Dubai spares no expense when making its cityscape the most jaw-dropping in the world.

In the 2000s, the emirate dropped nearly $600 billion into constructing the world's tallest tower, the biggest man-made island, and the most luxurious hotel, among other architectural feats.

These aerial photos of Dubai capture the city's elegance and ambition.

Dubai is a city of superlatives. Located in the United Arab Emirates, the ritzy metropolis is home to some of the tallest, biggest, and most luxurious structures in the world.

These dazzling photos of Dubai, taken from the sky, show off the city's architectural feats.

The Burj Al Arab, the fourth-tallest hotel in the world, dominates the Dubai skyline.

The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, is one of the most impressive particle colliders that's ever been built, and the people who run it have a monumental job — searching for evidence of new matter that's yet to be discovered.

They've succeeded more than once already. In 2012, scientists at CERN discovered the Higgs boson, and just last month the organization announced that they'd found a new class of particles known as pentaquarks.

The LHC, the largest and most powerful particle accelerator in the world, has made all this possible. The machine is housed underground, deep beneath the international border separating France from Switzerland, and is 16 miles long.

Inside, particle beams in the accelerator smash into each other at close to the speed of light to essentially simulate the split second after the Big Bang. Scientists then study the particles produced by the collisions.

The LHC was shut down for two years to undergo upgrades. The revamped LHC, which opened in April, allows physicists to test "previously untestable theories" and search for more new particles. Their recent discovery of pentaquarks is a testament to these new capabilities.

"It would be a catastrophe if we didn't find new particles," CERN physicist Eva Barbara Holzer told Business Insider.

We recently visited the CERN headquarters in Switzerland to get a first-hand look:

The first thing you see when you walk into the building that houses the Control Center is a reminder of what the collider looks like underground.

This is what the collider looks like underground. It's housed in a tunnel 328 feet underground so that stray radiation doesn't reach the surface. The tunnel that houses the LHC is about 16 miles long.

Source: CERN

The Control Center is crucial for the operation of the LHC. Dozens of screens display the information necessary to monitor the collider's activity.

With spring officially here, it's only natural to take stake of how you're living. A spring cleaning can apply to your TV viewing habits too, especially if some of your shows have gotten tired.

For occasions such as this, it helps to get some pointers from those who make it their living to watch and review all the choices out there.

More outlets are creating TV content, from streaming-video companies like Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu, to cable networks increasingly getting into the scripted-show game, like Bravo, E!, and Spike.

Metacritic keeps track of a curated group of critics, assigns each review a number according to how positive or negative it was, and then creates a weighted average score for each show.

Here are the 20 most critically-acclaimed TV shows of 2016 so far, according to their Metacritic scores.

Note: Only shows that have been reviewed at least seven times qualify for this list.

SEE ALSO: The stars of 'Archer' reveal their favorite running jokes on TV's best spy comedy

DON'T MISS: 8 TV shows you're watching that are probably going to be canceled

20. "War & Peace" (Lifetime, A&E, History)

19. "London Spy" (BBC America)

18. "Togetherness" Season 2 (HBO)

Tattoo composition can range from splashes of watercolor to linear geometric designs, but no matter what the latest stylistic trend is, one subject matter remains timeless: Science! 

Whether looking to the stars or giving tribute to great scientific minds, stellar tattoo artists are given endless inspiration from the fields of astronomy, math, chemistry, and anatomy. 

We went to some of Instagram's most popular tattoo artists pages to find their science-inspired artwork. 

Scroll down to check 'em out. 

Let's start with the space-related pieces. Cody Eich is a nebula master.

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Source: Tattrx

Roman Abrego knows how to use the colors of the universe.

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And you can't have space without astronauts.

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When we first heard about The 7-Minute Workout, an app that promises to grant you the benefits of a sweaty bike ride and a trip to the gym in just a few minutes, we thought it was all hype.

But as it turns out, the app actually, well, works you out.

We tried it for the first time in January, and we're still hooked. It's become so popular that The New York Times recently released its own version of the app.

It's perfect on the weekends, when I can't make it to a yoga class, or as something fun to do with a friend at home.

Here's how it works:

SEE ALSO: 11 fitness 'truths' that are doing more harm than good

DON'T MISS: Everyone is misinterpreting a new study about American diets

First things first: The entire workout takes just seven minutes, and it looks super simple. Initially, I was skeptical I could accomplish this much in such a narrow time frame.

It consists of 12 standard exercises like jumping jacks, sit-ups, and push-ups. Ten of them require nothing but your own body (you'll need a chair that can support your weight for the others). The Times' version of the app shows proper positioning for each, which you do for 30 seconds.

To do my workout, all I used was a yoga mat, the hardwood floor of my office, a wall, and a stool.

If your go-to conversation topics revolve around work and weather, then you probably don't enjoy going to networking events.

But talking to new people doesn't have to be such a drag.

There are ways to get the conversation going without resorting to irritating clichés.

Check out these 17 icebreakers that will help ease you into an engaging conversation with people you've never met before.

SEE ALSO: How to talk to anyone at a networking event

'Hello.'

A smile, a name, and a confident handshake can sometimes go a long way, says Ariella Coombs, content manager for Careerealism.com: "Sometimes, the easiest way to meet someone is to offer a handshake and say, 'Hi, I'm Peter.'"

'Are you originally from [wherever the event is], or did your business bring you here?'

This question will help you jump-start an engaging conversation with ease because "it doesn't feel like you are asking for a stiff elevator speech," Diane Gottsman, national etiquette expert and owner of The Protocol School of Texas, tells U.S. News & World Report.

The conversation will allow both parties to talk about themselves, which is the ultimate goal of career-savvy people attending a networking event, Gottsman says.

'What kind of volunteer work do you do?'

Asking people about their volunteer work will open up "a world of wonderful conversation," writes strategy consultant Alice Korngold on Fast Company.

Korngold says that she especially enjoys meeting people who work on nonprofit boards because she gets to learn about how an organization was founded, how the person got involved with it, and about the "fascinating group dynamics of boards."

A lot of what holds people back from financial success are their thoughts and beliefs about money — not their job title or salary.

It turns out, you're probably already making enough money to become rich, as David Bach preaches in "The Automatic Millionaire"; and you can splurge on a $4 mocha and build wealth at the same time, as Farnoosh Torabi explains in "You're So Money."

Here, we've explained how those, plus 12 more books, could change your perspective on money and your ability to finish rich.

SEE ALSO: 8 pearls of wisdom that will change the way you think about money

'Think and Grow Rich,' by Napoleon Hill

Prompted by legendary businessman Andrew Carnegie, who turned a few nickels and dimes into a fortune, journalist Napoleon Hill researched more than 500 self-made millionaires over 20 years before releasing his 1937 best-seller "Think and Grow Rich."

He boils down the "secret" to building wealth into 13 principles and reveals "major causes of failure" that hold many of us back from getting rich.

This read will help you understand that getting rich is more about mentality than anything else. In fact, there is no mention of "money,""wealth,""finances," or "stocks" within Hill's text. He focuses on breaking down the psychological barriers that prevent many of us from attaining our own fortunes — and explains how to start thinking your way to success.

'How Rich People Think,' by Steve Siebold

When self-made millionaire Steve Siebold started interviewing some of the richest people in the world over 30 years ago, he was broke and searching for answers to success. What he found after studying over 1,000 millionaires and billionaires completely changed his approach to life.

"What I discovered was, to get rich, I had to learn to think like a rich person," he writes in "How Rich People Think," the culmination of his studies. "I spent the first 25 years of my life thinking about money like the masses, which kept me broke. Once I changed my thinking, the money started to flow."

Everyone has the same opportunity to get rich, he assures. Pick up a copy of his book, which is broken down into bite-sized, easy-to-digest chapters, to learn how to start thinking and acting like the wealthy.

'The Richest Man in Babylon,' by George S. Clason

Nearly a century ago, George S. Clason revealed what it takes to get rich in his 1926 personal finance classic, "The Richest Man in Babylon."

It turns out, the "secret" to getting rich is not much of a secret at all, Clason writes. All it takes is the ability to grasp a few simple, yet highly effective, concepts, such as paying yourself first, living below your means, and investing in yourself.

He articulates these concepts through a collection of amusing parables based in the wealthiest city of the ancient world: Babylon.

For a sneak peak, check out some of his best insights about investing, success, and growing your personal wealth.

The top tier of wealth in the world is a veritable boys' club, with only four women breaking the top 50. But that doesn't mean there aren't plenty of women who have earned huge fortunes for themselves as well.

With data from Wealth-X, a company that conducts research on the super wealthy, Business Insider has taken a look at the richest self-made women in the world. These women have built companies, pioneered new technologies, and made huge advances in their respective fields. They're worth a combined $53.1 billion — larger than the combined gross domestic product of Honduras, Iceland, and Cambodia.

The list includes household names like media mogul Oprah Winfrey as well as influential but lesser-known personalities such as Gap founder Doris Fisher.

Keep reading to see how these 15 women made their fortunes.

SEE ALSO: The 25 richest self-made billionaires

DON'T MISS: The 20 youngest self-made billionaires in the world

14. TIE: Lynda Resnick

Net worth: $2.4 billion

Country: US

Age: 72

Industry: Agriculture

Source of wealth: The Wonderful Company

At 19, Resnick, a former child actress and daughter of a Hollywood movie producer, dropped out of college to found an advertising company called Lynda Limited. In 1973, Resnick married her second husband, Stewart Resnick, who was managing a private security business, and the two combined their assets.

The Resnicks made a succession of company acquisitions and sales throughout the 1970s and 1980s. Their first forays into agriculture included the purchase of a 12,000-acre pistachio and almond farm in California for $30 million.

The company today generates $4 billion in sales from best-selling brands like Wonderful pistachios, Pom Wonderful pomegranate juice, Wonderful Halos (formerly Cuties California clementines), Fiji Water, Justin Vineyards, and the Teleflora flower-delivery service. Last summer, Roll Global was renamed The Wonderful Company, where Resnick serves as vice chairman.

The Resnicks are no strangers to controversy. The Federal Trade Commission successfully sued them for deceptively marketing and inflating the health benefits of their pomegranate juice (the Resnicks are appealing to the Supreme Court). They have also taken heat for their access to and use of water during California's drought.  

14. TIE: Marian Ilitch

Net worth: $2.4 billion

Country: US

Age: 83

Industry: Diversified

Source of wealth: Little Caesars

Ilitch has been in the food industrysince she was a little girl. Starting at age 10, she worked at her father's restaurant in Dearborn, Michigan, where she filled the salt and pepper shakers. In 1959, Ilitch and her husband, Mike, opened the first Little Caesars pizza store, the moniker stemming from Marian's nickname for Mike. In 1962, the couple sold their first franchise for $5,000. Today Little Caesars has more than 4,000 fast-serve pizza restaurants.

Though the Ilitches command one of the largest takeout pizza chains in the US, their overall empire is even larger. Ilitch Holdings consists of 10 companies that specialize in food, sports, and entertainment, including the MLB's Detroit Tigers, the NHL's Detroit Red Wings, and the MotorCity Casino in Detroit. They bought the Red Wings for $8 million in 1982; the franchise is worth $600 million today.

The Ilitches will both be inducted into the International Franchise Association's Hall of Fame this year.

11. TIE: Johnelle Hunt

Net worth: $2.5 billion

Country: US

Age: 84

Industry: Logistics

Source of wealth: J.B. Hunt Transport Services

When the J.B. Hunt Company opened in 1962, founded by Hunt's husband, Johnnie, who died in 2006, she started out as a part-time employee, helping get the business off the ground. Hunt quickly became an integral part of the company, moving up to full-time employee and then cofounding the logistics company J.B. Hunt Transport alongside her husband in 1969 with only five tractors and seven trailers.

Thanks to Hunt's entrepreneurial vision, the transportation company grew, eventually integrating J.B. Hunt proper into it. The company went public in 1983, and by 2004 it commanded more than 11,000 trucks and more than 16,000 employees. Today the company is worth $9.5 billion.

In 2001, Hunt cofounded Hunt Ventures, an office and retail development company, where she still serves as chairman. The company tackles large-scale real-estate projects, such as Pinnacle Hills, a 700-acre development that will feature more than 2.5 million square feet of restaurants, retail space, and offices.

Want to pick up some good habits? The best approach is to start small.

In the Quora thread "What are some good 'mini habits' to practice each day?" readers shared the simple habits you should follow every day to become a happier, healthier, or more productive person.

The best part is, each one takes only about five minutes to complete.

Here are some of our favorites:

SEE ALSO: 11 skills that are hard to learn but pay off forever

DON'T MISS: 13 highly useful life hacks you can learn in a minute or less

1. Brush your teeth and floss

Brushing and flossing your teeth not only prevents gingivitis and tooth decay, but it can also save your life.

The American Dental Association recommends you brush twice a day for two minutes and floss once a day. If you don't, you could be putting yourself at greater risk for developing dementia, diabetes, kidney disease, and cancer, among other things. — Pankesh Bamotra

2. Smile at yourself in the mirror

Just after you brush your teeth, look at yourself in the mirror and smile, holding the smile for 10 seconds. Dr. Robert Zajonc, a famous psychologist, believed facial action leads to changes in mood, and in a 1989 study he found that participants who watched themselves smile in a mirror experienced a greater boost in mood than those who simply smiled. — Nistha Tripathi

3. Write down the day's most important task

Also known as "eating the frog," decide on the one task you must perform that day to be successful and do it first thing when you get to work. — Patrick Mathieson

LinkedIn Influencer Jeff Haden published this post originally on LinkedIn.

What is the one thing most of us already have enough of?

Regret.

Worse, someday most of us will look back and think, "What if I had only done that ... or said that ... or actually tried that?"

Like Mark Twain said, "Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do."

You can always recover, learn, and build from mistakes, but when you do nothing, that automatically means there is nothing to improve or salvage or discover.

And all you're left with is, "What if?"

Here are five smart risks you should take before you die. I feel certain you'll be glad — if not now then definitely someday — that you did.

SEE ALSO: 5 risks highly successful people take

1. Hire or promote a person you 'shouldn't' hire or promote

I took an informal poll of a number of entrepreneur friends. Each said at least one of their most remarkable employees (here's how to tell if an employee is remarkable) was a person they took a chance on — someone who didn't have the "right" qualifications, or didn't have the "right" background, or was too young or too inexperienced or too new to the industry.

So why did they take a risk on hiring or promoting that person? They had a hunch. They spotted an intangible quality. They loved the person's attitude or enthusiasm or intelligence or work ethic.

As one CEO told me, "When you hire a person that ticks all the boxes you usually get those things. But you rarely get more. Sometimes the risky choice turns out to be the best choice because that person brings qualities you didn't even know you needed."

Give an unusual candidate a chance. You might get a lot more than you ever hoped ... but you'll never know if you don't take that risk.

2. Apologize for a huge mistake you made

We've all screwed up. There are things we need to apologize for: words, actions, or omissions. Failing to step up or step in or simply be supportive. Those things happen all the time. We own up and say we're sorry.

But sometimes we've done something so bad, so egregious, so "something" that we don't say we're sorry. We're too embarrassed. Too ashamed. Too mortified. So we run away from the situation, often for years. We wish it would go away.

But it doesn't. And whenever we think about it, we feel a little worse about ourselves.

Man (or woman) up and say you're sorry. It may suck. It will suck. You may get yelled at. You may be humiliated.

But you'll also feel good that you finally stepped up. And you also may repair a friendship or relationship you thought was beyond any hope of recovery ... but you'll never know if you don't take that risk.

3. Face one of your worst fears

One of my clients is an outstanding stand-up comedian. Audiences love him. He's crazy good.

Yet he still has panic attacks before he walks onstage. He knows he'll melt down, sweat through his shirt, feel sick to his stomach, and all the rest. It's just the way he is.

So just before he goes onstage, he takes a quick shower, puts on fresh clothes, drinks a bottle of water, jumps up and down and does a little shadowboxing, and out he goes.

He's still scared. He knows he'll always be scared. He accepts it as part of the process. Preshow fear is inevitable. It's going to happen.

He's not alone. Anyone hoping to achieve great things gets nervous. Anyone trying to achieve great things gets scared.

Productive people aren't braver than others; they just find the strength to keep moving forward. They realize fear is paralyzing, while action creates confidence and self-assurance.

Pick something you'd love to do but are scared to do. Don't try to get over your fear. Accept that you will be afraid. And then go do it anyway.

I'll bet it won't be as bad as you imagined; in fact, you'll probably realize you were simply scared of the unknown. But you'll never know if you don't take that risk.

Last week, the World Health Organization reported that an estimated 8.2 million deaths a year are linked to air pollution. 

And that number is on the rise.

The most harmful pollutant to human health is called PM 2.5, short for particle matter that's less than 2.5 microns in diameter. It's found in soot, smoke, and dust and lodges in the lungs causing long-term health problems like asthma and chronic lung disease.

PM 2.5 starts to become a health problem when there is more than 35.5 micrograms of PM 2.5 per cubic meter (written like 35.5 µg/m3) of air, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. But WHO recommends that PM 2.5 shouldn't even exceed 10 µg/m3.

The most polluted cities on Earth have anywhere from nine to 15 times that amount — based on information from the WHO — and you might be surprised which make the top 10 list. Check them out:

CHECK OUT: China's air is so bad breathing it is like smoking 40 cigarettes a day in some areas

READ NEXT: An orca killed a SeaWorld trainer in front of a live audience in 2010 — here's why it took 6 years to end the program

10. Lucknow, India - 96 µg/m3 of PM 2.5

Lucknow, a city in northern India, starts off the top 10 cities with the worst air pollution levels list. It still significantly has a high average air pollution level that falls into the "unhealthy" category. Vehicle emissions are a major factor in Lucknow's air pollution problem.

9. Ahmedabad, India - 100 µg/m3 of PM 2.5

India's western city Ahmedabad gets its air pollution in part from the major construction happening in the city.

8. Khorramabad, Iran - 102 µg/m3 of PM 2.5

Khorramabad, a city in western Iran, had the country's highest air pollution levels. One of the most populous cities in Iran, Khorramabad is an agriculture hub, which likely contributes to its air pollution problems.  

Popular reservation service OpenTable has revealed its list of the top 10 restaurants in America.

The results come after the compilation and analysis of over 5 million reviews for 20,000 restaurants — needless to say it was an exhaustive consideration process.

From a legendary sushi restaurant in New York to one of the favorite fish houses in Hawaii, these are all worthy of inclusion on any foodie bucket lists. We've included a review snippet with every restaurant to help whet your appetite and help you plan your next food-filled adventure.

These are the top 10 restaurants in America.

10. Vetri — Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

"Marc Vetri knows how to cook anything and make it taste wonderful. The food is outstanding and the service is impeccable. My favorite restaurant anywhere!"

9. Daniel — New York City

"This may have been the most special and delicious meal we have ever had. Service was beyond description and the parade of courses was the most delicious possible. If you want the top, top, top of the line culinary experience, Daniel is it."

8. n/naka — Los Angeles

"Incredible! I had way high expectations and N/naka delivered. Service was exquisite and warm. The food was flat out art work. Plus it was delicious, not just for show. Wine list was good and we enjoyed the gruner veltliner. The best part was a visit from Niki and Carol. They were gracious and lovely. Thank you!"

Buying a home is still cheaper than renting in nearly every major U.S. market. That’s one of a few key trends that have mortgage lenders expecting big things in 2016. Nearly two-thirds of industry professionals think purchase loan volume will rise this year, according to a recent survey from trade group Lenders One.

Bullish outlook aside, there are still plenty of challenges for many would-be buyers, from shaky credit to sputtering incomes and more. To be sure, the right time to pursue a home purchase is when you’re financially and emotionally ready.

Here’s a look at a few signs you’re not quite there.

SEE ALSO: The way Americans use credit cards was supposed to change in October — here's why everyone still hasn't switched

1. Bruised and beaten credit

You don’t need top-tier credit to land a home loan. You don’t even necessarily need what’s often considered “good” credit. But consumers with scores below a 620 can have a tougher time securing financing. That’s a common credit score benchmark for government-backed loans (Federal Housing Administration, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the U.S. Department of Agriculture), while conventional lenders might want more like a 640 or 660 score.

If your score is subpar, it’s important to take charge of your credit profile before you look to buy a home. You can pull your credit reports for free each year from AnnualCreditReport.com, then hunt for and dispute errors and discrepancies.

Different lenders can have different credit score cutoffs. Even if you clear a lender’s baseline, working hard to improve your score may also help you nab a better interest rate. You can monitor your progress by getting your free credit report summary each month on Credit.com.

2. Insufficient savings

You don’t need a mountain of money to buy a home. You don’t even necessarily need a down payment – just ask VA and USDA buyers and the thousands of folks who tap into down payment assistance programs in their community. But you’re going to need at least some cash in the bank, in part to possibly cover expenses like a down payment, earnest money deposit, appraisal, inspection, closing costs and more.

Conventional loans typically require a 5% down payment, although some lenders may offer them at just 3% down. FHA loans require a minimum 3.5% down payment. On a typical $250,000 loan, that’s anywhere from $7,500 to $12,500. An appraisal and inspection might set you back another $600 or more.

If a new home means higher housing costs, having a solid nest egg can also help you avoid any “payment shock” when it’s time to make that first mortgage payment.

3. Income instability

Mortgage lenders want to feel like you’re a safe bet. A rocky employment situation can raise red flags. Ideally, you’ve been working the same job for at least the last two years. But that’s certainly not a reality for millions of American workers.

Employment scenarios are always a case-by-case evaluation. Generally, though, you might have a tougher time securing a home loan if:

• You’ve been on the job less than a year.
• You’ve been self-employed for less than two years.
• You’re a commission-based employee without a two-year track record.
• You’ve recently changed career fields or had a lengthy job gap.

Again, every borrower’s situation is different, and guidelines and policies can vary by lender.

And you thought Red Bull was bad.

It turns out that while a can of the vilified energy drink has 80 milligrams of caffeine (just one-fifth the maximum amount you should have each day, according to the Mayo Clinic), one small cup of Starbucks drip coffee has more than three times that amount.

Regardless of how you get your caffeine, it's important to keep in mind that it's a stimulant with some positive and negative effects.

And the amount of caffeine that's in various drinks — or even the same drink from a different chain — can vary dramatically. Here's how much caffeine is in everything from a can of Coke to a plain coffee from McDonald's:

NEXT, CHECK OUT: What caffeine does to your body and brain

READ MORE: See how much caffeine is in the drinks from your favorite chains

One and a half cups of Starbucks coffee

According to the Mayo Clinic, most healthy adults can safely consume up to 400 mg of caffeine each day. But while most 12-ounce cups of coffee contain 90 to 120 mg of caffeine, one 12-ounce "tall" or small cup of Starbucks is far stronger, with about 260 mg of caffeine per cup.

About two bottles of 5-Hour Energy

These tiny bottles, or "shots," contain nearly the same amount of caffeine as a cup of Starbucks, which is closer to four cups of regular coffee. Each 2-ounce shot has about 215 mg of caffeine.

About four McDonald's coffees

Unlike Starbucks coffee, McDonald's drip contains roughly the same amount of caffeine as a "standard" cup of Joe. Each 12-ounce cup has about 109 mg of caffeine.

Acorns is an app that was designed for a single underlying purpose: to make investing a small decision instead of a big one, cofounder Jeff Cruttenden tells Business Insider.

Cruttenden wanted to make it easy for people, primarily those who were younger, to start investing a little at a time. To do that, Cruttenden built Acorns in a way that distills investing down to a decision of "how much" you want to invest and "how much risk" you want to take.

There are two ways you can invest money in Acorns. First, you can make a lump sum or recurring deposit. Simply select how much money you want to invest and transfer it from your bank. The second way is "round-ups." After you connect debit or credit cards, you can set Acorns to "round up" your purchases and invest the difference — if you spend $8.46 on lunch, Acorns will invest the $0.54.

Then you select how much risk you want to take, and Acorns invests the money into low-cost exchange-traded funds (ETFs).

Here's what it's like to use Acorns:

SEE ALSO: How to use Credit Karma, the popular site that gives you real credit scores for free and shows you the best ways to save money

To start out, you need an email address and a secure password. Acorns will also let you create a four-digit passcode to log in on your phone.

Then you link your bank account and any credit or debit cards you want. Linking cards is key to Acorns' "round-ups" feature, where it invests your spare change for you.

Acorns has to ask you certain investor questions before you get started. Cruttenden says the team spent two and a half years making sure the financial back-end was solid.

It is opening week in Major League Baseball, teams are done tweaking their rosters, and everybody has high hopes for the season.

So let's take a look at where all 30 teams stand, how they are projected to do, and some of the decisions they made this winter.

Using two projection systems from Baseball Prospectus (PECOTA) and Fangraphs and over/under win totals from Sportsbook — think of this as how much confidence the public has in each team — as well as grading each team's offseason, here is the opening week power ranking.

No. 1  Chicago Cubs (97-65 in 2015)

2015 regular season wins: 97

2016 projected wins (PECOTA): 94

2016 projected wins (Fangraphs): 95

2016 Vegas over/under wins: 93.5

One thing to know: Despite already boasting a formidable young lineup, the Cubs gave Jason Heyward a $184 million contract and Ben Zobrist a $56 million contract. But the biggest signing of the offseason may have been adding John Lackey to a rotation that needed more depth.

No. 2  New York Mets (90-72 in 2015)

2015 regular season wins: 90

2016 projected wins (PECOTA): 90

2016 projected wins (Fangraphs): 90

2016 Vegas over/under wins: 90.5

One thing to know: It took awhile for a deal to get done, but the Mets finally re-signed Yoenis Cespedes to a three-year, $75 million contract in what may have been the most important free-agency move of the winter. In addition to being the key to the resurrected offense, Cespedes represented hope for Mets fans and suggests that the ownership's financial problems may finally be a thing of the past.

No. 3  Los Angeles Dodgers (92-70 in 2015)

2015 regular season wins: 92

2016 projected wins (PECOTA): 93

2016 projected wins (Fangraphs): 92

2016 Vegas over/under wins: 89.5

One thing to know: The Dodgers had one of the biggest losses of the offseason, with Zack Greinke signing with the division rival Diamondbacks. But the Dodgers may have filled the gap with Scott Kazmir and Japanese import Kenta Maeda. The biggest mystery is Maeda, who, in addition to being new to the US, has been worrisome because a physical revealed "irregularities" in his elbow. However, so far he has shown no physical issues on the mound.

As spring brings nicer days ahead, television providers are actually preparing to shut down.

This is the time for finales. It's also the time for networks to make their decisions about which shows have to go and which shows get another round. That will determine whether a show's last episode of the season is also a series finale.

With today's shrinking live viewership, it takes more than just ratings for a TV show to survive to see another season.

Networks are now looking at online, on-demand, and streaming viewership; awards appeal; social-media audiences; and international sales, among many other factors.

That said, here are Business Insider's predictions for the shows that will probably get the ax over the next few weeks.

SEE ALSO: Here are your favorite TV shows that are getting renewed for another season

SEE ALSO: The 14 biggest comedy power couples in Hollywood

"Galavant" (ABC)

A fun musical idea in its first season, "Galavant" was supposed to be an event series, but it was renewed for a second season. Whenever networks see success and dollar signs, they just can't help squeezing all the magic out of something.

No longer novel in its second season, the series generated less conversations, and the ratings dropped 52%. This knight's tale isn't going to end happily.

"Marvel's Agent Carter" (ABC)

This was one of the TV show returns we were most looking forward to. Apparently, we were in the minority, as the "Agent Carter" ratings fell 47% from its first season.

On the other hand, it may get a stay on its execution for being a Marvel series and part of the Disney family — synergy and all. Certainly, ABC isn't proving itself to be the best home for the Marvel-branded series. "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." ratings fell 16% this season, and Netflix doesn't share its ratings.

"The Muppets" (ABC)

ABC was so excited about bringing back the "Muppets" franchise that it gave the series the green light on just a short pitch video. The company thought that by combining the iconic variety show with mockumentary elements of "Modern Family" and "The Office," it had found a new way to package the Muppets for young audience members but keep their nostalgic parents watching.

Instead, the show steadily fell in the ratings. ABC hoped a new showrunner and creative tinkering would make the difference, but few people stuck around to see the results. 

It's probably time to pull the curtain on this production.

Having the best ideas in the world won't help you if no one wants to listen.

Speaker and author Julian Treasure gave a popular TED Talk in 2014 that explained how anyone can speak effectively, whether in a conversation or in front of a crowd.

How well you influence others, he said, is as much about you do say as what you don't.

Here are the bad habits you need to avoid if you want people to listen to you, which Treasure calls the "seven deadly sins of speaking."

SEE ALSO: The 20 most popular TED Talks of all time

1. Gossiping

Speaking badly of somebody else seems to have a chain reaction, Treasure said.

If you engage in gossip, you can give yourself a bad reputation and inspire others to start gossiping about you.

2. Judging

If you fill your conversations with judgments of others, you're making the person you're speaking with self-conscious of being judged themselves, Treasure said.

They'll be afraid to open up to you and may shut down completely.

3. Being negative

Treasure said that his mother, in her latter years, became incredibly negative — she would even find the disappointment in arbitrary things like what day it happened to be. Treasure would force himself to stop listening as he spent time with her.

Choosing to be optimistic will simply make you more enjoyable to talk to, he said. Plus, it's better for your health.

Each person's path to wealth may be unique, but there are certain commonalities among the world's richest people.

After studying the lives of 177 self-made millionaires over the course of five years, author Thomas C. Corley found that they all shared six traits, which he reveals in his upcoming book, "Change Your Habits, Change Your Life."

How many of these traits do you possess?

SEE ALSO: 13 habits of self-made millionaires, from a man who spent 5 years studying rich people

Passion

"Every wealthy entrepreneur in my study who realized incredible wealth also had passion," Corley writes.

Passion trumps education, intelligence, skills, and "any other advantage those who lack passion might have in life," he emphasizes.

"Passion makes work fun. Passion gives you the energy, persistence, and focus needed to overcome failures, mistakes, and rejection. It infuses you with a fanatical tenacity that makes it possible to overcome obstacles and pitfalls that block your path."

Persistence

Self-made millionaires are persistent, particularly in the face of failure.

"Twenty-seven percent of the self-made millionaires in my study failed at least once in business," Corley writes. "And then they picked themselves up and went on to try again.

"Persistence makes you unstoppable," he continues. "Persistence allows you to learn what doesn't work and continuously experiment until you find what does work. Persistence is the single greatest contributor to creating good luck. Those who persist, eventually get lucky."

Focus

Focus is key — and it all starts with goal-setting. Not only do wealthy people set annual and monthly goals, but 67% of them put those goals in writing, Corley found.

"Success is a process," he writes. "It starts by developing a script of the life you desire. This script becomes your blueprint for success. It helps you define your long-term goals. Without a blueprint, without long-term goals, we are like leaves on a fall day, floating in the air aimlessly."

Rich people also maintain their focus by cutting back on TV and internet time, getting enough sleep, and avoiding procrastination, Corley found.

No matter what happens to the "Archer" team, fans can always trust in show creator and writer Adam Reed's running gags.

That's especially important in the seventh season debuting on Thursday, since the FX comedy is going through some changes. Now that the government has blacklisted the spy team, they've decided to go another route.

The spy agency is no longer. In its place is their new private investigation firm in Los Angeles, which opens the show up to so many more possible scenarios. So there's no need to worry: The jokes, as always, will keep on rolling. 

To review the greatness of "Archer" as it reboots its business, Business Insider asked the "Archer" voice stars to name their favorite jokes, running gags, and funniest storylines.

Find out what the voice cast said below:

SEE ALSO: Tom Hardy is savage in the first trailer for his new FX series from Ridley Scott

SEE ALSO: FX boss says Netflix's secrecy around its viewership numbers is 'ridiculous'

"Woodhouse’s heroin habit. I’m always interested in being reminded of a octogenarian’s next fix."—H. Jon Benjamin (Sterling Archer)

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"One of my favorite bits remains one from the episode 'Skytanic' from season one, where Pam is on the toilet watching Cyril have choke-sex with Cheryl/Carol. It’s just uncomfortable in every possible way it can be: Cyril is ruining his relationship with Lana, Sheryl/Carol is asphyxiating, Pam is dropping the kids off at the pool. If I wasn’t laughing, I’d be sprinting to therapy."—Aisha Tyler (Lana Kane)

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"'Sploosh' is one of my favorites. It's just so simple and basically a new way to say something is awesome or sexy or awesome and sexy. I also think people forget that there is a sweet hand maneuver that goes with it, too!"—Amber Nash (Pam Poovey)