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Here's what it takes to be an astronaut

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NASA Astronaut

It takes a huge amount of preparation and training to secure a room aboard the International Space Station, but NASA's basic requirements for being an astronaut candidate may surprise you.

If you don't want to be a commander or a pilot, all you need is a bachelor's degree in a relevant field plus three years of professional experience, according to NASA.

If you meet those requirements, NASA is wants your application for its astronaut corps starting on December 14.

Of course, the process of actually being selected gets... intense. Between 4,000 and 8,000 people apply each round, but NASA usually only picks eight.

Keep scrolling to find out what it takes to become a NASA astronaut.

For starters, you need a bachelor's degree in a relevant field like biology, engineering, or pretty much any STEM branch.



You also need at least 3 years of experience on the job.



While NASA doesn't require anything beyond a bachelor's degree, more advanced degrees are helpful. No job? No problem: A graduate degree can supersede the 3-year experience requirement.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

8 things you say all the time that could be holding you back from getting rich

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Your thoughts, actions, and even your choice of words could mean the difference between living a wealthy life and an average life.

"If you spend time around the wealthy and the middle class, it's an eye-opening experience to hear the differences in how the two groups speak,"writes Steve Siebold, a self-made millionaire who has studied over 1,200 rich people.

"The middle class tends to be negative about money, and when it comes to earning a lot of it, most believe it's not possible for them."

Here are eight seemingly harmless things many of us say all the time that you wouldn't hear from the rich:

SEE ALSO: I spent 5 years studying rich people, and here's the best piece of advice I can give you about money

'I hate my job.'

Do what you love, or you will lack the energy to become truly successful and wealthy.

"No man can succeed in a line of endeavor which he does not like," writes Napoleon Hill in his 1939 masterpiece, "Think and Grow Rich."

Nearly a century later, and this emphasis on passion and enthusiasm is just as — or even more — relevant. In a more recent study of over 1,200 of the world's wealthiest people, self-made millionaire Steve Siebold uncovered similar findings, which he details in his book, "How Rich People Think."

"The rich know that passion is the real secret of getting rich,"writes Siebold. "It's a cause and effect relationship between effort and passion, but while the masses see passion as the effect, the great ones see it as the cause. In other words, the average person goes to work every day and hopes to find passion in his or her efforts. The rich go to work every day feeling passion for what they do, and their passion fuels their efforts."

Rather than saying you hate your job, redirect that energy towards finding a job that you're enthused about. "The first belief you must adopt is that it's possible to do what you love and get rich doing it," writes Siebold.



'I can't afford it.'

It's a seemingly harmless, but highly unproductive phrase.

"By automatically saying the words 'I can't afford it,' your brain stops working," writes Robert Kiyosaki in the personal finance classic, "Rich Dad Poor Dad." It lets you off the hook, and doesn't force you to problem solve your way to actually being able to afford whatever it is that you want.

Rather than stating"I can't afford it,"ask, "How can I afford it?"

This doesn't mean you should buy everything, Kiyosaki emphasizes. The point is that you should constantly be exercising your mind, coming up with creative solutions, and thinking how can I make something happen, rather than I can't make this happen.



'Rich people deserve to be wealthy (and I don't).'

"There is a pervasive belief among the masses that tells them they don't have the right, nor are they good enough as human beings to ask, hope, or pray for prosperity beyond their basic needs,"explains Siebold. "Who am I, they ask themselves, to become a millionaire? Who am I to live a lifestyle fit for a king?"

Meanwhile, he says, rich people ask, "Why not me?" They believe that success is natural — they believe that they deserve it.

"Being rich isn't a privilege. Being rich is a right,"explains Siebold. "If you create massive value for others, you have the right to be as rich as you want."



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

These are the ways Anonymous could wage 'war' on ISIS

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International hacking collective Anonymous declared war this weekend on ISIS, the extremist militant group that claimed responsibility for the attacks in Paris on November 13 which killed 129 people and left another approximately 350 injured.

In a video released Saturday, a French-speaking member of Anonymous warns ISIS to "expect numerous cyber attacks." Here's the video in question:

But what are the "cyberattacks" in question? What kind of damage can an online force do to an organization it wants to attack? Since the Anonymous video doesn't spell it out, we've gathered up some common tactics used by the group in the past, as well as those used by other major hacker collectives.

"DDoS" attacks: flooding servers with information requests.

A "DDoS" attack is a way of flooding a computer system with far more requests for information than it can handle, thus shutting it down altogether. The acronym's definition goes a long way in describing what it does: "distributed denial-of-service." 

Hackers, employing massive quantities of "virtual" machines — programs acting as full-on computers — request data en masse from a network. When that network is overrun with requests, it shuts down, making it unusable for everyone. 

Anonymous has successfully used this method in the past for shutting down the computer networks of companies or organizations it deems fit for attack, from The Church of Scientology to the municipal computer system of Ferguson, Missouri (in the wake of the shooting death of Michael Brown).



"Doxxing" members: revealing personal, private information about members of ISIS.

Another popular attack method used by hacking collectives is "doxxing": the act of releasing personal, private information of specific people, often private citizens. In the case of a group like ISIS, this tactic could be used to expose the personal information of those involved in terrorist activity. This is the kind of information-based warfare that hacking collectives specialize in, which has ripple effects beyond the act itself. 

Information obtained from "doxxing" is often distributed via anonymous, publicly accessible channels like the website Pastebin, or internet forums like 4chan.



"Google Bomb" / "Googlewashing" searchable terms with links to anti-ISIS websites.

Ever try searching former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum's last name on Google? Go right ahead. We'll wait.

Notice that the first thing that comes up isn't Rick Santorum's Wikipedia entry, or his personal website, but a page explaining the neologism behind the word that was once his last name. This is the very definition of "Google Bombing" someone: linking en masse to an alternative definition to impact the Google results that come up when someone searches that word. 

Google searches, to some extent, depend on users to define where search terms will send them — more simply, the more websites that return the same information fundamentally alter the search results. If an overwhelming number of websites and users redefine search terms like "ISIS recruiting" (for example), that could seriously impact the group's ability to easily recruit new members.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Cutting-edge technology is revealing how athletes' bodies work — and will transform sports forever

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Everton FC soccer football

Today's professional athletes are faster and stronger than ever

Top athletes in individual sports possess physical characteristics that make them uniquely suited to excel (picture Usain Bolt or Michael Phelps), and teams are built up of players with special skills and strength that make them some of the only people in the world capable of handling their roles.

But with players that are stronger and more specialized than ever, two things happen: Figuring out the work that's needed to unlock further performance gains become more difficult than ever, and with athletes pushing themselves to unprecedented levels of exertion, preventing injuries caused by overtraining or improper training is essential.

That's where the latest in sports science comes into play.

Companies are using everything from machine learning to three-dimensional biomechanical scanning to track the individual movements, strengths, and weaknesses of athletes. They're using that data to devise individual training plans that help coaches know when an athlete needs to take a break or when they need to adjust a workout to strengthen a player who might be susceptible to injury.

Tech Insider spoke with Stephen Smith, the founder and CEO of Kitman Labs, one of the specialized companies that's using research-supported new technology to optimize performance, in order to understand how the latest sports science can help athletes excel. They work with teams ranging from the NFL's Miami Dolphins to the English Premier League's Everton FC.

"Everybody is unique in how they respond to different stress and stimulus," so they can't all follow the exact same training programs, says Smith. Since every person responds to stresses differently, Kitman has designed both software and hardware that help develop ideal training programs for each individual. 

On the hardware side, Kitman uses a modified Xbox Kinect to scan athletes.

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Specialized software calculates what's going on in places where the camera isn't facing.

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The system can track deviations in motion that are imperceptible to the naked eye.

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See the rest of the story at Business Insider

There's a hidden map in your iPhone of everywhere you've been

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The next time you need to remember exactly where you've been on a map, consult your iPhone.

It's very typical for a smartphone to track your location these days, and it's something the iPhone has been doing for years. But you may not know that your iPhone keeps an extremely detailed log of where you've been on a map, including time stamps for when you come and go.

Here's how to find the log — and if you feel so inclined, delete it.

Open the Settings app on your iPhone and tap on "Privacy."



Then tap on Location Services.



You'll see the location tracking permissions for every app you have installed.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

11 overlooked factors that affect the bacteria on your body and help determine your health

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eating

Here's something that might make your skin crawl: Your skin is covered with trillions of itty bitty microbes.

But these microbes aren't all bad. In fact, most of them do more good than harm.

To learn more about what affects the bacteria in your body, otherwise known as your microbiome, Business Insider ventured to a recent exhibit on the microbiome at the American Museum of Natural History.

Here are 11 factors that influence the bacteria living in and on you:

NEXT: The bacteria in your belly can determine what diet will work best for you

CHECK OUT: A tiny percentage of the population needs only 4 hours of sleep per night

How you're born.

Babies born by c-section and those born vaginally are exposed to different bacteria that can affect their lives, Susan Perkins, one of the curators of the AMNH exhibittold Business Insider.

How you're fed in those first few months can also affect the bacteria in your body, since breastfeeding introduces certain bacteria while formula introduces others.

 



Your workout regimen.

When considering whether to hit the gym, be sure to factor your microbiome into your decision. A 2014 study of Ireland's national rugby team found that the athletes had higher diversity of bacteria in their gut compared to a control group. The preliminary results were encouraging enough to suggest that getting exercise can be beneficial for increasing the good bacteria that lives in our digestive systems.



Your drinking habits.

For a recent study, scientists isolated 11 strains of bacteria from wine, including one called Lactobacillus, the same kind that's found in yogurt. These bacteria, found in many fermented foods, are called "probiotics," and may help good bacteria flourish while blocking the overproduction of bad bacteria.

Of course, adding a couple glasses of wine to your diet likely won't make a big difference: Many of wine's helpful bacteria get wiped out during the sulfation process, when preservatives are added to the drink.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

These 3 slides show just how brutal 2015 has been for Wall Street's biggest business

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It has been a rough year for investment banks. 

And it is all because of the big banks' fixed income, currencies and commodities — or FICC — divisions, which for so long have powered earnings.

According to analytics company Coalition, the FICC divisions at the ten biggest Wall Street bank generated $52.8 billion in revenues in the first nine months of 2015.

That compares with equities sales and trading, which made $35.4 billion, and traditional investment banking, which generated $29.6 billion.

The FICC divisions have suffered over the past year, and thethird quarter was especially brutal. Third quarter fixed income revenues across the ten biggest banks fell 18% against a year ago, according to Coalition.

The slides below, taken from a Coalition report released Monday, illustrate just how terrible the year has been for the FICC businesses.

Take a look:

SEE ALSO: Investment banks are feeling excruciating pain in an important part of their business

FICC revenues over the first nine months of the year are down 9% year-on-year, with credit revenues down a third and securitization revenues down 21%. The only bright spot is foreign exchange.



The third quarter was especially tough, with FICC revenues down 18% compared to the same quarter last year.



Front office headcount in FICC is down 3% year-on-year, extending a trend of just cuts dating back to 2010.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

GOLDMAN SACHS AND TEEN VOGUE: Here are the 20 brands millennial women love

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An unlikely duo has joined forces in order to figure out what millennials love.

For the third year in a row, Goldman Sachs' equity research team and Teen Vogue's fashion experts put together 2015's definitive "Teen Vogue-Goldman Sachs Love List"— a list of the top-20 brands that matter the most to "It Girls."

In order to determine the degree of "love-ability", the analysts scored each brand based on familiarity, affinity, and "word of mouth," or how much respondents discussed a brand relative to others — key in the era of Instagram.

Athletic brands shot up in popularity this year. Nike was in the top 5, and Adidas showed the largest gain in affinity out of any brand. Goldman doesn't touch on this, but it's worth noting that many millennial-popular starlets like Kylie Jenner routinely post photos of themselves in Adidas gear, which no doubt affected its ranking.

Beauty brands are "in the sweet spot" as they are "well-loved and well-owned."

On the flip side, fashion brands were "floundering" as "favorability metrics generally declined from last year." Mall-centric apparel brands like American Apparel and Hollister are struggling, and most hangbag brands are "falling flat."

Check out the full list below.

20. Free People

Familiarity: 69%

Affinity: 83.1%

Word of Mouth: 66.1%

Composite: 72.7%

Source: Goldman Sachs



19. Marc Jacobs

Familiarity: 84.5%

Affinity: 77.2%

Word of Mouth: 56.9%

Composite: 72.9%

Source: Goldman Sachs



18. Steve Madden

Familiarity: 80.8%

Affinity: 78.4%

Word of Mouth: 60%

Composite: 73.1%

Source: Goldman Sachs



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The richest person in their 20s, 30s, 40s, and up

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When it comes to age, wealth doesn't discriminate — billionaires can be found in every phase of life.

Wealth-X, a firm that researches and maintains a database of ultra-wealthy people, compiled a list of the richest person in every decade, from their 20s through their 90s.

From tech billionaires to retail moguls and a secretive heiress, here are the people with more money than anyone else in their age group.

SEE ALSO: The 25 richest self-made billionaires

DON'T MISS: The 20 most generous people in the world

20s: Evan Spiegel

Net worth: $2 billion

Age: 25

Industry: Tech

Snapchat CEO Evan Spiegel may be the least wealthy person on this list, but he's also the youngest — and at 25, his net worth of $2 billion has plenty of time to grow. Spiegel began developing his now-you-see-it photo-sharing app in 2011 while still a student at Stanford. Barely two years later, he was getting offers from the likes of Facebook ($3 billion) and Google ($4 billion) to buy him out, both of which CEO Spiegel turned down.

Snapchat's value has continued to soar as the company has branched into news and other media and acquired some companies of its own, coughing up $150 million for app-development company Looksery. Considering Spiegel and company raised $530 million in equity at a $16 billion valuation in May, rejecting Facebook and Google might have been the smartest business move the young billionaire has made yet.

Source: Wealth-X



30s: Mark Zuckerberg

Net worth: $47.2 billion

Age: 31

Industry: Tech

At just 31, Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg is already one of the richest people in the world with a net worth of $47.2 billion. Facebook continues to thrive, attracting more than a billion users daily in September — a 17% increase in traffic from the previous year. The company stock hit all-time highs in November after reporting $4.5 billion in quarterly earnings. 

Zuckerberg has made some high-profile purchases of late. He reportedly spent $22 million on a new 3,200-square-foot home in New York City's West Village this year, and in 2014 he spent $100 million for 750 acres of secluded land on the North Shore of Kauai.

Zuck and his wife, Priscilla, are also incredibly generous with their wealth. The social media mogul has signed The Giving Pledge, promising to donate at least half of his wealth to charitable causes within his lifetime. The couple donated $25 million in the fight against Ebola last year, and gave $100 million worth of Facebook shares towards improving a New Jersey public-school system.

Source: Wealth-X

 



40s: Larry Page

Net worth: $41.7 billion

Age: 42

Industry: Tech

Larry Page became a billionaire when Google went public in 2004 with a valuation of about $23 billion; 11 years later, the company is worth more than $500 billion. 

Page and cofounder Sergey Brin — exceedingly wealthy in his own right with a net worth of $38 billion— have been shaking their company up lately. In August, Google announced that it would be forming a new parent company, Alphabet, to allow its different businesses to operate independently and move faster. Page and Brin still control the overarching entity as CEO and president, respectively. 

Page doesn't make a lot of splashy purchases, but the alternative-energy advocate does own an eco-friendly mansion in Palo Alto that utilizes geothermal energy and rainwater capture. He's also an avid kiteboarder 

Source: Wealth-X



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

11 olde English words we need to start using again

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Scholars say that what we now call English started when Germanic tribes settled in present-day Britain at around 500 CE.

The Oxford English dictionary counts 171,476 words in current use

A staggering 47,156  words are now obsolete. 

But, as you'll see from the below, some of the mother tongue's finest phrasings need to be brought back, as they'll help us mark our days and describe our lives better than what's currently on offer. 

Overmorrow: on the day after tomorrow.

Example: "I'll have that report to you overmorrow." 

Why: Overmorrow was in Middle English but fell out of the language. So instead of having this word, we have the wordy "day after tomorrow." German still has this very useful word: übermorgen.



Bedward: heading toward bed.

Example: "I'm bedward, putting this group text on mute." 

Why: Because it treats your bed as a cardinal direction. As it should be.



Elflock: hair that has been tangled as if by elves.

Example: "I think I bruised my scalp trying to get those elflocks out." 

Why: Because hair tangles are frustrating, but elflocks are adorable. And speaking of them helps to re-enchant our world.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The first 'Hunger Games' rides are coming next year — here's how they'll look

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motiongate the hunger games ride

While it will be years before a "Hunger Games" theme park opens in the US, those in Dubai will be able to head to Panem next year.

Late Monday, Dubai Parks and Resorts debuted details for two rides based on the franchise launching next fall as part of its upcoming Motiongate Dubai theme park. The park will consist of attractions centered around DreamWorks Animation, Sony Pictures, and Lionsgate.

The park won't open until fall 2016, but keep reading to see your first look at the new "Hunger Games" rides.

Motiongate Dubai will feature 27 attractions from three different movie studios — Sony Pictures, Dreamworks Animation, and Lionsgate.



It's one of three planned theme parks set to open in October 2016 inside of Dubai Parks and Resorts. The others will be Legoland Dubai and Bollywood Parks Dubai. The NYT reports the entire complex will cost $3 billion.

Source: NYT



Motiongate Dubai will be divided up into five different zones — Studio Central, Sony Pictures Studios, DreamWorks, Lionsgate, and a Smurfs Village for kids.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

How 18 daredevils across the world get their adrenaline fix

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Thrill Seekers Heights

For some people, the regular activities of everyday life are just not enough to keep the blood flowing. Sitting at an office desk, taking the train, drinking your coffee — they can only provide you with so much of a rush.

Extreme thrill-seekers will do everything from leaping off bridges to diving with sharks to get the adrenaline fix they need.

Certain activities are done in groups, like drift racing or waterfall jumping, but some are solo efforts for those who are just brave — or crazy — enough.

SEE ALSO: 27 of the strangest world records ever set

DON'T FORGET: Follow Business Insider's lifestyle page on Facebook!

In Scotland, a cyclist rides off the Garry Bridge while attached to a bungee rope.



"Sidewalk skiing," where a car goes up on two wheels, is popular with young adults in Saudi Arabia. This stunt gained worldwide attention when M.I.A included it in her popular "Bad Girls" music video in 2012.



In Hawaii, a tourist takes a dive of faith, swimming with a shark without the protection of a cage.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

6 secret beaches that you can only get to on a yacht

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Leaf-peeping may be in full swing in the northern hemisphere, but in the yachting world, it’s always an endless summer. The closest thing you’ll find to a turning of seasons is the change from “Mediterranean season” to “Caribbean season” and back.

The Ft. Lauderdale International Boat Show, which takes place this weekend (November 5-9), marks the seasonal migration of many boats from the Mediterranean to the Caribbean and is the perfect chance to ogle the super-luxe lifestyle and start planning (or daydream about) your yacht itinerary.

But take it from a former crew member: Yacht life is so much more than top-deck hot tubs and sun bathing on the bow. That mini boat trailing your yacht (the “tender”) is your key to skipping the tourist masses and joining the privileged few on the kinds of awe-inspiring secluded beaches only reached by boat. Here are six we love.

SEE ALSO: Facebook's first 250 employees created a secret group where they discuss which yachts, Banksy pieces, and tropical islands to buy

Navagio, Zakynthos, Greece

Veteran sailors of the Mediterranean will tell you that some of the most turquoise waters in the world can be found at the hidden beach of Navagio in the Ionian Islands. You may recognize the picture, but the high cliffs that made the beach a viral sensation also make it impossible to reach except by boat or BASE jump. You read that right: Navagio is a famous BASE jumping destination. However, most people head to the beach for the pristine sands, warm waters, and to explore the remains of the cigarette smuggler ship that wrecked on the shore in 1983 and gave the beach its name. And hey, you just might be lucky enough to watch some daredevils plunge.



Saleccia, Corsica, France

While it’s not exactly unknown, the peaceful beach paradise of Saleccia is still entirely undeveloped—there’s not a café in sight. With the obligatory white sand and clear blue water, it is widely recognized as one of the most beautiful beaches in France, if not the whole of the Mediterranean. Saleccia may be becoming more and more popular among locals and tourists, but its famed beauty is not over-hyped and its proximity to the popular yacht spot St. Florent makes it ideal for an afternoon picnic.



Cala Luna, Golfo di Orosei, Italy

The Golfo di Orosei has long been a must-stop on the Mediterranean yacht circuit. In season, many of the coves are dotted with shiny white yachts bobbing at anchor; but despite the area’s stunning beauty, it remains a haven from tourists because many of the beaches are accessible only by boat. While the whole area is enchanting, it’s no secret that the loveliest beach by far is the crescent-shaped Cala Luna, renowned for its clear waters that make it an excellent snorkeling and SCUBA destination. There is also a small beach bar and café near shady pink oleander trees.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The new 'Call of Duty' game has a terrifying Easter Egg

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Another "Call of Duty" game? Yes, another "Call of Duty" game.

But this year's game has something different — something secret. Murderous manikins!

Call of Duty: Black Ops 3

In "Call of Duty: Black Ops 3," there's a completely bananas Easter Egg dedicated to the game's zombies mode buried within the "Nuketown" multiplayer map. It involves manikins — murderous manikins — and shooting off their arms.

We've compiled step-by-step instructions for how to check out this crazy Easter Egg right now! Follow us below.

First things first, start a multiplayer match on the map "Nuketown."



Maybe start a private match with just one or two friends. You're not gonna want to try this in a real multiplayer match.



After you get the map loaded up, you've got a short period of time to get to work: start shooting the arms off of all the manikins.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

A psychologist explains how to organize your computer desktop for optimal productivity

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In the digital age, the state of our computer desktop is arguably more important than that of our actual, physical desk.

Yet, we constantly neglect them — we litter them with old documents, photos, and folders we no longer need, and fail to clean them up as often as we should.

The problem with having a messy computer desktop is, it can negatively affect our productivity, says psychologist Pamela Rutledge, director of the Media Psychology Research Center in Newport Beach, California. 

"A clean desk or desktop can be like taking a deep breath, allowing you to focus," Rutledge says. 

On the other hand, when your computer desktop is cluttered, it takes more time to find important documents and locate icons, which slows down your workflow. Staring at an overwhelmingly disorganized desktop all day can also affect your mood — it can make you anxious or frustrated — which, of course, also impacts productivity. 

If you want to give your computer an end-of-the year clean-out that will help you achieve optimal productivity, follow these five tips from Rutledge:

SEE ALSO: A psychologist shares his number one tip for staying focused at work

DON'T MISS: The 27 jobs that are most damaging to your health

1. Select the right wallpaper

Leave the default background or personalize it?

Rutledge says a desktop wallpaper photo should meet these three criteria: it doesn't camouflage desktop icons (no highly active or busy wallpapers); it's visually pleasing to you (think mountains or subtle patterns); and it doesn't strain your eyes (no highlighter colors). "Most of the standard wallpapers do not fit this category," Rutledge says. 

While research shows that the color red is energizing and stimulates analytical thinking and blue is calming and enhances creativity, Rutledge says that a small desktop screen is "unlikely to have that profound effect." 



2. Delete (or hide) every desktop icon you don't use on a regular basis

We all have that one coworker whose desktop makes us openly cringe (or maybe that person is you) — and it's usually because they don't clean out their desktop files. 

Rutledge says having too many files on your desktop can make them harder to find, which can slow you down and increase your frustration level. Plus, it uses up your computer's resources, which slows its processing speed down.

Delete (or remove from your desktop) any old files you don't use on a regular basis, or won't ever need again.

If you like having your files — even the old ones — in an easy-to-access location, Rutledge suggests creating a "filing system" by grouping them into four quadrants: folders, documents, apps, and things to be filed into your documents. 

Rutledge says you can also use aliases, or tiny files that can be saved in more than one place and that automatically open up another file, and organize them into "buckets."



3. Limit the number of web browser tabs you have open at once

If it takes you longer than 10 seconds to close out of all your tabs or internet windows, then you may have a problem.

Like icons, too many tabs or windows can also drain your computer's processing power and make locating a specific page difficult, Rutledge says. 

She suggests creating bookmarks on your browser or clipping pages to create a notebook in Evernote, a note-taking app, which can ease your anxiety about not being able to find a certain tab again, while also clearing out the unneeded ones. 



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Future humans could live in subway-like tunnels on Mars

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Unlike our lovely Earth, Mars won't shield us from blasts of cosmic radiation.

If we hope to live there, we'll need to equip our future colonies with underground tunnels, Robert Zubrin, founder of the Mars Society, tells Tech Insider. Like Earth's magnetic field, the tunnels will shield colonists from rays. That way, we won't need to always suit up when we travel between habitats.

"Imagine living in a subway system," Zubrin says. 

While scientists disagree on the timeline, future space colonies will required technology that we don't yet have. "We need some breakthroughs that fundamentally change the game," Ariel Waldman, committee member of the National Academy of Sciences, tells Tech Insider. "Then, all the timelines will get erased and revised."

This is what it would take to live on Mars.

A power source.

Ion engines looks the most promising. Spacecrafts can travel farther, faster, and cheaper with ion engines than any other propulsion technology, NASA says.

How it works: a solar panel connects to the engine, which speeds up a bunch of particles (or ions) inside. The magnetism from the particles, in turn, generates energy and powers the engine.

Space missions have used these engines for more than four decades, and researchers are still working to improve them. A group of researchers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory recently developed a new design that increases their lifespan.

The current challenge: the engines don't generate enough solar energy. It will take advanced solar technology to move rockets 141 million miles to Mars or power a large Martian colony.



The right spacesuit.

Spacesuits that can deal with Mars' extremely low and unpredictable pressure will be essential.

Mars exerts only 0.06% of Earth's surface pressure. Depending on the location, Earth's air pressure can vary about 10%, whereas Mars' can vary as much as 50%.

This month, NASA unveiled a spacesuit prototype that can take the pressure. With the Z-2 suit, astronauts can maneuver in and out of rovers, collect samples, and walk around with ease.

 

 



Radiation protection.

Once we have the suits, we will also need to shield the colonies from cosmic rays.

NASA recently reported that solar wind stripped Mars' atmosphere and turned the planet into a wasteland. Now, it has about 1% of the atmosphere of Earth.

Zubrin says that our best bet is to cover the colonies in sand bags.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

7 successful entrepreneurs on the worst advice they ever received

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warren buffett

Entrepreneurs are never at a loss for unsolicited advice from others who have “been there and done that.”

But sometimes, it’s hard for new business owners to decipher which nuggets of wisdom are helpful and which will actually do harm.

As a new entrepreneur, you will undoubtedly make wrong turns when you start your own business, but it’s better to own your mistakes instead of following bad advice that leads you down the wrong path.

In order to help you determine what to avoid, here is a list of some of the worst advice successful entrepreneurs — such as Warren Buffett and Mark Cuban — have ever received.

SEE ALSO: Burt's Bees cofounder Burt Shavitz died at age 80 — here's his crazy success story

Warren Buffett: "Don't go into the securities business."

For her book, "Tap Dancing to Work: Warren Buffett on Practically Everything, 1966-2011," author Carol Loomis asked Buffett, "What was the best advice you ever received?"

Loomis told ABC News, "I was genuinely surprised when all [Buffett] wanted to talk about was the worst advice."

According to her, Buffett's father and his mentor, Benjamin Graham, told Buffett when he wasn't yet 21 that he shouldn't go into the securities business. Why? Because it was bad timing. Buffett told Loomis, "Maybe their advice was their polite way of saying that before I started selling stocks, I needed to mature a little, or I wasn't going to be successful."

But as we've seen, the investor ignored that piece of advice and went on to become an extremely successful investor with a net worth of $67.4 billion.

Related: 7 Investing Mistakes Warren Buffett Regrets



Barbara Corcoran: "You can’t do it alone."

An insult from a former boyfriend and business partner ended up being Barbara Corcoran’s worst and best piece of business advice. The businesswoman and "Shark" on ABC's "Shark Tank" told Business Insider, “The best advice was the worst advice ... It was from my boyfriend and partner in my first business, The Corcoran-Simone Company, when he told me I would never succeed without him."

She added, “But thank God he insulted me because I would not have built a big business without that insult. It kept me trying everything because I couldn't give him the satisfaction of seeing me fail.”

Read: 13 Million-Dollar Businesses That Turned Down 'Shark Tank' Deals



Mark Cuban: "Follow your passions."

In an interview with ABC News' Rebecca Jarvis last year, Mark Cuban answered multiple rapid-fire questions. When asked about the worst piece of advice he ever received, Cuban answered, "Follow your passions. Instead, you should follow your effort."

Sometimes, it's hard — or impossible — to find a career that falls in line with your passion. If your passion doesn't help you earn a living, you should find something you're good at, work hard at it and embark on that career path.



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A Texas billionaire is trying to build this supersonic private jet

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Aerion 11

The typical flight time from Los Angeles to Sydney, Australia is about 15 hours and 30 minutes. 

On the Aerion AS2, a supersonic private jet currently in development, it would be just ten hours.

Aerion said on Monday that it plans to have the AS2, a business jet that will be able to fly Mach 1.5, faster than the speed of sound, ready for flight by 2021, and approved for sale just two years later.

The Concorde was retired in 2003, so no passenger airplane currently flies the speed of sound.

 

The AS2 will have a maximum speed of Mach 1.5, which is 1,150 miles per hour.



It could get you from London to New York in 4 hours and 24 minutes. It takes a normal jet about seven hours to make that trip.

 

 



It will have a supersonic range of 4,750 nautical miles, meaning it could fly from San Francisco to London at the speed of sound.

Aerion says that at Mach 1.4, passengers can shed three hours on a trans-Atlantic flight or six hours on longer flights over the Pacific ocean. 

 

 



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Here are the fees you're paying on 3 common types of investments

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frustrated businessman

Ask anyone who has ever financed a new car or taken out a mortgage and they'll tell you: Fees matter.

They also matter when you're counting on the returns from your investments to help fund your golden years — returns that can take a hit when you're absorbing a lot of investment management fees.

"Fees are one thing you can control in investing, and they're crucially important," says Matt Hougan, CEO of ETF.com. "In every study that's looked at the performance of mutual funds or the long-term returns that investors get, fees are one of the key determinants of returns."

Sure enough, a study by research firm Morningstar found that low-cost funds typically beat high-cost funds in every time period that was tested.

In other words, the lower your fund's expense ratio, the higher your total returns are likely to be when compared to other funds with the same investment objective.

Of course, as you'll soon see, you still have to take into account potential 12b-1 fees, front-end loads, back-end loads and redemption fees.

Say what?

Don't worry — you're not alone in feeling flummoxed by all that investment lingo.

"It's confusing to everybody, even if you've been investing for a while," says Todd Smith, a certified financial planner based in Colorado Springs, Colo.

So to help set the record straight on fees, we asked financial pros to walk us through the true costs of three common investment vehicles: active mutual funds, index mutual funds and ETFs.

RELATED: 10 Burning Questions You've Wanted to Ask About Investing

SEE ALSO: How to find out if you're paying excessive fees on your retirement savings

The 101 on mutual fund fees

A mutual fund is a collection of investments that can be made up of stocks, bonds and such short-term reserves as cash and U.S. treasury bills. Purchasing shares in a mutual fund enables you to diversify your portfolio for less money than it would cost to buy stocks or bonds individually.

But that kind of convenience can come at a price: Since many mutual funds are actively managed, they typically carry a set of fees to cover management, distribution and other costs.

"[The mutual fund has] to pay the salaries of the research analysts and portfolio managers who are trying to actively make decisions and changes in the portfolio to increase returns," explains Jorge Padilla, a CFP with Lubitz Financial in Miami.

Fees can vary greatly from mutual fund to mutual fund, so it's worth doing some research before you commit to investing in one. You can find details on fees through a fund's prospectus. It may also be available on the fund's website, or through an independent investment research site.

Here are five key fees to investigate:

Expense ratio: This is the percentage of your money that mutual funds (and index mutual funds and ETFs) charge each year to cover operating expenses.

For instance, an expense ratio of 1% means that you'll pay $1 each year for every $100 you've invested. If the expense ratio is 0.75%, you'll owe 75 cents.

Another way to think about it: Your annual return is equivalent to the overall return of your investments (say a hypothetical 5%) minus your expense ratio fee (say 1%).

For actively managed mutual funds, an expense ratio of 1% or less is generally considered to be reasonable, according to Micah Hauptman, a financial services counsel for the Consumer Federation of America.

For comparison, the average expense ratio across all types of funds was 0.64% in 2014, based on a Morningstar study.

As you evaluate your options, also keep in mind that you'll want to compare funds with similar strategies.

For example, "it wouldn't be fair to look at the expense ratio for a taxable bond [fund] versus a U.S. equity [fund]," Smith explains. "You'd want to compare apples to apples, because some areas are just more expensive."

12b-1 fees: These are included in a fund's annual expense ratio and used to cover marketing and distribution costs.

"It's another cost drag on the fund's performance," Smith says. "So I'd suggest people look for funds that have low to no 12b-1 charges."

These 12b-1 fees have come under scrutiny recently by the Securities and Exchange Commission and consumer advocate organizations, which claim that some companies roll other fees—like adviser commissions—into their 12b-1 fees without informing investors.

Load fees: You may incur these costs when you buy or sell shares—it depends on the type of mutual fund you choose.

A front-end loaded fund charges you a fee (generally between 3% and 8.5%) when you buy shares of that fund, while a back-end loaded fund charges a fee when you sell shares (typically between 3% and 6%).

Loaded funds fall into three possible share classes: A, B or C.

"A" shares are front loaded, "B" shares have a deferred sales charge (the longer you hold onto it, the lower the back-end load fee) and "C" shares are back-end loaded.

A no-load fund doesn't charge front-end or back-end fees, so if you want to try to save on costs, look for funds with such a designation.

Redemption fees: If you don't hold on to your shares long enough before selling them, some mutual funds may charge this fee.

For example, you might have to pay a 2% fee for shares held for 90 days or less, or a $7.95 fee for online transactions in which you sell funds purchased within 30 days.

The intention with redemption fees is to discourage short-term trading. "It's helping the company manage the fund better—to control inflows and outflows," Smith explains.

Redemption fees are credited to a fund's assets, unlike back-end load fees, which are paid out to a broker or other financial intermediary.

Account service fees: Some mutual funds may charge this fee if your balance falls below a certain minimum.

Account service fees can range anywhere from $12 a year for a mutual fund account with a balance below $2,000 to $50 per quarter for investing less than $25,000.

Fund managers can also charge a service fee to close out your account.

RELATED: Checklist: I Want to Set Up an Investment Account



The 101 on index mutual fund fees

As the name suggests, these funds track an index, like the S&P 500. "They're trying to replicate [its] investment performance and behavior," Padilla explains.

Most of the time, he adds, index mutual funds have lower investment costs than actively managed funds. So while the fee structure for index mutual funds is akin to that of traditional mutual funds, the amounts charged are generally lower.

Here's what you can typically expect to pay:

Expense ratio: The 1%-or-less rule also applies to index mutual funds.

12b-1 fees: Index mutual funds don't rely as much on marketing as traditional mutual funds do, so there tend to be fewer 12b-1 fees associated with them.

"If you compare an actively-managed fund versus an index fund, the latter doesn't have marketing costs, since it's really just mirroring an index," explains Smith.

Load fees: Plenty of index mutual funds do not tack on load fees when shares are bought or sold, according to Smith, who says it's worth seeking out no-load funds.

Redemption fees: If you don't hold on to a fund for long enough before selling it, you may still run the risk of paying this fee, depending on the specific policies of your index mutual fund.

Account service fees: If your account falls below the required minimum balance, you may be subject to account service fees that are similar to those of traditional mutual funds.



The 101 on ETF fees

Like index mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) may seek to track an index or group of investments. ETFs can also be actively managed.

In general, passive ETFs tend to have lower expenses than actively managed mutual funds.

And whereas mutual funds trade just once a day, after the close of trading, shares of an ETF are bought and sold throughout the day on a stock exchange — much like the shares of an individual company's stock.

As a result, the price of an ETF fluctuates as its shares are bought and sold, which isn't the case for mutual funds.

ETFs also come with a few unique costs that should be on your radar:

Bid-ask spread: Since ETFs are traded over the course of the day, there's sometimes a difference between what a buyer is willing to pay and what a seller is asking — and vice versa. This is known as the bid-ask spread, and it generally averages just a few pennies per share.

"For most retail investors, you want to see spreads that are under about a nickel wide," Hougan says. "The most liquid ETFs have penny-wide spreads."

While a bid-ask spread isn't a fee per se — you won't see it as a separate line item — it can impact your returns, since you may be selling for less than you'd like, or buying for more than you'd like, depending on the spread. (Larger spreads are more common with ETFs that have less trading volume.)

Expense ratio: ETFs charge an annual percentage of your invested money to cover operating costs, but it's typically on the low end of the spectrum, generally between 0.4% and 0.6%. Some providers offer funds for the core of your portfolio for under 0.2%.

12b-1 fees: As with index mutual funds, ETFs don't rely as much on marketing as actively managed mutual funds do, so they don't typically charge 12b-1 fees.

Load fees: One of the benefits of investing in ETFs is that load fees do not apply — no matter how much intraday trading takes place. However, there may be a transaction cost to purchase or sell an ETF.

Redemption fees: Like mutual funds, some ETFs may be subject to short-term trading fees, if they're held for less than a specified period, such as 30 days.

Commission fees: ETFs generally come with a commission or trading fee, since you're buying and selling shares through a brokerage account.

This is typically not a concern if you make the occasional large purchase, but ETFs with trading fees generally aren't a great fit if you engage in dollar-cost averaging — investing small amounts at regular intervals — since these fees can add up over time.

"Fortunately, most of the major brokerages have a series of ETFs you can trade commission-free," Hougan points out. "Those can be an option for investors who are dollar-cost averaging, or not investing large sums."

They're also further proof that it pays to understand your investment-fee fine print.

RELATED: 6 Rookie Portfolio Mistakes Even Seasoned Investors Make

LearnVest Planning Services is a registered investment adviser and subsidiary of LearnVest, Inc., that provides financial plans for its clients. Information shown is for illustrative purposes only and is not intended as investment, legal or tax planning advice. Please consult a financial adviser, attorney or tax specialist for advice specific to your financial situation. Unless specifically identified as such, the individuals interviewed or otherwise listed in this piece are neither clients, employees nor affiliates of LearnVest Planning Services and the views expressed are their own. LearnVest Planning Services and any third parties listed, linked to or otherwise appearing in this message are separate and unaffiliated and are not responsible for each other's products, services or policies. LearnVest, Inc., is wholly owned by NM Planning, LLC, a subsidiary of The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company.



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18 apps that earn you money

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Ibotta

Your phone and your wallet are a lot more similar than you think.

We found 18 apps that will make you money. All of the apps can be downloaded for free, and each has a strong user base to ensure that you get the most bang for your buck. 

From taking surveys to kicking back and watching TV, here are the apps that will put a little cash in your pocket.

Earn cash back with Ebates.

Ebates lets shoppers earn cash back from over 1,700 stores. When you shop at an online retailer, go through Ebates to see that company's cash back percentage.

The app also allows you to use in-store coupons and gives price comparisons when you scan an item. Ebates has already given back $250 million to its users.

Available On: iOS, Android



Accumulate digital dollars with Swagbucks.

Users can participate in up to nine different activities, including watching videos, surfing the web, and inputting swag codes, to earn Swagbucks — virtual money that can be redeemed in the form of gift cards, coupons, and sweepstakes entries.

Available On: iOS, Android



Coupon clippers love Ibotta.

Before shopping, unlock the day's rebates on Ibotta by answering a trivia question or posting on social media. Then head to the store and pick up the items for the day's rebates.

After checking out, hit Ibotta's "redeem" button and take a picture of your receipt to confirm your purchases. Once you have $10 or more in your account, you can cash out with PayPal or Venmo. 

Available On: iOS, Android



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