracel Islands

Claims by China, Taiwan and Vietnam

The Paracel islands are a group of over 30 islets, sandbanks, and reefs that sit equidistant to China and Vietnam. They are inhabited by turtles as well as a small number of Chinese troops.

One of several disputes in the South China Sea, parts of the Paracel Islands were controlled by China and South Vietnam before tensions boiled over in 1974 and a conflict resulted in 71 soldiers being killed.

China has controlled all of the islands since then but Vietnam disputes the claim. 

IHS Jane's Defense Weekly confirmed reports on April 16 that China is also building a military airstrip on the Paracel Islands to go along with the one it has built further south on the Spratly Islands. These developments have angered the United States and alarmed China's neighbors. 



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

What does the internet 'look' like? 17 pictures that show how people visualize it

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The Internet Mapping Project

The internet is such a huge part of our lives, but because it's intangible, borderless, ever-changing, it can be hard to describe. 

Kevin Kelly, executive editor of Wired Magazine, wanted to know how people pictured it, so he started collecting submissions back in 2009. 

He called his collection the Internet Mapping Project

 

 

All told, Kelly received nearly 200 submissions.



"I was interested in people's metaphors," Kelly told Business Insider.



He was initially surprised by how few people included geographical imagery in their drawings.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

11 mind-melting photos will make you realize how shockingly small the Earth is

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Jupiter Earth comparison

The earth feels pretty large, and we feel pretty tiny living in it.

But we rarely, if ever, stop to think about the vast beyond. And we should!

"There is perhaps no better demonstration of the folly of human conceits than this distant image of our tiny world," former astronomer Carl Sagan has said. "To me, it underscores our responsibility to deal more kindly with one another, and to preserve and cherish the pale blue dot, the only home we've ever known,” Sagan wrote in his book "Pale Blue Dot: A Vision of the Human Future in Space."

So, just how small is planet earth really compared with the rest of outer space? These photos will help put our planet in perspective.

This humbling photo taken by NASA's Cassini spacecraft in 2013 shows what Earth, indicated by the tiny white arrow, looks like from 898 million miles away.

NASA Goddard Spaceflight Center 



Superimposed next to Jupiter's Great Red Spot is North America. As you can see in this to-scale image, Jupiter's giant storm would completely swallow the entire continent.

Courtesy of John Brady who founded the blog Astronomy Central.



Saturn's rings are a beautiful spectacle of the cosmos, but they look much better on Saturn than on Earth.

Courtesy of John Brady who founded the blog Astronomy Central.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

14 amazing travel hacks from the guy that gamed the airline industry so he never has to pay for a flight again

The sad state of inequality in America [Charts]

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occupy wall street times square

Hillary Clinton reportedly commented during a meeting with economists that the US needed a "toppling" of the 1%. The comments were said to have come when the Democratic presidential candidate saw a chart of changes in real income.

Looking beyond just the real incomes of the 1%, several other measures show that inequality in the US has been rising for the past few decades.

We put together a dozen charts and maps that show some of the core issues of inequality.

Income inequality in the US has gone up over the past 40 years.

The Gini index is a standard measure of inequality, ranging from 0 to 1. The index measures how far away the income distribution in a population is from a completely egalitarian distribution. An index of 0 corresponds to a distribution in which everyone has the same income, and an index of 1 is a distribution in which one person gets all the income and everyone else gets nothing. The Gini index has steadily risen in the US since the late 1960s.



Inequality varies geographically across the country.

Gini indexes in metropolitan areas and areas around midsize towns range from a fairly egalitarian 0.36 in Juneau, Alaska, to a highly unequal 0.55 in Ruston, Louisiana. Business Insider compiled a list of the most unequal large metro areas based on US Census data.



America's high Gini index is rare among developed countries.

Among OECD countries, only Chile, Mexico, and Turkey have more inequality by this measure.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The Jaguar XJL is traditional English luxury with sexy catlike curves

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For nearly 50 years, the Jaguar XJ has been one of the finest luxury sedans money can buy. It's been a torchbearer for old-world British luxury and style. Unfortunately, by the early 2000s, the XJ's relentless evocation of Jag's design lineage caused the car to become staid. Which is why in 2010, Jaguar design boss Ian Callum unveiled a new XJ that broke the mold and took Jag's flagship four-door in a modern and controversial direction.

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