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The most valuable Lego set of all time is a Star Wars fan favorite

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millenium falcon brickpicker_set_10179_15In the miniaturized world of Lego, one set flies above all the others: The Ultimate Collector's Millennium Falcon, released in 2007.

With a resale price of $3,987.40, it's the most valuable Lego set of all time.

Here's what makes it so special, according to Ed and Jeff Maciorowski, the authors of  "The Ultimate Guide to Collectible LEGO® Sets: Identification and Price Guide."

When released back in 2007 to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Star Wars, the Millennium Falcon was the most expensive Lego set ever, retailing for $499.99.

 

 

 



It's appreciated a staggering 600% since then.



It has the second-most pieces of any set (5,192), putting it just behind the Taj Mahal (5,922).



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The 11 best laptops to buy in 2016 (AAPL)

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Buying a laptop is a big investment, but the right choice can make you happy for years.

To help you find your perfect laptop, we've assembled a list of the best laptops for all preferences and budgets. We've included high-end powerhouses with stunning displays, gorgeous works of design, and inexpensive options that give you the basics without breaking the bank.

Here are the 11 best laptops on the market that give you the most value:

SEE ALSO: The 11 best smartphones you should seriously consider buying this holiday season

If you're looking for a high-end laptop but also love tablets, Microsoft's Surface Book is the perfect all-in-one.

Microsoft turned plenty of heads this year with the announcement of the Microsoft Surface Book, its first laptop.

What makes it so special? The screen actually detaches to become a powerful, lightweight tablet on its own. And some models of Microsoft Surface Book go so far as to include a dedicated graphics unit right in the keyboard base, making it a gaming and video-editing powerhouse. In fact, Microsoft says it's twice as powerful as an Apple MacBook Pro.

Price: Starts at $1,499



If you want a modern MacBook but you're on a budget, buy the MacBook Air.

The MacBook Air is still one of the best laptops you can buy. Not only is it razor-thin and light, but it offers excellent performance and battery life, too. Last year, Apple updated its MacBook Air to add new fifth-generation processors from Intel, which means the Air is capable of lasting even longer on a single charge than it was in the past.

In its review, PCMag wrote that it got more than 17 hours of battery life out of the MacBook Air, which is extremely impressive. It comes in 11- and 13-inch screen sizes, but if you plan on using it primarily for work, we'd suggest the larger option.

Price:Starts at $899



If you just use your laptop for light work, watching Netflix, and browsing the web, Toshiba's Chromebook 2 is super cheap and has great battery life.

Toshiba's Chromebook 2 is among the best out there. It has a beautiful screen and great battery life, and it feels comfortable in your lap. The design is sturdy enough to withstand being tossed in your bag during commutes without getting scraped up.

Toshiba refreshed this last fall. You now get a superb 1080p IPS display, an Intel Celeron 3215U processor, 4GB of RAM, a 16GB solid-state drive, 802.11ac Wi-Fi, and an excellent nine to 10 hours of battery life.

If you mostly use your laptop for doing light work and browsing the web, this is a great choice.

Price:$330



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The 9 most desired Airbnbs

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Airbnb has become popular partly because people can open up their exquisite (or strange) properties around the world. 

When Airbnb looked at its own data to determine the most wished-for properties, it shows that its guests are lusting after the spectacular and the eccentric.

From a Pirates of the Carribbean-themed retreat near Los Angeles to a treehouse overlooking the rolling hills of Tuscany, here are the 9 properties that the most people wish for, as measured by how many people added them to a wishlist.

 

SEE ALSO: The 5 most expensive Airbnb rentals booked for New Year's Eve are insanely gorgeous and cost over $3,000 per night

No. 9: Sometimes it's all about location and price. This mini-loft in the heart of Rome rents for $41 a night, a cheap price that's made it a hit among Airbnb users visiting Italy.

Read more about the listing here

 



No. 8: Nicknamed the mushroom villa by the people in Bali, Indonesia, this house comes with its own turquoise pool. Its views from the bedroom of the palm trees and a sliver of the ocean also gave it a nickname of the treehouse. For $76, its guests find the views and the budget hard to beat.

Read more about the listing here. 



No. 7: Located in a canyon northwest of LA, the Pirates of the Caribbean house has doubled as both a rental and a set for a music video. The tropical-themed guest house is set on a property filled with mini waterfalls and pools, including a waterfall next to the Jacuzzi. There's a brand new teepee on site, and the owner will lend you his surfboard so you can take advantage of the waves at a nearby beach, an eight-minute drive away.

Read more about the listing here



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

There's a gorgeous PlayStation 4 exclusive coming out this month that looks amazing

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We're barely two weeks into January and there are already great new games arriving on the PlayStation 4. 

The Witness

This is "The Witness," a new puzzle/exploration game coming to the PlayStation 4 and PC on January 26, 2016. It's gorgeous and massive and it's been in development for over seven years. But what is it? Let's find out!

"The Witness" is a puzzle game set on an uninhabited island — this island:





You play the game in first-person, as the sole explorer on the island.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Everything you need to know from 'Making a Murderer' if you don't want to spend 10 hours watching

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The discussion surrounding Netflix's "Making a Murderer" has finally hit a fever pitch.

The true-crime series about Steven Avery, a man exonerated for a crime after spending 18 years in prison only to find himself charged of a heinous new crime, has struck a nerve with viewers.

Whether you believe Avery is innocent of the murder or not, it's impossible to walk away from the documentary without having some doubt in the American justice system and its process.

Everyone from the White House to the victim of the 1985 crime that wrongfully imprisoned Avery has commented on the show and the case in the weeks since the series was released near the end of December. And there is little one can do to avoid all the coverage.

But what if you haven't been able to watch or finish — or what if you watched a few weeks ago and need a refresher? Business Insider has you covered.

Here's a quick recap of all 10 episodes of "Making a Murderer" and the most important developments:

SEE ALSO: 'Making a Murderer' convict Steven Avery has no chance of being pardoned

MORE: 'Making a Murderer' lawyer admits he has a regret about his defense of 16-year-old Brendan Dassey

Episode 1: Steven Avery's freedom is fleeting.

Home at last: Steven Avery returned to his family in 2003 after being exonerated for the 1985 rape and assault of a woman, Penny Beerntsen, in his home county Manitowoc County, Wisconsin. He had already served 18 years in prison for the crime. New DNA evidence proved him innocent.

He's welcomed back with open arms and given the full attention of media and state politicians.

But this isn't the kind of treatment Avery is used to — and his luck is about to change.



Steven Avery had a spotty past: The Avery family weren't ones to mix with the community in Manitowoc. They stuck to themselves and lived close to each other or on their family property, where they also ran an auto-salvage yard. They've been known to get in trouble with the law.

Avery's record before the rape arrest wasn't what you'd call clean. It included a few burglaries and cruelty to an animal — he doused a cat with gasoline and placed it in a fire. Avery, who's revealed to have an IQ of 70, chalks it up to hanging with the wrong people.

But his family insists he would always admit to his wrongdoings if he actually did them.

And Avery seemed to be getting his life together. He got married and had kids.



Steven Avery crosses the police: Avery was accused by a local woman, and an Avery relative, of running her off the road and pulling a gun on her.

He admitted to doing so, though he claimed the gun wasn't loaded. His reason for doing so, he said, was that she had previously reported that he harassed her and made lewd gestures toward her.

She was married to a county deputy, which may have made matters worse for him, according to one theory of the case. Before he knew it, Avery was facing the charges of sexual assault and attempted murder. Beerntsen, who was brutally attacked while jogging, would later identify him as her attacker.

Even though Avery had an alibi and another police department identified a different possible suspect, Avery was convicted of the crimes and given 32 years without a chance for parole.

As we know, he would later be freed because of DNA evidence. In fact, the assailant was the police's other suspect, Gregory Allen, who attacked two other women while Avery was in prison.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

I went to the most insane beach party on the planet — and felt totally out of my league

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Thailand is known for lots of things: gorgeous beaches, spicy cuisine, elephants. But in the last few decades, it's also become known for one of the biggest bacchanalia on the planet: the Full Moon Party.

It takes place once a month on the island of Ko Pha Ngan, an hour's flight from Bangkok. As many as 30,000 people attend the rave, which goes past dawn. Most are tourists from Europe and the US who have come specifically for the event.

The monthly influx has transformed once-sleepy Haad Rin beach into party central. The town's streets are lined with drug stores, clinics, T-shirt shops, hostels, and massage parlors. It has also become more dangerous, with reports of date rapedrowning, and even deadly shootings.

I was in Thailand for the 2016 New Year's Eve bash — technically not during the full moon, but still a major rager. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience ... mostly because I'd never do it again in my life. I'm 30, and I felt like the oldest, most sober, and least neon-covered person on the beach. It seemed like almost everyone was either in college or a recent grad.

But it was awesome to see, just once.

SEE ALSO: 50 places you should visit in 2016

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Just getting to Ko Pha Ngan for the party is an adventure. Like many partygoers, we stayed on nearby Ko Samui and took a speedboat, which made the 25-minute ride on the choppy sea feel like a roller coaster.



The boat docked on one side of a peninsula, and from there it was a five-minute walk to Haad Rin beach, home of the Full Moon Party.



Well, it would have been a five-minute walk on any other night. But after paying the 100 baht ($2.75) entrance fee, it was a long slog through crowds of partiers prepping for the night.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Alan Rickman's glorious acting career in 16 photos — from the stage to 'Die Hard' and 'Harry Potter'

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Alan Rickman

Alan Rickman died Thursday after a battle with cancer. The actor was 69.

Rickman was 39 when he landed his big break as the lead male role in the 1985 Royal Shakespeare Company's production of "Les Liaisons Dangereuses". He reprised the role in the 1987 Broadway revival and earned his first Tony nomination.

A year later, he made his film debut as the notorious villian Hans Gruber in "Die Hard". And thus began Rickman's ascension to one of the most recognizable actors, helped in part by his perfect voice. In 2001, he wove his way into the hearts of "Harry Potter" fans as the beloved Severus Snape and continued the role through 2011. 

In honor of his remarkable career, here's a look back at 16 of his most memorable roles: 

SEE ALSO: How the 'Die Hard' director tricked Alan Rickman into making the best scene of his career

Alan Rickman's first major film role was portraying the memorable villain Hans Gruber in 1988's "Die Hard."



In 1992, he was nominated for two BAFTA Awards. One for "Truly Madly Deeply"...



...and the other for "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves," for which he actually won.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

One of the largest dinosaurs ever discovered just landed in NYC

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The American Museum of Natural History in New York has a new inhabitant: one of the largest dinosaurs ever discovered. 

Meet the titanosaur:

How did they get the 122-foot dino in the door? It wasn't easy. 

SEE ALSO: Leading Harvard physicist has a radical new theory for why humans exist

CHECK OUT: Why a rumor about the discovery of something Einstein predicted 100 years ago is going viral

The dino is so new it doesn't have an official species name yet.



It's part of the titanosaurs group, giant herbivores that roamed the Earth 100 million years ago.



Paleontologists unearthed the titanosaur from an Argentinian desert in 2014.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Google mapped out a massive model city with a mini Street View car and it's incredible (GOOG)

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Germany's "Miniatur Wunderland" is the world's largest model railway — and it's one of the cutest, most detailed models you'll ever see in your life.

But to bring new perspective to the massive model railway, Google built a miniature version of its Street View cars and placed it in the Miniatur Wunderland, capturing footage thanks to tiny mounted cameras.

The results are stunning.

Google worked with mapping software company Unilabs to build a small Street View car with a tiny mounted camera to capture the sprawling model world.



Google also built other mini camera devices to cruise the streets and railways of Miniatur Wunderland.



The Google car starts off on a road surrounding a reconstruction of the Neuschwanstein Castle in Bavaria.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

I compared the price of organic and regular items at Whole Foods — here's what I found

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When I went into a Manhattan Whole Foods to look at the price difference between organic and non-organic products, I expected the organic options would be a lot more expensive.

I was pleasantly surprised.

By the way, I know that Whole Foods is pricey compared to some other grocery chains, but it's also a national chain with organic options for most of its products, making it ideal for this comparison. Plus, it's near my office.

I scoured the aisles and compared the prices of 20 popular grocery items in their organic and non-organic forms. Also, I calculated about how much it would cost me (or you) each year to go the organic route, assuming I bought each item once per week.

Here's the breakdown:

SEE ALSO: I spent 2 weeks researching restaurants at every price point before my mom came to visit NYC, and here's where we went

Strawberries

I started in the produce section and was pleasantly surprised with the marginal price difference between organic and regular fruits and veggies:

Regular strawberries: $3.99 per pound

Organic strawberries: $4.49 per pound

Buying a pound of organic strawberries each week would cost you about $26 more than buying non-organic over the course of a year.



Bananas

Regular bananas: $0.79 per pound

Organic bananas: $0.89 per pound

Buying two pounds of organic bananas each week would cost you about $10 more than buying non-organic over the course of a year.



Peaches

Regular peaches: $3.49 per pound

Organic peaches: $3.99 per pound

Buying a pound of organic peaches each week would cost you about $26 more than buying non-organic over the course of a year.

One thing I noticed in the produce section was general disorganization — I found the organic peaches relatively quickly, but then struggled to find their regular counterpart, which ended up being all the way across the produce section. This held true for most of the fruits and veggies, and got me wondering how many times I bought the pricier organic simply because I couldn't find the regular option.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

This tiny, 420-square-foot New York City apartment can be transformed to have more than twice the space

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Graham Hill, the founder of architecture and design consultancy Life Edited, has been actively challenging the idea of luxury and space for the past 5 years.

His 420-square-foot New York City studio apartment might sound like a tight squeeze — but with its innovative design, Hill has managed to create a transforming space that can actually function similar to a house two to three times its size. Dinner party with 10 guests? No problem. Two family members staying for the holiday weekend? Bring it on.

For Hill, his apartment is an extension of his minimalist lifestyle.

"Living with less" means "it's easier to choose to focus on important stuff with a little more ease," he told Business Insider. 

He shared some photos of his incredible apartment and its various space-saving hacks.

SEE ALSO: How a chef cooks gourmet meals on a hot plate in his 100-square-foot apartment

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

This seemingly simple 420-square-foot studio actually has 1,000 square feet of functionality.



While Hill was working at TreeHugger.com, he became increasingly aware of the negative effects larger homes can have on the environment.



"Between 40-70% of greenhouse gas emissions are somehow related to housing: constructing them, powering them, transportation to and from them, filling them up with stuff and so on," Hill said.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

How to visit Berlin like a local

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Marco de Martino from Travelzoo’s team in Berlin guides us through the must-see attractions in one of Europe’s most exciting cities.

These are the 5 must-go places if you want to visit Berlin like a local.

 

SEE ALSO: How Berlin became the coolest city in the world

Walk along former borders and see how two cities have become one.

The Berlin Wall is still there – but instead of being a border, it has become a symbol for freedom and unity. It’s also a focal point for the thriving street-art scene of the German capital. The so-called Eastside Gallery shows graffiti left on the wall right after the borders were torn down. Take a walk between the Spree River and the Wall from Ostbahnhof down to Warschauer Straße – on the way, you’ll pass some of the city’s old and new landmarks, including the historic Oberbaum Bridge and the modern Mercedes Benz Arena.

For another chance to see a blend of the old and new, head to the Reichstag, which was completely modernized and reopened in 1999, and returned to its original purpose as Germany’s seat of parliament. A massive new glass dome was fitted to the roof, but the graffiti left by Soviet soldiers in the first days of Berlin’s occupation was preserved. A visit to the Reichstag is a must– even if it’s just for the panoramic view from the dome.



Discover the remnants of the rule of fear.

For more than 40 years, Berlin was a city between freedom and dictatorship, between East and West. One less heralded sight that serves as a reminder of this very special history is the Soviet War Memorialand Military Cemetery in the Eastern district of Treptow.

Here you’ll find huge stone carvings, murals and statues, all of which aimed to underscore the might of the Soviet Union, right in the capital of the former enemy they defeated. Situated in Treptow Park, this is a simultaneously beautiful and bizarre place.

Like many similar monuments, the Soviet War Memorial was not destroyed after the fall of the wall. And others were even purposely erected. The Memorial of the Murdered Jews of Europe is maybe the most impressive example of how a city – and a whole nation – tries to deal with its past. “Ugly”, “big”, “disturbing” is how most visitors describe it. And that is exactly what the monument is trying to depict.

 



Experience a cultural melting pot at its best.

Few districts in the city symbolize Berlin’s modern standing as a multicultural hub better than trendy Kreuzberg. The area’s distinct Arab and Turkish influence is clearly evident in the mix of traditional barber shops, halal butcheries and kebab houses on Adalbertstraße, but that only tells half the story.

Amongst this, you’ll also find an array of hip fashion boutiques, galleries and restaurants that have helped forge Kreuzberg’s reputation as a magnet for the young and trendy.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

All the perks you get when you sign up for Amazon Prime (AMZN)

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Most people probably think of Amazon Prime as a free two-day shipping service.

After all, that was the only benefit to the retailer's loyalty program when it started in 2005 and cost $79 per year.

But Prime has changed a lot since then, and it's no longer just about the free shipping.

A membership also now costs $99 per year.

Here's an overview of everything you now get as a member of Amazon Prime.

Access to Prime Video, a growing catalog of streaming movies and TV shows.

Prime subscribers can stream content from Prime Video, Amazon's Netflix-like streaming service. It's mostly older shows and movies, but it has a mix of newer programming, original content, and even a back catalog of HBO shows. Noteworthy original shows that you can't stream anywhere else include "Transparent,""The Man in the High Castle," and "Mozart in the Jungle." You also have access to movies and TV shows.



You can also add subscriptions to Showtime, Starz, and more.

Prime subscribers can add additional video services to their Prime accounts. They're not free, but some are discounted. A subscription to Showtime's standalone service, for example, is regularly $10.99 per month, but Amazon discounts it to $8.99.



Access to a streaming music catalog.

Amazon Prime also gives you access to a streaming music catalog. It doesn't have the selection that Spotify or Apple Music has, but it's a great perk that's included with Prime.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

This new game looks like a Pixar movie

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Games look better and better every year. Take this as exhibit A:

Ratchet and Clank (PlayStation 4)

Not bad, right? This is the new "Ratchet & Clank" game, exclusively heading to the PlayStation 4 this spring. 

This is Ratchet. He's a "lombax"— a cat-like biped with a penchant for technology and heroism.



And here's his buddy Clank. He's a robot who usually rides on Ratchet's back.



Like so:



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Why 'Creed' director Ryan Coogler is the 'perfect' choice for 'Black Panther'

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Earlier this week, Marvel announced that 29-year-old Ryan Coogler will direct "Black Panther."

The "Creed" director beat out other frontrunners including Ava DuVernay, who reportedly passed on the role.

Black Panther will be a big addition to the Marvel universe. We'll get our first glimpse of T'Challa, King of the fictional African nation of Wakanda, in this spring's "Captain America: Civil War." Coogler will then direct Black Panther's solo film for 2018.

Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige praised Coogler in the announcement as "the perfect director to bring T’Challa’s story to life.” According to Feige, the film will be a “big geo-political action adventure" focusing on family T’Challa's struggle in Wakanda.

Feige also said the character will serve as a big link to help connect some of the next "Avengers" movies.

Here's why Feige and fans are so excited for Coogler to take the reins of the beloved hero: 

Coogler knows how to keep a complex political story simple.

Coogler's debut, "Fruitvale Station" was the true story of Oscar Grant's shooting in 2009. On New Year's Eve, the 22-year-old was shot and killed during an altercation with a Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) officer in Coogler's hometown of Oakland, California. Riots erupted when video of the incident surfaced online from a bystander's cell phone. 

While there were many complex themes present in the film, racism, law enforcement, class, etc. Coogler told Buzzfeed that his main focus was on telling a relatable story about the film's protaganist. 

“People know what it’s like to be young, people know what it’s like to struggle with something internally and to have that thing you’re struggling with damage the people around you," he said. "People know what it’s like to have a mom, a spouse, a kid. We focused on those relationships."

Coogler can do the complex "geopolitical" plot justice, but still keep the film centered on the legendary comic character. Keeping a clear focus will allow new audiences to connect with T'Challa as well please Black Panther's legion of fans with high expectations for his cinematic debut. 



Coogler has also proven he can successfully direct both veteran actors and newcomers.

"Fruitvale Station" was the feature film debut of Michael B. Jordan and is often credited with launching his Hollywood career. Jordan earned dozens of acting nominations from film festivals for "Fruitvale Station" and is again garnering acclaim for his starring role in Coogler's second film, "Creed." 

Coogler's direction has also proven rewarding for seasoned actors."Creed," won 69-year-old actor Sylvester Stallone his first Golden Globe. He was awarded best supporting actor in a motion picture for reprising his "Rocky" role.

The cast for "Black Panther" hasn't been announced yet, but Marvel films tend to mix newcomers with veterans, like Glenn Close in "Guardians of the Galaxy," Anthony Hopkins in "Thor" and Samuel L. Jackson in both "Avengers" films. Coogler has shown he can get great performances from his actors, seasoned or newcomers. 



He's careful in his treatment of female characters.

Action franchises have come under increasing scrutiny recently for the treatment of female characters on screen and off. There's a notable lack of superheroine action figures — something Disney recently addressed with "Star Wars — and a notable lack of films led by a female superhero. (We're still waiting on that Black Widow movie.) Most recently, Marvel director and female onscreen champion Joss Whedon left Twitter following fan backlash for Black Widow's romantic story arc in "Avengers 2: Age of Ultron." 

Coogler is noticeably careful in his treatment of women.

"Fruitvale Station" prominently featured Grant's mother, girlfriend and daughter, with Academy Award winning actress Octavia Spencer playing his mother. Similarly, "Creed" also focuses on Creed's girlfriend, played by Tessa Thompson and adopted mother, played by Tony award winning Phylicia Rashad.

The "Black Panther" comic franchise features multiple women, including his warrior sister Shuri, love interest Monica Lynne, and warrior tribeswomen Okoye and Queen Divine Justice. At least one of them will probably make their big screen debut and fans will likely be very sensitive to their portrayals. 

 



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

7 things we know will happen in 'Mr. Robot' next season — including a time-jumping opening

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The surprise hit and critical favorite of 2015, "Mr. Robot" has fans chomping at the bit for more information about what's to come.

Don't worry, we finally have it.

On the heels of the USA Network show's Globes wins earlier this week, creator Sam Esmail and his stars appeared at the Television Critics Association press tour on Thursday in Los Angeles.

While writing is ongoing for a return to shooting in March, creator Sam Esmail is keeping a lot of details about the show's second season close to the vest. But he did give us some details on what's to come when the show returns in the summer.

(Needless to say, there are spoilers for season one ahead.)

Here are seven things we know about season two:

SEE ALSO: 'Lost' creator Carlton Cuse's latest show ‘Colony' is creating a whole new online world

MORE: Donny Deutsch explains how he went from talk-show host to sitcom star

Creator Sam Esmail is directing all 10 new episodes.

Sam Esmail is taking the quick route through the TV business. It's especially rare for a first-time creator to run their show, too, which he did. But on season two, he'll add another hat: full-time director. He doesn't mind the extra work and said he's not the greatest collaborator.

"The show’s look is so singular," he said. "It’s actually going to be easier for me."

 

 

 



There will be some (but not total) clarity about season one and the storyline.

Now that Elliot (Rami Malek) is aware of his breakdowns, season two will begin the task of clarifying events and the order in which they happened.

"I will say there will be a lot more backstory," Esmail revealed. "The timeline is going to get a little clearer, not a lot clearer, but clearer... This series is filling in the blanks of this character, the past, the present, and the future. That’s how I’m approaching every season."



It's all about what's in Elliot's head.

When we last left Elliot, his whole life was falling apart. What's real and what's not? And how far gone is his mental health? Those are the questions season two will be built around.

"The whole show is about Elliott’s emotional journey and less about the plot," Esmail said.

“That’s a tough pill to swallow, and we’re really going into the mind of a person who’s just become aware of that,” he continued. “Will twists organically derive out of that? If I were a betting man, I’d say yes.”



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Watch a machine smash your favorite everyday objects with 100,000 lbs. of pressure

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General Electric makes some ridiculously strong alloys that can withstand incredible pressures and temperatures — stuff you'd want to tool into an airplane engine.

To test how strong these alloys are, GE engineers put them in a heating-and-smashing device called a micro forge, which we first heard about from Digg.

The micro forge, located at GE's Global Research Center in Schenectady, New York, can heat up to the temperature of an active volcano and compresses objects with 100,000 lbs. of pressure.

The company's engineers decided to have a little fun and smash some everyday objects, too. It's pretty amazing to watch what cracks under pressure, and what survives.

This rubber ducky popped, but it was still technically intact.

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This tennis ball bounced right back, unfazed.

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This baseball, filled with cork, exploded.

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How the 'Harry Potter' cast members are reacting to Alan Rickman's death

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News of Alan Rickman's death Thursday came as a shock to both fans and those in the film world.

While he was known for roles in "Die Hard" and "Galaxy Quest," younger generations came to know him as Severus Snape, the Potions professor with a seemingly cold exterior, in the "Harry Potter" series.

Rickman spent a decade playing the antihero, who, by the end of the franchise, became one of the most beloved characters.

"Harry Potter" cast and crew have taken to social media to react to Rickman's sudden passing after a battle with cancer. 

Keep reading to see how the "Harry Potter" family is remembering Rickman.

Author J.K. Rowling was among the first of the cast and crew to share her thoughts.

 

 



Harry Potter actor Daniel Radcliffe wrote a long, poignant note on Google+ telling fans Rickman would come and watch him in his plays after the "Potter" franchise was over.

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Hermione actress Emma Watson wrote a short message on Facebook.

 



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The rise and fall of Marissa Mayer, the once beloved CEO of Yahoo (YHOO)

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Marissa Mayer

Hopes were high when Marissa Mayer was hired as Yahoo CEO in 2012. People thought she would turn around the perennially dysfunctional internet giant.

But three years in and Mayer's time at Yahoo has been marred by slowing growth and internal dissent, leading to plummeting employee morale.

Now, some Yahoo investors are demanding a change in management, including a replacement for Mayer.

We went through a bunch of recent news stories and Nicholas Carlson's book — "Marissa Mayer and the Fight to Save Yahoo!" — to put together the story of Mayer's epic rise to become one of the biggest Silicon Valley power players and her sudden fall.

SEE ALSO: It's mind-boggling how these 23 Silicon Valley power players all used to work at Yahoo

Mayer was born in 1975 in a small Wisconsin town called Wausau. Her father was an engineer and her mother was an art teacher.



She developed an early talent for math and science, and teachers loved her. Although she was a good presenter, her friends didn't take her as particularly extroverted. In fact, Mayer once described the child version of herself as "painfully shy."



Mayer applied to 10 schools and got accepted to all of them, including Harvard, Yale, and Stanford. She ended up going to Stanford, where she first took premed courses, in hopes of becoming a doctor.



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These are the real faces behind your favorite childhood cartoon characters

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Tom Kenny Spongebob

If you're a millennial, chances are you remember watching ABC's One Saturday Morning, the Disney Channel, and Nickelodeon cartoons growing up.

You might even still watch "SpongeBob SquarePants," now in its ninth season.

But do you know what the man who voices Squidward on "SpongeBob" really looks like? Or what the voice actors behind Yakko, Wakko, and Dot from the "Animaniacs" are also known for?

Keep reading to meet the insanely talented voice actors behind your favorite childhood cartoon characters.

Lane Toran was one of the first voice actors to have the role of Arnold in Nickelodeon’s “Hey Arnold!”

You can hear him in the first 41 episodes of the series during season one and half of season two. Toran still acts and has appeared recently in the TV series “Nashville” as well as “Satisfaction.”



The voice of Arnold's best friend Gerald was played by Jamil Walker Smith.

Smith is also an actor and has appeared in numerous TV series, including “Bones,” “Cold Case,” and “Girlfriends.” He’s also had a reoccurring role as Master Sergeant Ronald Greer in “SGU Stargate Universe Kino.”



Francesa Smith was the voice of Helga in every episode of "Hey Arnold!"

Smith is currently a Provost's Fellow at USC Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism, according to her Twitter bio. Though she hasn't acted much since "Hey Arnold!" she was also a voice actress for animated shows like "Recess" and "101 Dalmations: The Series."



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