American jobs have taken some hits over the years.

There are some that will be all but obsolete by 2020, and others that pay significantly less now than they did just a decade ago.

While some of these occupations are one and the same, other jobs with declining salaries have also seen an increase in the number of people holding these jobs, which could indicate an oversaturation in the job market that's driving down wages.

To find the careers with the biggest drop in salary, we took a look at the BLS's occupational employment and wages data from 2005 and 2015, adjusted the 2005 wage data for inflation, and calculated the percent of decrease in average annual wages.

Here are 22 jobs where people make at least 10% less now than they would have ten years ago:

SEE ALSO: 30 jobs that are quickly disappearing in the US

Fabric menders, except garment

Percent decrease in wages: 59.88%

Annual average wage in 2005, adjusted for inflation: $41,314

Annual average wage 2015: $25,840

Dollars less in wages: $15,474

People who held this job in 2005: 2,140

People who held this job in 2015: 620

Chiropractors

Percent decrease in wages: 27.08%

Annual average wage in 2005, adjusted for inflation: $99,596

Annual average wage 2015: $78,370

Dollars less in wages: $21,226

People who held this job in 2005: 24,290

People who held this job in 2015: 32,080

Locomotive engineers

Percent decrease in wages: 23.15%

Annual average wage in 2005, adjusted for inflation: $73,101

Annual average wage 2015: $59,360

Dollars less in wages: $13,741

People who held this job in 2005: 37,390

People who held this job in 2015: 37,490

Amazon isn't exactly a complicated site. 

Log-in, browse the product selection, make a purchase. That's it. 

But there are some features and pro-tips that only dedicated Amazon fans know about.

Here's how to become an Amazon expert.

SEE ALSO: Google used this woman's name on all its Docs templates, and she's spent the last 2 years dealing with confused and angry messages

Looking for replacement car parts? Amazon "Garage" lets you store your car's make and model to make it easy to only search accessories that will actually work with your vehicle.

Add cars to your Garage here.

Amazon also wants to help you unclog your toilet and mow your lawn. "Home Services" makes it easy to book pre-vetted professionals whenever you need them.

Right now, Amazon says select services are available in 30 different cities. Browse what's available, where, here. 

You can buy your cable package, TV, and phone service on Amazon too. The site sells packages from Comcast in a format that's more straightforward than from the provider's own site.

Find the "Cable Store" here. 

Silicon Valley is a revolving door of startups, big tech companies, VCs, and innovation — things are always changing. 

But there are those that have weathered these transitions and changes year-in and year-out, becoming the most seasoned and experienced in the tech world. 

Business Insider recently released its annual Silicon Valley 100 list, highlighting the people in tech who have made a difference this past year, of which many are longtime tech veterans over the age of 50.

They've seen the boom and bust of many technological feats and can feel where the industry is going.

Read on to learn about some of the most experienced people in the business over 50.

Additional reporting by Julia Naftulin, Tanza Loudenback, and Alexa Pipia.

Edited by Alex Morrell and Matt Rosoff.

David Boies, 75

Lawyer and board member, Theranos

Boies has provided legal counsel for a slew of troubled tech startups, ranging from Napster to Hampton Creek and now Theranos. The legal expert is defending the company from inquests by several government agencies and is considered a force to be reckoned with — he helped the US win the 1998 case United States v. Microsoft Corporation, in which the government accused Microsoft of becoming a monopoly.

David Drummond, 53

Senior VP of corporate development, Alphabet

With Google's restructuring into Alphabet, Drummond was pulled up to the top to oversee mergers and acquisitions for all of Alphabet's ventures. He previously acted as Google's first outside lawyer, working with Larry Page and Sergey Brin to secure Google's earliest financing rounds. Drummond also still sits on the board of Uber.

Tom Reilly, 54

CEO, Cloudera

Cloudera, a software company launched in 2008 that aims to help businesses — more than 20,000, in fact — make sense of huge data sets, has raised more than $1 billion in private funding. Investors include Intel, Google Ventures, and MSD Capital.

The company has been considering an initial public offering for more than a year to maintain its dominance in the market, but Reilly said in April that Cloudera would enter the public market only "when we've reached the right scale, when the business is more predictable, when there's greater visibility." They may have good reason to wait a while longer: Fidelity, another investor in the company, marked down the value of its Cloudera stake, along with stakes in several other startups, by 37% in March.

Unlike Donald Trump's wife, Melania, Ivanka Trump has been at the forefront of her father's campaign from the onset — gracing numerous news networks and voicing her opinion in editorial pieces.

If Trump is elected president, Ivanka would be placed in a unique position. As a former model, philanthropist, business mogul, and a mother of three, she would assume numerous roles — in addition to her one in the first family.

Raised under her father's spotlight, she has founded various organizations, spreading her influence beyond the high-profile real-estate acquisitions that The Trump Organization is known for.

Here are 12 facts about Ivanka:

SEE ALSO: 19 photos of Donald Trump's incredible life on his 70th birthday

Born in 1981, Ivanka Trump is the daughter of former model and Donald's first wife, Ivana Trump.

Ivanka went to the exclusive Chapin School in Manhattan. She eventually went on to Georgetown and the University of Pennsylvania, where she graduated summa cum laude with a degree in economics.

Ivanka has two immediate siblings, Donald Jr. and Eric. Here, they pose after a wedding ceremony at the Mar-a-Lago Club in November 2005 in Palm Beach, Florida.

On July 20, 1969, two Americans did something extraordinary: They climbed out of a precarious spacecraft and onto the surface of the moon.

We hairless apes, gifted with powerful brains and wanderlust through chance (or fate, depending on who you ask), had figured out how to safely launch three humans into the heavens atop a shining tower of explosives.

The first two planted a flag, gathered some samples, gazed at the view, took a phone call with Richard Nixon, met up with the third guy, and then headed back home. In the next three years, 10 more set foot on the moon and since then, humans haven't gone past low-Earth orbit.

But that's not where humanity's romance with space ended. We've been shooting things up to the stars ever since — and it hasn't just been global positioning satellites and space shuttles.

Here are the coolest missions NASA has going on right now, including a few exciting spacecraft to come.

MORE: What extreme heat does to your body and brain

UP NEXT: Scientists say that grass could be a source of fuel in the future

Juno

Wife and mistress jokes aside, the Juno mission is going to provide us with some incredible data on Jupiter.

The probe will orbit the planet 37 times, and it's highly elliptical path will plunge it deep beneath the cloud cover. The daring maneuver will provide valuable information on Jupiter's atmosphere and what it's made out of, as well as how the oldest and biggest planet in our solar system originally formed.

Unfortunately for Juno, it won't survive the mission; after it's done it will burn up in the planet's atmosphere.

Curiosity

NASA's Curiosity rover has allowed Earthlings to visualize our planet's nearest neighbor — and prime human colonization target — like never before.

After launching in 2011, the rolling Mars Science Laboratory touched down on the planet in 2012. Using a giant parachute and retrorockets to slow its fall to a controlled hover above the surface, the descent stage lowered a MINI Cooper-sized vehicle to the surface with gentle precision.

Since then, that Curiosity rover has used nuclear energy to motor around Mars' Gale Crater, study the climate and geology of the Red Planet, look for signs of life, and shoot amazing photos of the desolate world with its 17 cameras.

It even vibrated its soil sampling unit to play itself "Happy Birthday" a year after its landing date. And it's mission is not over yet — the rover will continue looking for signs of past or present microbial life for hopefully many more lonely birthdays.

Cassini-Huygens

Launched in 1997, the Cassini probe reached the Saturn system in 2004 and has been the studying the planet, its rings, and its moons ever since.

It has dutifully investigated the ringed planet's moons, some of which could support life, with the best photos ever taken of the system. It even dropped a lander, called Huygens, down onto the moon Titan in 2005 to search for signs of life.

Cassini's mission has been renewed twice, and its currently getting in formation for its "Grand Finale" — where it will complete daring, diving orbits between Saturn and its inner rings.

It may be tough to run a hedge fund, but that isn't stopping senior-level folks from trying to branch out on their own.

Here's a short and nonexhaustive list of some of the top new funds to have come across our radar.

The competition to raise assets is steep, particularly for startups that don't have long performance track records to woo investors. Instead, new managers often rely on the pedigrees of their previous employers and the backing of high-and-mighty investment titans to sway potential investors to open their checkbooks.

Recent data is not the most promising, however, with more hedge funds closing than opening. In 2015, 979 hedge funds closed their doors while 968 opened. This year through the first quarter, 291 have shut while 206 opened, Hedge Fund Research data shows.

But the glory of raising assets, running one's own proper business and investment strategy, and the (potentially very lucrative) benefit of charging high fees are alluring. At the moment, the global hedge fund industry is managing close to its peak in assets, at about $2.9 trillion, HFR says.

To the new startups, bon courage.

SEE ALSO: The hedge fund at the heart of an insider-trading scandal is winding down a key fund

Samantha Greenberg — Margate Capital

Samantha Greenberg, one of the hedge fund industry's most senior women, left Paulson & Co. and is starting Margate Capital, a long/short equity fund. She recently hired Jared Weisfeld from Balyasny Asset Management as a partner and is targeting $500 million when the firm launches later this year.

Ben Melkman

Ben Melkman, a former partner at Brevan Howard Asset Management, is launching a macro hedge fund in New York. The fund is targeting $400 million and a launch date in the first quarter of next year. The firm is bringing on Joe Mauro, a former Goldman Sachs partner.

Melkman was the lead manager on Brevan's $500 million Argentina fund, which has delivered 18% since its inception.

Josh Donfeld and Dave Rogers — Castle Hook Partners

Legendary investor Stan Druckenmiller is backing duo Josh Donfeld and Dave Rogers in their new launch. It will be Druckenmiller's second-largest investment in a new hedge fund since he backed PointState Capital with $1 billion in 2011.

Donfeld and Rogers previously worked at George Soros' family office as portfolio managers. They are planning to launch New York-based Castle Hook Partners later this year or in the first part of next year.

Castle Hook will invest in equity, credit, commodities, interest rates, and foreign exchanges.

Happy birthday, Prince George!

George, the eldest son of Prince William and Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, turns three today. 

The royal toddler has traveled with his parents to various countries and lives a glamorous life. 

In honor of the young prince's birthday, here's a look at his fabulous life: 

Welcome to the world, Prince George. He was born July 22, 2013.

In August, the royal family released this adorable photo.

George was then christened in October.

When Hillary Clinton announces her running mate this week, it will put to rest months of speculation over which direction Clinton wants to take the ticket: the left, the center, somewhere more aggressive, or somewhere more diverse.

The presumptive Democratic nominee is widely expected to roll out her vice presidential pick after Donald Trump announced his selection of Indiana Gov. Mike Pence last weekend.

While several top Republicans had effectively taken themselves out of the running to be Trump's VP, any of Clinton's speculated-about top choices have publicly expressed openness — even interest — in running on the ticket.

According to multiple reports, Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Tim Kaine, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro, and former Adm. James Stavridis are among the candidates being seriously vetted for the job.

Some — like Castro and Kaine — have long been expected to be among the finalists for the job. Others, like Labor Secretary Thomas Perez, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, and Warren, have emerged more recently as strong choices in an unusual election cycle.

For many pundits, Clinton has a choice between picks that some consider safe yet uninspiring, and so-called attack dogs that rile up the progressive base but could alienate potential independents and stray from the campaign's message.

While traditional orthodoxy asserts that the vice presidential pick has little effect on the ticket, recent studies suggest that a pick could help bolster or sink a candidate's chances in key states — a dynamic that the Clinton campaign no doubt has in mind.

Here are the 10 people most likely to be Hillary Clinton's running mate.

SEE ALSO: The author of a new tell-all book about the Clintons is struggling to explain holes in his story

Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts

Before the 2016 Democratic primary campaign began in earnest, many primary voters were interested in Warren as a potential presidential candidate.

Now, some of the same voters are clamoring for Clinton to pick her as a running mate.

Warren's connection with the Democratic primary base is virtually unmatched in the 2016 field. Polls have shown that Warren would generate the most enthusiasm for the ticket among Democratic Party voters.

And even before she endorsed Clinton in June, Warren was already one of the most vocal and aggressive Trump critics on the Democratic side, even obtaining an inflammatory nickname from the presumptive Republican presidential nominee.

"You know, I could do this all day," Warren said after ripping into Trump during a recent campaign event in Ohio.

Still, skeptics say that she's too far to the left for many voters in a general election. And Massachusetts law mandates that the governor appoints a replacement, meaning Republican Gov. Charlie Baker would likely choose a fellow Republican to replace Warren until a special election could be held.

Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia

Kaine is undoubtedly one of the most politically experienced people under consideration.

Before serving as a Virginia senator, Kaine was the state's governor, the mayor of Richmond, and the chair of the Democratic National Committee. Kaine's steady Democratic leadership has endeared him to many in the party who believe Clinton should select a tested running mate with a successful career in politics in a key battleground state.

But some liberal critics assert that he's boring and not progressive enough, particularly on trade issues — though some criticisms of Kaine appear more based in his ties to party leadership rather than actual policy issues.

Kaine himself is willing to concede to at least one of those charges.

"They're true. I am boring. But boring is the fastest-growing demographic in this country," Kaine said during a June appearance on "Meet The Press."

Julián Castro, secretary of Housing and Urban Development

Castro and his twin brother, Rep. Joaquín Castro, have been rising stars in the Democratic Party for years.

Then the San Antonio mayor, Julián Castro delivered a fiery keynote address at the 2012 Democratic National Convention that reminded many observers of Barack Obama's 2004 address as a Senate candidate.

Castro was appointed to run HUD in 2014, becoming the youngest member of President Obama's cabinet. His tenure there has been defined by his advocacy for a few key policies, which some observers argue helps make up for his relative lack of the in-depth policy knowledge that typifies many lifelong department officials.

Some see drawbacks if the secretary were to join the ticket, however.

While potentially an exciting choice to some Hispanic voters and activists, Castro doesn't have decades of Hispanic media experience, unlike Rep. Xavier Becerra, or have the same level of Spanish-language fluency as Perez or Kaine.

Last month, Castro revised a HUD program aimed at lowering foreclosures that sold mortgages from struggling homeowners to hedge funds rather than selling them to nonprofit groups. Some progressive groups pointed to the program as a giveaway to the financial industry and have used the issue to gin up opposition to Castro as Clinton's running mate.

People form impressions of your personality in a matter of seconds.

It's not necessarily fair, but it's reality.

Especially in a professional setting, one thing you'll want to immediately appear is competent: knowledgeable, skilled, and capable.

Fortunately, there are ways to make yourself seem competent as soon as you meet an interviewer, coworker, client, or boss (and sometimes even as soon as they see your photograph).

Here are seven easy and sneaky strategies for appearing as competent as possible:

In one study, Brigham Young University researchers had 28 university students listen to recordings of six people whose voices had been manipulated to sound slower or faster than normal.

The student volunteers rated the speakers most competent when their voices had been sped up and least competent when their voices had been slowed down.

In 2011, Nancy Etcoff at Harvard University led a study in which more than 250 adults looked at photographs of 25 women with different types of makeup.

One-quarter of them wore no makeup; one quarter were made to look "natural" (some makeup); one quarter were made to look "professional" (a bit more makeup than the "natural" group); and one quarter were made look "glamorous" (the most makeup).

As it turns out, judges rated the "glamorous" women the most competent and the barefaced women the least competent.

Recent research from Harvard Business School suggests that asking for advice can make you seem more competent.

In one experiment, 170 university students worked on a series of computer tasks and were told they'd be matched with a partner who would complete the same tasks. (The partner was really a computer simulation.) When they'd finished the tasks, the "partner" either said, "I hope it went well" or "I hope it went well. Do you have any advice?"

As it turns out, students who'd been asked for advice rated their "partner" more competent than those who hadn't been asked for advice.

The researchers explain that when you ask for advice, you're validating the person's intelligence and experience, so they feel good about you in turn.

It's lonely at the top.

Being the boss comes with a ton of pressure. And when you're in a management position, it can be difficult to evaluate how you're doing.

Are you striking the right balance between commanding respect and appearing accessible? Are your employees responding well to your style of leadership? Are any of your actions breeding resentment in the office?

Being a good boss is crucial for your organization — a third of employees in one survey revealed they'd quit a job due to a bad manager, as Business Insider previously reported.

So how can managers tell if they're doing a good job? You can't exactly go wandering around the office asking people — that would look pretty weak. Employee satisfaction and engagement surveys aren't a bad idea.

Here are other, more subtle signs that you're killing it as the boss:

SEE ALSO: Here Are 4 Things All Great Bosses Do

You don't have obvious favorites

Playing favorites is a great way to torpedo office morale. If you make it clear that a certain person is the apple of your eye no matter what, that'll just encourage your other employees to give up on trying to impress you.

You treat your employees like human beings

Unfortunately, some bosses seem to feel that hurling insults and abuse at people is an effective motivational technique. In most cases, this simply isn't true. If you value your employees as human being, you're already a huge step above many managers.

You're willing to try new things

Good bosses adopt certain methods because they're the best way of doing things — not because they've just fallen into certain habits. The best managers give their employees a little room to experiment and innovate.

The human body is astounding. As delicate as it is resilient, it's capable of amazing feats like childbirth, ultra marathons, and sitting through that onerous board meeting for three hours without completely shutting down.

Our bodies get us from point A to point B, but it's our minds that interpret, structure, and define our entire world — and, what's more, give it meaning.

Unfortunately, our minds don't always play nice. They can sabotage us by sending unhelpful messages, like "that's never going to work" or "you're such a loser"— signals from the brain which essentially eat away at our motivation and self-esteem.

So whether you want to rock that job isnterview, learn better, or feel better, how can you get your thoughts and emotions to work for you rather than against you? Glad you asked!

I'm a practicing psychologist, and I've combed through some of today's great books on the mind to put together seven little mental exercises you can do in 60 seconds or fewer that can help you be more successful in whatever you do.

SEE ALSO: The 6 most influential business books of 2015

Instant likability — just add mistakes!

If you blocked off another hour tonight to rehearse your presentation for the eleventy-billionth time, blowing it off for Netflix might be the better choice.

It turns out that competent people actually appear more attractive and likable when they falter rather than when they try to be perfect.

Richard Wiseman, experimental psychologist and author of the book "59 Seconds," explored this when he chose two actresses to demonstrate a blender before an audience.

One actress performed perfectly and appeared highly knowledgeable. The other ran into some trouble: The blender's lid came off and she spilled fruit juice all over herself.

Although the crowd found the first demonstration professional and convincing, the second actress came out on top in terms of likability. When asked to explain their ratings, people said they couldn't relate to the flawless first actress, but warmed to the second actress, who showed a more human side.

One minute mental makeover:

This isn't a recommendation to force a fleet of silly slip-ups for the sake of being likeable, but Wiseman says that there is an easy way to up your likability factor: Reveal your weaknesses. Studies show that those who confess their weaknesses early on when talking about themselves will be rated as more likeable.

The future is an insight engine

Getting to "eureka!" is actually a lot easier than you might think.

John Kounios and Mark Beeman, authors of "The Eureka Factor," say that using your imagination in two uncommon ways — one that changes the present, and one that affects the future — can help prod inspiration out of its sleepy hidey hole.

One minute mental makeover:

1. Pretend you're someone else.

One way to foster creative, non-conformist thinking is to play a little make-believe. Imagine yourself in the role of someone notoriously less conformist. For starters, you could try donning the persona of a punk — Kounios and Beeman found that this mindset encouraged creative thinking!

2. Use distant-future thinking.

Thinking about what's to come encourages creative freedom, but there are two different mindsets with which you can approach it: near future or distant-future thinking. Imagine winning a trip to Tokyo either tomorrow or in one year.

In the first scenario you'd likely picture how to get to the airport and collect your tickets, whereas in the second scenario, you'd conjure up the scent of cherry blossoms or the hustle and bustle of downtown Tokyo.

The second set of images is far more creative and associative because thinking about the farther future permits more possibility and less analysis. Spend a minute to allow your thoughts to drift further into the future and you'll be surprised by what you come up with.

Try a four-step anti-procrastination plan

You sit down to do some research or prepare a presentation, and 45 seconds in you're overpowered by the urge to check your email or have a peek at Facebook. You work for five minutes, and then you're back to your feeds. Jeffrey M. Schwartz explains this un-productivity loop in "You Are Not Your Brain."

When we act out an unhealthy behavior, it provides us with a sense of relief from distressing sensations, in turn wiring our brain to connect this behavior to a temporary high, which strengthens the habit.

For example, if the brain sends a message like "I'm not good enough," and we try to nix the thought by acting out a stress habit — like looking for other people's reassurance on Facebook — then we will be hooked on those temporary fixes. Luckily, there's a method called the Four Steps to help you bust your brain out of this unhelpful cycle and focus on what matters.

One minute mental makeover:

1. Relabel by saying what's happening: e.g., "I'm having the urge to go on Facebook."

2. Reframe by reminding yourself why it's troubling you: "Checking Facebook reduces my anxiety that I might not be able to complete the work I should be doing."

3. Refocus by doing something productive like beginning the easiest work task.

4. Revalue by recognizing that this impulse to procrastinate is just a deceptive brain message, and needn't be taken seriously.

Early on in a 2012 report from the National Intelligence Council, essentially the US government's futurism department, is a bleak series of predictions for the year 2030.

The report outlines six "black swans," a term coined by former Wall Street trader Nassim Taleb to describe events that deviate wildly from people's expectations and then get rationalized later on. The Internet and the attacks on September 11th are two well-known black swans.

According to the NIC report, the black swans of 2030 could mean the end of civilized, modern society. They range from major economic collapse to natural disasters on a world-ending scale.

They are worst-case scenarios.

MORE: What extreme heat does to your body and brain

SEE ALSO: The Amazon rainforest might catch fire this summer — here’s why that could be more bad news for the Rio Olympics

1. Severe pandemic

A disease that kills or incapacitates just 1% of its victims "is among the most disruptive events possible," the NIC states. "Such an outbreak could result in millions of people suffering and dying in every corner of the world in less than six months."

This isn't Ebola or Zika. This is multiple plagues happening all at once, all around the world.

2. Rapid climate change

The big number in climate change is 2 degrees Celsius. Experts say that if the Earth warms by that amount, humanity will feel the full wrath of climate change: droughts, flooding, rising sea levels. Right now, estimates suggest we're hovering near 1.1 to 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial temperatures.

"Dramatic and unforeseen changes already are occurring at a faster rate than expected," the NIC states. "Rapid changes in precipitation patterns — such as monsoons in India and the rest of Asia — could sharply disrupt that region's ability to feed its population."

3. Euro/EU collapse

The fate of the Eurozone, a 19-country experiment launched in 1999 featuring a brand-new currency, could rest with Greece. For several years now, the nation has expressed interest in exiting the Eurozone. It's a decision NIC says would have serious ripple effects through Europe and the rest of the world.

"An unruly Greek exit from the Eurozone could cause eight times the collateral damage as the Lehman Brothers bankruptcy, provoking a broader crisis regarding the EU's future," the report states.

The prediction bears an uncanny similarity to Brexit, Britain's recent vote to leave the United Kingdom, which was also deemed a black swan and which economists say would inevitably rock global markets.

All those hours practicing the piano as a kid weren't necessarily for naught.

Sure, pulling out a lively rendition of "Chopsticks" could be a fun party trick (we wouldn't bet on it, though).

But more importantly, psychological research shows that music lessons are associated with various measures of success like intelligence, academic achievement, and grit.

Here are a few reasons children who practice the piano have a better chance of being successful as adults:

SEE ALSO: Science says parents of successful kids have these 13 things in common

DON'T MISS: 27 scientific ways your childhood affects your success as an adult

Children who take music lessons tend to have higher IQs

First, lets get the issue of causation vs. correlation out of the way — simply put, it's complicated.

Some researchers believe that learning to play an instrument directly causes increases in general intelligence. Others acknowledge that music training can cause small increases in IQ, and that there is indeed a relationship between music lessons and substantial differences in intelligence. But they also say significant differences in IQ are impossible to attribute solely to learning and experience, and they're more likely to be attributed to genetics.

Regardless, research shows a strong correlation between increased general intelligence and music lessons, and the longer the duration of musical training, the better the student's intellectual functioning.

Children who take music lessons tend to be good students

Even when IQ is held constant, researchers have found that music lessons are also associated with academic achievement.

Study author E. Glenn Schellenberg explains:

"Besides being above-average in cognitive ability, these children may be unusually motivated to learn, able to concentrate, confident of their own ability, cooperative, interested, and so on. Accordingly, they typically perform well on a wide variety of tests, including tests of intelligence. Exposure to school and additional school-like activities, such as music lessons, may hone these abilities and exaggerate pre-existing advantages. When music training is simply substituted for an equally scholastic ability (e.g., studying psychology), however, there would be no additional advantage."

So, adding piano lessons to the roster could help kids become even more motivated to learn and able to concentrate than before, if they already posses these skills.

Playing the piano can teach you perseverance because it's not particularly easy

Doing hard things like playing the piano as a child can lead to greater success down the road, according to University of Pennsylvania psychologist Angela Duckworth.

In 2013, she won a MacArthur "genius" grant for her uncovering of a powerful, success-driving personality trait called "grit." She's since authored a new book on the trait, aptly named "Grit."

Her research has correlated grit, defined as a "tendency to sustain interest in and effort toward very long-term goals," with educational attainment, higher GPA in Ivy League undergrads, greater retention in West Point cadets, and higher rank in the US National Spelling Bee.

To instill grit within her own two daughters, Duckworth says that her whole family abides by what she and her husband call the "hard thing rule:" Everyone must do something that requires practice, necessitates feedback telling you how you can get better, and requires trying again and again, like playing the piano. Everyone has to finish what they start. And everyone gets to pick the hard thing themselves.

"Mr. Robot" has just returned to television for its second season, and if you're in San Diego for Comic-Con this year, it's difficult to miss.

As the annual pop culture and comic convention begins Thursday, the USA show is plastered everywhere.

Whether through a VR experience or men in masks and an Uber van, see how "Mr. Robot" is taking over the Gaslamp Quarter of San Diego.

We first spotted "Mr. Robot" ads on the sides and backs of buses on preview day before Comic-Con officially kicked off.

That's pretty typical for shows and films at the Con.

The series has appeared on rickshaws taking people around downtown San Diego.

Zach Both's van may not look like much from the outside, but prop open the windows and you'll find yourself inside the spacious, sunlit work space of an up-and-coming filmmaker. 

Both lives and works out of this van, custom-designed to fit his nomadic, creative life. He even wrote a "Vanual" to help others who might want to install a stove, folding bed, and other amenities in their own vehicles.

The 23-year-old filmmaker is traveling around the United States in search of compelling stories — some that already exist, and some that he has yet to write.

"The opportunity to constantly be meeting and surrounded by people who have completely different views of the world has been immensely helpful in this," he said. “Each person has a unique perspective and background that have contributed and influenced what stories I tell and how I go about telling them.”

In the fall of 2014, Zach Both quit his job as an art director at a tech startup.

He bought a used electrician’s van...

And spent six months refurbishing it into a mobile studio.

The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships so we may get a share of the revenue from your purchase.

Cooking dinner is both energy- and time-consuming after a long day at the office. From the prep to the cleaning, it is too much of an undertaking for a lot of people during the workweek. Most just quit while they're ahead and order take-out. 

The good news is, there are thousands of products on the market that can help anyone become a better cook, if they want to, and reduce time they spend completing a meal. We put together a convenient list of our favourite kitchen appliances and cookware under £100.

Have a look and see if anything inspires you to forgo delivery. 

A Bluetooth thermometer

Ever been stood around the grill, wondering whether your meat was cooked at the right temperature? If so, it might be time to invest in a thermometer, and say goodbye to overdone and under-cooked meats.

Selling for less than £50, this Bluetooth-equipped one also lets you set custom alarms, which means you can do other things while your meat cooks. Just wait for this thermometer to notify you and take your steak off the grill. 

iDevices LLC Kitchen Bluetooth Smart Thermometer, £49.99, available at Amazon UK

A smart nutrition scale

If you're anything like me, knowing how many calories and nutrients are in a portion is an impossible guessing game. The SITU scale, however, does that for you. In addition to weighing in grams and ounces, it monitors how many calories are in a portion. You can see the nutritional information of every ingredient change in real-time by adding or subtracting ingredients on the scale. 

SITU Smart Food Nutrition Scale, £95.99, available at Amazon UK

A smart kitchen scale and cocktail maker

The Drop Scale and it's app are an unbeatable combo to become an amazing chef. Browse instructions and videos in the app for tips about each new recipe you attempt. Everything you need is literally at the tip of your fingers. The best feature? Rescale a whole recipe based on how much of an ingredient you have on hand, which means you're less wasteful with your products. 

Drop Non-Slip Connected Kitchen Scale, £59.95, available at Amazon UK

San Diego Comic-Con has transformed the city into a lush Pokémon pasture, prompting lures on lures and sweet cosplay.

People who looked up from their phones long enough might have spotted trainers, wild Pokémon, and even human-Pokéstops IRL.

We rounded up our favorite 'Pokémon GO'-inspired cosplays from San Diego Comic-Con 2016 to celebrate the game's smashing success.

Did we miss your favorite? Send us a link at mrobinson@techininsider.io. 

Trainers traveled across the lands to San Diego Comic-Con, searching far and wide for Pokémon.

Misty's crop top looks even shorter on "Man Misty."

Tweet Embed:
https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/753097820593324032
Halloween costume decided. #pokemon#manmistypic.twitter.com/VgOotn6KVh

The Pokémon GO mashups were on point. Ash from "Ash vs Evil Dead" and Pikachu have matching chainsaws — how cute.

Tweet Embed:
https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/756350339129839617
Ash from Ev Dead / Pokemon #SDCC#SDCC2016 (source : brixpup (IG) pic.twitter.com/MKgOCtYi9I

Visitors to Iceland are often divided on some of its weird and wonderful delicacies — just ask a tourist what they thought of hakarl, aka fermented shark.

In a country so popular for its rugged, otherworldly terrain, food and drink might not be what you first associate with the Scandinavian island. But fuel is most certainly what you'll need.

And as you map out your adventures up mountains, in lagoons and on horseback, you'll do well to stock your backpack with these (or sample them in restaurants while taking shelter from the elements). Here's our guide to Iceland's must-tries.

1. Icelandic Schnapps

All hail the original Icelandic spirit. You’ll never look back. It’s a cleaner, gentler, herbier version of vodka made with grain and flavored with caraway seeds, and Icelanders will shoot it till they drop. This schnapps is a successful replacement for tequila when the dreaded shot round occurs, and also a nice after-dinner tipple on the rocks if you’re classy like that.

More info:brennivin.com

2. Glacial Geothermal Malt Whiskey

If there was ever a reason to sip whiskey before 5 p.m., the fact that it’s distilled from glacial water and created through geothermal energy must be one. Thoran Distillery's creation hits shelves soon; in the meantime, try the brand-new young volcanic barley single malt, Flóki, which has unavoidably cute Norse-themed branding. The compass points to handcrafted bevs.

More info:thoran.is

3. Arctic Barley Juniper Gin

One to take home with you when you descend from this northern land. It’s a celebration of spring in a bottle! The incredible juniper berry vibe is set off by the crispness of the organic Arctic barley it’s made from, and you also get a hint of rhubarb.

More info: vorgin.is

A bike that floats on water; a suitcase that doubles as a scooter; an instrument that also combs hair.

These are just some of the brilliant, innovative, and strange inventions conceived by China's DIY inventors in the last few years. 

The pictures below show some of the coolest backyard inventions in recent memory.

(Captions by Christian Storm, Rebecca Baird-Remba, Adam Taylor and Reuters.)

He Liang spent ten years modifying this suitcase vehicle, which has its own motor and can reach speeds of over 12 MPH. It can travel 30-40 miles on one one charge.

Tao Xiangli, a self-taught inventor, built this remote controlled humanoid robot out of scrap metal and electronic wires from a second-hand market. He ran into a problem, though, when he realized the robot was too big to get out of his front door.

This 7.8-foot-tall homemade motorcycle cost its creator, Abulajon, $1,300 to create. It weighs 600 pounds and can reach speeds of 25 miles per hour.

Landing your first job and entering the workforce can be overwhelming.

Chances are, your college didn't offer classes on how to negotiate your salary, deal with a micromanaging boss, or confront annoying coworkers. 

But there's still something you can do to prepare yourself for the tricky world of work: read.

Here are 19 books we think every young professional should read before starting their first job:

Natalie Walters contributed to a previous version of this article.

SEE ALSO: 23 books Mark Zuckerberg thinks everyone should read

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

'What Color is Your Parachute?' by Richard N. Bolles

If you're only going to read one book on the list, you may want to choose this one. Why? It covers a little about everything. 

Bolles writes in the first chapter, "In today's world, he or she who gets hired is not necessarily the one who can do that job best; but, the one who knows the most about how to get hired." 

The first half of the book talks about how to create an eye-catching résumé and cover letter, as well as how to improve your networking, interviewing, and negotiating skills — while the second half focuses on how to find your ideal career.

BUY IT HERE»

'Never Eat Alone' by Keith Ferrazzi

"Never Eat Alone" is about using relationships to reach success. In other words, it's about who you know, not what you know.

Ferrazzi, a master networker, talks about how he used connections to get into Yale for his undergraduate degree, Harvard for his MBA, and later, to land a number of top executive positions. 

Based on his experiences and additional research, Ferrazzi claims that networking is the difference between average and super successful people. To help others achieve their dream life, he lays out his exact steps for reaching out to people in his network, as well as networking tips from the most well-connected individuals in the modern business and political world. 

These tips have helped him connect with Washington power players and Hollywood A-listers, so they should definitely be able to help you. 

BUY IT HERE»

'Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion' by Robert B. Cialdini

This book will teach you how to make people say "yes."

No matter what field you're in, you need to know how to get others to agree with you and help you out.

Cialdini explains the science behind doing just that based on his 35 years of research, as well as his three-year study on what makes people change their behavior. 

Not only does this book teach you how to become a powerful negotiator, it also teaches you how to resist one. 

BUY IT HERE»