From his speech at the Democratic National Convention in 2004 that made him a household name to his farewell address in January, former President Barack Obama has captivated the world with his words.

Hailed as one of the greatest presidential orators in modern history (although the title is quitecontentious), Obama has a knack for public speaking even his political opponents can recognize.

On Obama's 56th birthday, we've compiled 17 of his most memorable inspirational quotes.

SEE ALSO: 'Yes we can, yes we did': Obama delivers emotional farewell address

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Back in 2004, Obama was still an Illinois state lawmaker running for US Senate, unknown to most of America.

By 2008, he won the presidency with 365 electoral votes and 53% of the popular vote.

Democrats swept into office that year, as they took control of both houses of Congress and the first black president entered the White House.

I've been living in New York for about two years now.

And while Shake Shack's shackburger has become my go-to fast food in the city, I often feel like there's something missing from my greasy feast.

That's why the minute I get home to Chicago, I immediately seek out my favorite chain back home in the Midwest: Culver's.

To get a good look at what makes this burger chain — dare I say it — better than In-N-Out or Shake Shack, I visited Wisconsin, where I had my first Culver's experience many years ago.

SEE ALSO: A regional Midwest chain was just named one of America's best burger restaurants

DON'T MISS: We visited the regional chain that Southerners say is better than In-N-Out and Shake Shack — here's the verdict

To start my culinary adventure, I found a Culver's in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, home of the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, the alma mater of Culver's CEO Craig Culver.

We went around 4:30 p.m. on a rainy day, and the place was already packed for the evening. The menu board greeted us with a host of options from frozen treats to full meals, called "baskets," that came with drinks and a side.

After placing our orders, we went to fill up our soda. Culver's is known for its signature root beer, which tastes even better with a dollop of Culver's vanilla frozen custard.

Your friend's birthday is going well — you're all gathered around singing, a colorful cake has been presented — when suddenly, it happens: She's asked to make a wish.

Normally, you'd happily join in the collective tradition of asking her to blow out the candles. Maybe not after learning about a a new study that shows that the mere act of extinguishing those flickering lights multiplied the bacteria on the cake by 1,400%.

Perhaps the song should really go, "Happy bacteria to you."

For the study, published this summer in the Journal of Food Research, a group of food scientists prepared two test birthday "cakes" made of Styrofoam which they then spread with real icing (vanilla, in case you were wondering) and decorated with exactly 17 candles. Before having volunteers blow out the candles on both cakes, they had all of them smell and consume a piece of hot pizza — "to simulate a meal-dessert sequence." Afterwards, they compared the amount of bacteria present on each cake surface, and then repeated the whole exercise three times — because science.

They found that the cake that had its candles blown out had, on average, 1,400% more bacteria than the cake whose candles had not been blown out, and the range of those microbes was 100 times greater.

"I personally will be aware of the health status of the blower and won’t blow out candles if I'm sick," Paul Dawson, the leading author of the study and a professor of food science at Clemson University, told Business Insider.

Still, it's important to keep in mind that in many cases, especially if everyone present is healthy, all those extra germs could be harmless. By and large, we're surrounded by germs — and plenty of studies suggest that's a good thing; it helps protect our immune systems from truly harmful pathogens like those that can cause disease. But if your birthday boy or girl is sick, you might want to reconsider tucking into that cake.

There's plenty of research to suggest that the droplets you sneeze, breathe, or blow out are large enough — and can travel fast and far enough— to spread the bacteria and viruses that cause strep throat and the flu, among others.

So the next time you're at a birthday party, be aware of others' health. If someone seems sick, it might be worth skipping out on the cake, or getting birthday cupcakes instead.

SEE ALSO: Reports of fecal bacteria in iced coffee at chains like Starbucks are a red flag for bigger problems, a scientist explains

DON'T MISS: How often you should wash your bed sheets — and what happens when you don't

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• Historically, many researchers thought that marriage could have an overall positive effect on health.
• Married people tend to live longer and report better health than single people, though there are some drawbacks to marriage.
• A new study argues that marriage may not be doing anything to improve health. Past benefits may have been overstated.

Marriage is supposed to be good for your health.

That's been the general consensus of many medical researchers over the past few decades. But the specifics are complicated, as should be expected with such a complex topic.

Abusive and cold ones have clear negative effects; married people are more likely to be overweight or obese; and various studies have found different benefits and drawbacks for men and women. Overall though, researchers have generally found that married people tend to be healthier and live longer.

But if that "marriage benefit" existed at all, it might be evaporating, according to a study published July 5 in the journal Social Science Quarterly.

Dmitry Tumin, a sociologist with the Ohio State University College of Medicine, wrote that scientists who have looked for health benefits over the past few years have reported those effects to be fairly small and inconsistent.

More importantly, Tumin said that his analysis shows marriage isn't really improving health for anyone. Even groups who used to experience some health benefits from marriage are now less likely to see any health improvement at all.

Benefits and drawbacks

Researchers think there are several reasons why marriage could potentially improve health, according to Tumin, though these ideas are controversial. It's possible that spouses encourage some healthy behavior overall or that they provide access to a support network for social, emotional, and material needs.

It's also possible that these benefits have been found in the past just because married people were healthier in the first place.

Here are some of the benefits that researchers have found:

• Married men and women have a lower risk for certain types of heart disease, according to an NYU study— though some other research has found that people who end up divorced or widowed have increased risk.
• Married people are likely to have better overall health than other adults, even after controlling for age, sex, race, education, income, and other factors, according to a CDC report.
• Men who are married are more likely to make use of preventative health care.
• Some research has found that married people report better mental health status and lower alcohol use.

At the same time, researchers have also found drawbacks associated with marriage:

• Relationships and friendships can take a hit. "Multiplestudies [have shown] that married people are less likely than single people to help, support, visit, and maintain contact with friends, family, and neighbors," Bella DePaulo, a psychologist at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and the author of "Singled Out," wrote in Psychology Today.
• Married men are generally among the most likely to be overweight or obese, according to the CDC. Some studies have found that women are less likely to be physically active after getting married as well.
• Several studies have found that the mental health boost — or "honeymoon effect" — that comes after getting married dissipates over time.

Most of these studies specifically refer to heterosexual marriages, as there's less data on married LGBT couples. But at least one recent study conducted by researchers at the University of Washington found that older legally married LGBT adults reported better quality of life and more economic and social resources than single or unmarried partnered LGBT adults. Physical health was basically the same for partnered and married LGBT adults, better than the health of single adults. But married women in this study were subject to more bias in everyday life.

What's changing now

The fact that married people tend to be healthier doesn't mean that marriage is responsible for that effect, so Tumin wanted to see if an analysis of different age groups would show whether or not they became healthier over time if they were married.

He used data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics to examine 12,373 men and women from three separate birth cohorts (1955-1964, 1965-1974, and 1975-1984) who had never been married or were currently in a first marriage for up to four years, from five to nine years, or for ten or more years.

 Tumin found that "the protective effects of marriage have eroded over time," which is consistent with several other recent studies that cast doubt on common wisdom that marriage has health-promoting effects.

The only married people who turned out to be healthier than their non-married counterparts were women who had been married for ten years or more — and that was only true for the oldest cohort in the study (those born between 1955 and 1964). For younger women, that protective effect did not exist.

It's possible that the theoretical health benefits of marriage never really existed in the first place. The use of less robust statistical analysis in the past may have made it seem like marriage was more beneficial than it actually is.

But it's also possible that changing circumstances have made that effect disappear. People are less likely to get married now  — and if they do get married, it often happens later in life. Tumin wrote that there's less stigma against being single now than there used to be, which could explain why single people are experiencing better health than they used to when compared to married counterparts.

Plus, economic factors may have removed some health benefits associated with marriage. Tumin wrote that work-family conflict is on the rise and that the need to maintain two incomes may be increasing stress in general.

"Against a backdrop of greater demands at home and at work, and less time spent together, today's married couples may indeed experience marriage more as a source of conflict and stress than as a resource that safeguards their health," he wrote.

General trends don't apply in all cases — even if married people were healthier, it doesn't mean that an individual person should get married to improve their health (that sounds like a bad idea). And waning health benefits don't mean you should dump your spouse.

Happy marriages in particular seem to have health benefits, but that's probably more related to the effect of happiness in the first place. Whether you achieve that happiness single or as part of a couple, it's fine either way.

SEE ALSO: Happier people make a key decision about how they spend their time

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Halo Top is now the best-selling pint of ice cream in US grocery stores. But, a wave of backlash is building against the ice cream brand that markets itself as "healthy."

Fans have embraced Halo Top for its promise that customers can scarf down a pint of ice cream and still be healthy. Vanilla, for example, only has 240 calories — for the entire pint. 

"We know it sounds too good to be true, so don’t just take our word for it — dig in and see for yourself just how good healthy ice cream can be!" Halo Top's website reads. 

However, some nutritionists are pushing back on the ice cream company's claims that its ice cream is truly "healthy." 

"Marketing ice cream as healthy is an oxymoron if I’ve ever heard one,” Marion Nestle, a professor of nutrition, food studies, and public health at New York University, told Fortune. "This fits perfectly in the category of 'just because it’s a slightly better choice does not mean that it is a good choice.'"

Nestle was just one of a number of nutrition experts who spoke to Fortune in an article published Thursday to tear down Halo Top's self-proclaimed health benefits.

One professor of nutrition, Barry Popkin from the University of North Carolina, questioned the company's use of sugar alcohol additive erythritol that Halo Top uses to cut back on sugar. According to Popkin, too much erythritol can cause diarrhea and bloating, though Halo Top told Fortune that someone would have to eat three pints to be in danger of these symptoms. 

Halo Top told Fortune that they found nutritionists arguments' confusing and that shoppers know they're buying a "lower-calorie version of full-fat ice cream." The company didn't immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment. 

Online, another wave of backlash has been brewing against Halo Top. According to some critics, the ice cream simply... doesn't taste that good. 

While Halo Top's Facebook reviews are overwhelmingly positive, there are a few critics giving the ice cream just one star. 

"I've had so many ice cream brands and this was legit the worst," one person wrote. "My dog took 2 licks and walked away. Seriously. Never going to try again."

Halo Top was something of an instant success last summer, with sales rocketing by 2500% to sell 28.8 million pints in 2016. Now, the company is going to need to figure out how to battle backlash and cement its position as the No. 1 brand in ice cream. 

SEE ALSO: Halo Top is now the most popular pint of ice-cream in America – here's how it did it

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Sure, you have the requisite pens, pads, notebooks, and folders at your desk. You probably think that means you're all set.

But there are things  we seldom think of until we need them. With some forethought, you can avoid getting caught in the rain or spending the whole day with stinky garlic breath. 

Be prepared for whatever happens during work — and after — with these essentials.

SEE ALSO: 22 clothing items every man should own before he turns 30

A blazer to dress up office-casual attire when needed.

Even if the dress code at your office doesn't require one, keep a blazer at your desk at all times. A surprise client meeting or TV appearance can rattle the unprepared.

Make sure you can at least appear ready to take on the challenge.

Pictured:Club Monaco Made in the USA Wool Blazer

An extra pair of shoes.

They don't need to be fancy. They just need to provide a Plan B in case you step in something or get caught in a rainstorm.

Pictured:Jack Erwin Hubert

An extra pair of socks.

Speaking of a downpour, a dry pair of socks is the difference between an uncomfortable morning and an uncomfortable day.

While you're at it, stick a pair of underwear in your desk, too. You never know.

Pictured:Uniqlo Rib Socks

"I feel nervousness about writing today" sounds like a grammatically clunky sentence — as though the person meant to say simply, "I'm nervous about writing today."

In fact — and apologies to all the grammar nerds out there —there's a meaningful difference between the two sentences. And the first one could be a more useful way to describe your creative anxiety.

It's a technique that Mark Manson uses, and that he shares in his ebook, "The Guide to Self-Knowledge." Manson is also the bestselling author of the 2016 book "The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck" and he writes a popular blog at MarkManson.net.

In the ebook, Manson explains that he "defuses" from his emotions when they're interfering with his writing process and encouraging procrastination. The clunky sentence about nervousness is an example of how he does that — and he says it helps him write at least 5,000 words in a single day.

Whatever you do, don't try to resist the thought or emotion. Manson writes: "As soon as you try to eliminate a thought or emotion, you make it stronger."

Let's use another example from Manson — you're telling yourself, "I hate my ex-girlfriend."

Instead of fighting that thought and trying to pretend you don't hate her, and instead of giving into that thought and focusing on how much you hate her, you can simply say to yourself, "I am feeling hatred toward my ex-girlfriend."

Here's Manson: "Language is very powerful. Notice when you disidentify from these emotions and thoughts in this way it 1) implies that they're temporary states, and not permanent conditions and 2) forces you to take responsibility for them. They're nobody's fault, they just are."

Manson's ideas about defusing from emotion are rooted in the concept of mindfulness, or the ability to be fully present. I learned more about these ideas in a program developed at Google, called "Search Inside Yourself."

One of the teachers at SIY recommended framing emotions differently — so instead of saying, "I am angry," you'd say, "I experience anger in my body." Another teacher suggested thinking of emotions as "passing through me like a cloud," so that they don't define you.

Once you've accepted your emotions and defused from them, Manson says it's time to act in spite of them. If you feel nervousness about writing, you write anyway. If you're feeling hatred toward your ex, you still address her politely when you bump into her in your neighborhood.

It's about taking control over your emotions, rather than letting them control you. It's much easier said than done, but it gets easier and increasingly helpful the more you practice.

SEE ALSO: I just spent a day in a mindfulness program developed at Google and left with 5 key lessons

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NOW WATCH: A psychologist reveals a simple way to be more successful at work

Treasure Island, a man-made island off the coast of San Francisco, looks more like a postapocalyptic wasteland than a Bay Area suburb.

But as demand for housing in the tech capital continues to climb, developers have turned to Treasure Island in hopes of creating the next big real-estate destination.

In 2011, the city of San Francisco approved a proposal to add 8,000 homes, 500 hotel rooms, 300 acres of parks, 140,000 square feet of retail, and 100,000 square feet of office space to the island over 15 years. It comes with a price tag of $5 billion.

With construction on infrastructure underway, we decided to spend the day exploring Treasure Island — and learned there's more to this former toxic-waste site than meets the eye.

SEE ALSO: Tour the obscure California city that's suddenly the hottest housing market in America

You can live in San Francisco your whole life and never set foot on Treasure Island.

Treasure Island sits in the San Francisco Bay halfway between mainland San Francisco and Oakland.

It doesn't get many visitors outside its two major attractions: a flea market held on the last weekend of the month and a music festival that draws tens of thousands of fans. The festival was postponed this year because of the massive development project.

On a recent weekday, I learned that Treasure Island was closer to downtown San Francisco than my San Francisco apartment is. I reached the island from the city's SoMa district in about 15 minutes by bus.

You can see the length of the island from the exit road off Interstate 80. It's small.

The island was built on a rocky bank just north of Yerba Buena Island. It served as the fairgrounds of the 1939 World's Fair, which celebrated the city's two new bridges.

A North Carolina-based chicken chain is demanding to be judged among its top competitors in the US after a recent Business Insider comparison of the best fast-food chicken failed to mention Bojangles'. 

Bojangles' "is widely considered to be one of the South's most popular foods," the fried-chicken chain said in a statement published this week in The News and Observer.

"We've invited these reporters to visit Bojangles' on their next trip to the South and experience for themselves the flavor that's made us a true Southern icon for 40 years."

In fact, two Business Insider reporters had recently visited Bojangles' on a trip to Charlottesville, Virginia. 

We realize that many people north of the Mason-Dixon line and west of the Mississippi have never heard of the Southern chain, which was why it was excluded from the original fried chicken face-off. However, as seen by the backlash to the article, loyal fans swear by their chicken and "Bo-Berry" biscuits. 

Here's how Bojangles' actually measures up to competitors like Popeyes and KFC.

SEE ALSO: I tried McDonald's answer to Chick-fil-A against the real thing and the winner is obvious

Bojangles' beige buttress beckoned from the highway in Charlottesville.

The taupe continued inside. The interior had a clean, sterile, yet vaguely homey vibe, like an old-school New England Wendy's.

The ordering system sets Bojangles' apart from most: the cashier calls orders over a PA system to the kitchen, which springs into action.

If BrewDog has its way, their sudsy offerings will be unavoidable all around the globe.

The Scottish craft brewer is planning for "world domination" as it looks to expand into France, Australia and Asia, according to analysts at Bernstein. That involves tripling or even quadrupling sales in France, and identifying China as its top target for untapped growth.

It's been a quick rise to the heavyweight ranks for BrewDog, which has only been in existence since 2007. The company's revenues expanded at a 44% compounded annual growth rate from then through 2015, becoming Scotland's largest independent brewery in the process, and expanding into Sweden, Japan and the US.

BrewDog's swift success caught the eye of US private equity firm TSG Consumer Partners, which purchased 22% of the company for $265 million in April, valuing it at more than $1.2 billion. That investment included $124 million to specifically fund BrewDog's global expansion.

Beer enthusiasts in the US will be pleased to know that BrewDog is currently building a second brewery in Canal Winchester, Ohio, which will add another 400,000 hecoliters of annual capacity.

While BrewDog is enjoying a robust growth story, the larger craft beer industry has felt some pressure of late. It's facing stiff competition from both the macrobrewers that have entered the craft market via acquisition, as well as local microbreweries and brewpubs.

Craft beer industry growth has also been slowing, according to Brewers Association chief economist Bart Watson.

So while BrewDog hasn't yet been tripped up by the increasingly crowded and competitive industry, it faces its biggest test yet as it scales itself to an unprecedented level. 

SEE ALSO: Trump and Yellen could derail the stock market's hottest trade

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It's official. Summer is over.

At least that's the case for many of the school districts that have already had their first day of  the school year.

Some school districts in Georgia may be the worst offenders, where the start of the school year has eked back from August to July 31. 

Atlanta Public Schools started a day later on August 1. In California, many districts start a couple weeks later. Los Angeles has its first day of school on August 15.

Numerous other school districts begin their semesters weeks before Labor Day, which many consider to be the unofficial end of summer. Changes to move up the start of school have often been made with students in mind.

Washington, DC moved its start day up last year to avoid the "summer brain drain," the period during which students backslide on the mastery of content they had learned the year before. 

"It's a new experience, but we are excited because it gives kids more time to engage with the content," Catrina Brown, an English teacher in DC, told The Washington Post last year. This year, DC schools have their first day on August 21.

In other districts, like Los Angeles, an earlier start helped with the flow of the school year.

"I'd say people feel that it's a better way to lay out the school year," Laurie Baccus, an assistant superintendent at Whittier School District, said on Southern California public radio station KPCC last August.

Not all schools have pushed up their start dates. New York City Public Schools — the largest school district in America — still waits until Labor Day for the school year to start. This year, classes begin on September 7.

SEE ALSO: A 'dark store' tax loophole enjoyed by Target and Lowe's is costing American schools billions

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NOW WATCH: The 9 coolest signatures of famous people throughout history

If you've ever dreamed of living in a castle with an easy commute to New York City, you're in luck. Located just over an hour north of midtown Manhattan, 249 Croton Dam Road in Ossining, New York is on the market for $3.69 million.

Built in the 1920s by David Abercrombie, cofounder of Abercrombie & Fitch, the castle is dubbed "Elda Castle" after the first initials of his four children, according to New York History Blog. The castle, which has a storied past detailed on the blog, served as an oasis for the Abercrombie family after they endured the tragic deaths of two of the four children: Lucy in 1929, and David in 1937.

Currently in disrepair, the buyer of the castle will have to take on a full renovation project to make it livable again.

Continue reading to see photos of the castle and the surrounding land, which is currently listed for sale on Sotheby's.

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You'll have to budget more than just the $3.69 purchase price. Nearly a century old, the castle requires a full renovation.

Many of the original details, such as a cast iron spiral staircase and an open patio with a fireplace, remain and can be restored.

Abercrombie's wife, architect Lucy Abbott Cate, designed the 4,337 square foot castle, which has 4 bedrooms and 4.5 baths.

New York state officials on highlighted efforts to eradicate the illegal ivory trade. A 2014 law made it illegal to sell, buy and possess ivory except in certain circumstances but the trade continues. The trade has taken an enormous toll on elephant and rhino populations in Africa. At the current rate of poaching, both species could become extinct in the upcoming years.

The Central Park event resulted from a partnership among the state Department of Environmental Conservation, the Wildlife Conservation Society, and jeweler Tiffany & Company. Anti-ivory events will continue in the upcoming week in the run-up to World Elephant Day on August 12. 

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For the first time in its nearly 400-year history, Harvard has admitted a majority nonwhite class, The Boston Globe reported.

Official figures released by the college show that the entering class of 2021 is:

• 22.2% Asian American 

• 14.6% African American

• 11.6% Hispanic or Latino 

• 2.5% Native American or Pacific Islander 

Of the entering freshman class, 50.8% are from minority groups, an increase from the 47.3% figure last year, The Globe reported.

The news comes just as the Department of Justice indicated it planned toreview a complaint of discrimination at Harvard University related to its admissions process.

An anti-affirmative action group called Students for Fair Admissions filed a lawsuit against Harvard in 2015, alleging that the college and other Ivy League institutions use racial quotas to admit students to the detriment of more qualified Asian-American applicants. The group includes a coalition of more than 60 Asian-American groups.

SEE ALSO: Harvard professor says most people are thinking about diversity on college campuses all wrong

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Creative cocktails have become the hallmark of bartenders around the world. After all, there's no "right" way to mix up a drink, right? 

Apparently, there is — and the U.S. government seems to have signed off on it. 

Craig Stoltz, a cocktail enthusiast and former Washington Post editor, posted a curious engineering diagram on Liquor.com.

The diagram, created by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service in 1974, spells out exactly how to create some of the most common cocktails around. 

A closer look at who signed off on the document — which is preserved in the National Archives— reveals that it is more of a prank than actual law, with signatures like "I. Mixum" and "I. P. Freely." However, that doesn't mean that the chart doesn't contain some useful advice. 

Here are 13 of the cocktail construction recipes on the chart that any amateur mixologist should have under their belt, from the martini to the Zombie.

SEE ALSO: An insanely popular 'healthy' ice cream brand is taking over America — but some experts are skeptical

Old Fashioned

For an 8 oz beverage, stir: 

• 1 1/2 oz bourbon (1 1/2 ounces is roughly 45 milliliters, or one standard shot of liquor)
• 6.5 oz soda 
• One sugar cube
• One dash of bitters
• Two ice cubes
• One red cherry
• One orange slice on the rim
•  

Daiquiri

Shake with cracked ice, then remove: 

• 1 1/2 oz rum
• 3/4 oz squeezed lemon or lime juice
• One teaspoon granulated sugar

Manhattan

Stir with cracked ice, then remove:

• 1 1/2 oz bourbon
• 3/4 oz Italian vermouth
• One dash angostura bitters
• One red cherry

Style mistakes are something a man generally wants to avoid.

And style mistakes that the opposite sex has voted as the most egregious? Well, you'd better listen up.

Female commenters on Reddit's AskWomen subreddit were asked to vote on what they consider to be the worst style blunders they see on men.

We've rounded up the 10 most upvoted sins and coupled them with advice on how best to avoid them.

SEE ALSO: 5 of the biggest style mistakes guys make in the warm weather — and what to do instead

10. Jean shorts.

"Jean shorts." — i_killed_baby_jane

Jean shorts, also known as "jorts," are a bit of a scourge during warmer months. They have unsightly hemlines and janky appearance.

Instead, wear a nice slim pair of chino shorts.

9. Baggy jeans.

"Baggy/'relaxed fit' jeans in general." — kidkvlt

Baggy jeans remind us of the '90s. We've come pretty far since then, and baggy jeans should be relegated to the same bin as Furbies and frosted tips.

Instead, wearjeans that fit on the slim or even skinny side.

8. Inappropriate headwear.

"Fedoras. Just stop with them. It's not 1935." — Baron3ss

Hats — especially fedoras and other dressy hats — are passé in 2017. They look out of place today and will always make it seem as though you're trying too hard.

Instead, wear absolutely nothing on your head.

We got a behind the scenes tour of the Samuel Adams brewery in Boston's Jamaica Plain neighborhood. Leading our tour was none other than Jim Koch, the billionaire founder of the Boston Beer Company, which makes Samuel Adams Boston Lager. 

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NOW WATCH: Here's why your iPhone has a tiny hole next to the camera

It turns out "dress for success" is much more than just a catchy motto.

Recent studies have indicated that there is some value in dressing for the job you want, as noted by the Wall Street Journal last year.

Studies have shown that wearing nice clothes in the office can affect the way people perceive you, how confident you're feeling, and even how you're able to think abstractly.

In a study completed at Yale in 2014 that used 128 men between the ages of 18 and 32, researchers had participants partake in mock negotiations of buying and selling.

Those dressed poorly (in sweatpants and plastic sandals) averaged a theoretical profit of $680,000, while the group dressed in suits amassed an average profit of $2.1 million. The group dressed neutrally averaged a $1.58 million profit.

According to a co-author of the study, this shows that the poorly dressed participants would often defer to the suited ones, and these suited participants could sense this heightened respect, backing down less than they might have otherwise.

In another study, participants who dressed up were more likely to engage in abstract, big-picture thinking like a CEO, while those less well-dressed concerned themselves with minor details.

"People who wear that kind of clothing feel more powerful," Michael L. Slepian, co-author of the study and an adjunct assistant professor at Columbia Business School, told the WSJ. "When you feel more powerful, you don’t have to focus on the details."

How does this advice fit into your everyday style? In today's casual office dress code, dressing up can have an even bigger effect.

But make sure to follow the "plus or minus one" rule for company dress. For example, if most people in the office wear button-up shirts, you might want to put on a blazer. If most people wear blazers, you might want to wear a suit. And so on.

SEE ALSO: 17 things every guy needs in his closet for summer

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NOW WATCH: 7 outdated fashion rules that men can now ignore

When it comes to fitness gadgets the general rule is that the current generation tend to overpromise and under deliver.

But in the case of the artificial intelligence headphones called Vi, designed to improve your running, I've been blown away by how much more it does than I imagined.

Not that I haven't had some issues with them, but the way they've helped correct and improve my running form far outweighs the annoyances. I can run longer and faster with less knee pain and soreness.

Vi gained attention in 2016 when it raised nearly $1.7 million on Kickstarter on a goal of $100,000.

I tried Vi for a wide variety of workouts before I came to the conclusion that I love this device.  

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Vi is a set of weighted Bluetooth earphones priced at $250 and chock full of sensors like a heart rate monitor, an accelerometer, a gyrometer, barometer, and voice recognition. When used with the speech recognition, AI-powered smartphone app, Vi becomes a personal trainer.

One difference between Vi and a regular set of bluetooth earphones are these curved bits on the earpiece. They are heart rate sensors that you place in the corner of your outer ear. I found the HR tracking to be surprisingly accurate, which is really important if you are training for a race and using heart-rate zone training.

Vi includes an iPhone or Android app that tracks your basic running statistics, like time, mileage, speed, heart rate, etc. Through the app, you set your goals, such as losing weight, getting faster, running farther, reducing stress, or improving fitness, which helps Vi personalize the guidance it gives during your runs.