The Marvel Cinematic Universe has shied away from killing off major characters.

Even in "Captain America: Civil War," when James Rhodes/War Machine is shot down, he is paralyzed rather than killed.

But that doesn't mean there haven't been notable deaths. Business Insider looked back at the MCU and found 30 major deaths, which we then ranked from least sad to most. It should come as no surprise that most of the villain deaths are ranked toward the bottom.

We excluded characters that died, but were eventually resurrected — Agent Phil Coulson died in "The Avengers," but came back in Marvel's "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." television show on ABC, and Bucky Barnes died in "Captain America: The First Avenger," but has since returned as the Winter Soldier.

We'll see if any of our favorite characters meet an end when "Avengers: Infinity War" comes to theaters next month.

SEE ALSO: The 7 biggest questions we had after watching Marvel's 'Black Panther,' and hope are answered in the sequel

30. Malekith ("Thor: The Dark World")

Cause of death: Crushed by his own ship. 

In a recent interview with The Guardian, actor Christopher Eccleston opened up about filming "Thor: The Dark World," and said it was like a "gun in your mouth." Perhaps it's a good thing his character dies.

29. Ultron ("Avengers: Age of Ultron")

Cause of death: Vision destroys his last remaining body after a fight with the Avengers.

Hard to feel anything for a genocidal robot.

28. The Red Skull ("Captain America: The First Avenger")

Cause of death: Incinerated by the Tesseract.

Sorry, Red Skull, but we're not going to feel sorry for a Nazi. The Skull is incinerated when he handles the Tesseract, one of the Infinity Stones that Thanos is after in the upcoming "Avengers: Infinity War."

• Netflix is reportedly planning to make a weekly TV news magazine show like CBS' "60 Minutes" and ABC's "20/20," according to MarketWatch.
• A TV-executive source told the outlet that the Netflix is "proceeding with caution" to enter the TV news business with a "sharp, balanced" weekly show.
• The potential TV news show would be the first of its kind for the streaming service. 

Netflix is reportedly planning to make a weekly TV news magazine show to rival CBS' "60 Minutes" and ABC's "20/20," according to MarketWatch.

A TV executive who worked with Netflix on a recent documentary series told MarketWatch that the streaming service is "proceeding with caution" to enter the TV news business with a "sharp, balanced" weekly show.

"Netflix have spotted a hole in the market for a current affairs TV show encompassing both sides of the political divide and are seeking to fill it," the source told the outlet, speaking on the condition of anonymity. 

"Netflix are proceeding with caution over this because they're well aware that most new current affairs shows underwhelm and are expensive," the source continued. "They want to make their show economically viable without compromising the production costs and newsgathering operation."

Though Netflix has released a number of talk shows from comedians like David Letterman, Chelsea Handler, and Joel McHale (to varying degrees of success), the potential TV news show would be the first of its kind for the streaming service. 

Netflix has said it will spend over $8 billion on original content in 2018, and a TV news program is the latest reported project that signals a more political-oriented bent to its original content.

The New York Times reported last week that former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama are also in talks to produce content for Netflix, which will focus on "the power of storytelling to inspire."

SEE ALSO: 19 Netflix original shows that both critics and audiences agree are amazing

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Why 555 is always used for phone numbers on TV and in movies

While the news cycle was understandably focused on Rex Tillerson's departure as secretary of state, he wasn't the only person who left President Donald Trump's orbit on Tuesday.

The other was a 27-year-old White House aide named John McEntee, who was escorted out of the president's residence amid a financial-crimes investigation.

McEntee served as Trump's longtime personal assistant. After his departure, Trump's 2020 reelection campaign quickly rehired him as the senior adviser for campaign operations.

Here's a young, viral football star ended up next to one of the most powerful men in the world:

SEE ALSO: Latest White House staffer to be fired initially became famous with a trick-shot football video

DON'T MISS: REX TILLERSON IS OUT — here are all the casualties of the Trump administration so far

Born on March 9, 1990, John D. McEntee II grew up in Anaheim, California, which is where his football talents first became apparent. He was a star athlete at Servite High School, where he threw 1,525 yards as a senior.

Source: Max Preps

His father is a successful producer, manager, and agent who books stars from Snoop Dogg to Bette Midler for Vegas casinos and Fortune 500 companies. The family's palatial home reportedly has a painting of McEntee in the billiard room throwing a pass.

Sources: TEI Entertainment, The Orange County Register

McEntee went on to become a starting quarterback at the University of Connecticut, where he continued to make waves. In 2011, he won the Joseph M. Giannelli Unsung Hero Award for his playing.

Sources: People, The Daily Campus, UConn

• President Donald Trump's new tax law resulted in a bump in take-home pay for about 90% of Americans, according to the IRS.
• For people earning $75,000 a year, federal income and FICA taxes amount to $685 per pay period under the new tax law, down from $778.
• That means employees who make $75,000 got a $93 boost per bimonthly paycheck.

Starting in February, many Americans saw a bump in their take-home pay thanks to President Donald Trump's new tax law.

The new law changed the 2018 tax brackets and went into effect starting this year.

The IRS released new guidelines in January, known as tax-withholding tables, that tell employers how much to take out of employees' paychecks for income taxes based on criteria such as single or joint filing status, Business Insider's Bob Bryan reported. That amount is paid to the IRS in the employee's name.

At the end of the year, when an employee files their taxes, they either get a refund (if too much was withheld) or pay more (if too little was withheld).

The new withholding changes hit Americans' paychecks around February 1, resulting in roughly 90% of workers getting higher take-home pay, according to the IRS.

In light of the recent change to the tax law, we used SmartAsset's paycheck calculator to find out what $75,000 looks like after taxes in 11 US cities. The chart below shows annual take-home pay in each city for 2018.

Some states — like Washington, Florida, and Texas — don't have state income taxes, so someone who earns $75,000 there will bring home a bigger paycheck than someone who lives in California or New York.

These take-home pay estimates account only for state and local income taxes, which vary by place, plus federal income taxes and Social Security and Medicare (known as FICA).

For a $75,000 earner in 2018, federal and FICA taxes amount to $685 per pay period no matter where in the US you live. Before the new tax law, federal income and FICA taxes took $778 from every paycheck.

If you're contributing to a tax-advantaged retirement account, like a 401(k), the paycheck you bring home will be less than these figures.

But in that case, your savings are covered — or at least part of the recommended 20% of your paycheck you should earmark for savings and paying off debt — and the rest of your paycheck can go toward necessities like housing, food, transportation, and discretionary spending.

The same goes for health insurance, if you're enrolled in a healthcare program through your employer, which will deduct monthly insurance payments from your paycheck on a pretax basis.

New York City residents fared the worst in our city comparison. Employees in the city take home just over $52,000 on a $75,000 salary, largely thanks to steep state and city income taxes. That doesn't leave much to cover housing or transportation costs in the most expensive city in the country— but it is slightly more take-home pay than they received before the GOP tax law.

Below, check out the twice-monthly-paycheck breakdown for workers earning $75,000 in 11 US cities.

SEE ALSO: Your paycheck probably just got a little bigger — here's why

DON'T MISS: How Trump's new tax law affects homeowners at every income level from $83,000 to $336,000 a year

Dallas, Texas

Take-home pay before the tax law: $2,347

Miami, Florida

Take-home pay before the tax law: $2,347

Nashville, Tennessee

Take-home pay before the tax law: $2,347

• Résumés are tricky — it's sometimes difficult to know exactly what to include.

• But there are a few items you should almost always keep off your résumé.

• Sloppy formatting, egocentric phrasing, and awkward selfies could get your résumé thrown in the trash.

• Business Insider compiled a list of 38 mistakes to remove from your résumé immediately.

Hiring managers receive an average of 75 résumés per position they post, according to CareerBuilder.com.

So they don't have the time or resources to review each one closely, and they spend approximately six seconds on their initial "fit/no fit" decision.

If you want to make it past the initial test, you need to have some solid qualifications — and the perfect résumé to highlight those qualifications.

Here are 38 things you should never include on your résumé.

SEE ALSO: These real résumé makeovers will teach you exactly how to fix your own résumé

DON'T MISS: 6 websites that will help you build your résumé if you don’t know where to start

1. An objective

If you applied, it's already obvious you want the job.

The exception: If you're in a unique situation, such as changing industries completely, it may be useful to include a brief summary.

2. Irrelevant work experiences

Yes, you might have been the "king of making milkshakes" at the restaurant you worked for in high school. But unless you are planning on redeeming that title, it is time to get rid of all that clutter.

But as Alyssa Gelbard, career expert and founder of career-consulting firm Résumé Strategists, pointed out: Past work experience that might not appear to be directly relevant to the job at hand might show another dimension, depth, ability, or skill that actually is relevant or applicable.

Only include this experience if it really showcases additional skills that can translate to the position you're applying for.

3. Personal stuff

Don't include your marital status, religious preference, or Social Security number.

This might have been the standard in the past, but all of this information is now illegal for your employer to ask from you, so there's no need to include it.

• United Airlines is coming under fire after claims that a flight attendant forced a family to put their 10-month-old puppy in an overhead bin, where it died.
• Owners of the puppy told ABC News that they told the United flight attendant there was a puppy in their soft kennel bag twice before they were forced to stow it in the overhead compartment.
• United Airlines apologized for the incident and said it was taking full responsibility.
• There's now a growing backlash against the airline, and some consumers are even calling for a boycott.

The owners of the 10-month-old French bulldog puppy that died on a United Airlines flight after an employee forced them to put the dog in an overhead bin are speaking out.

Catalina Robledo and her daughter Sophia Ceballos told ABC News that they were forced to remove the soft kennel bag holding their dog from the seat in front of them and put it in the overhead bin before the flight took off.

The owners say they told the flight attendant twice that they had a dog inside the bag before they were forced to stow the bag in the overhead compartment.

"We were going to put him under the seat, and then the flight attendants came and she said you have to put him up there because it's going to block the path. And we were like, 'It's a dog, it's a dog!' And she's like, 'It doesn't matter you still have to put it up there.' And she helped her put it up and just closed it like it was a baggage," Sophia said.

According to the family and fellow passengers, the dog barked softly during the first part of the flight, but then the whimpers stopped. The family was unable to check on the dog because of heavy turbulence, according to the report. The family was traveling on United Flight 1284 from Houston Intercontinental to New York LaGuardia, which lasted about three hours.

Once the plane landed and it was discovered that the dog was not breathing, Robledo tried mouth-to-mouth resuscitation on the puppy.

Maggie Gremminger, a fellow passenger, shared the disturbing details about the incident on her Facebook page.

"By the end of the flight, the dog was dead. The woman, crying in the airplane aisle on the floor," Gremminger said.

The airline said in a statement to Business Insider that the incident should have never happened.

"This was a tragic accident that should never have occurred, as pets should never be placed in the overhead bin," the airline said in its statement. "We assume full responsibility for this tragedy and express our deepest condolences to the family and are committed to supporting them. We are thoroughly investigating what occurred to prevent this from ever happening again."

The airline is now facing outrage over the incident, and some people are even calling for a boycott.

United has faced a string of unfortunate incidents during the past year. The airline came under fire in April after airport security was recorded violently dragging a 69-year-old passenger off one of its planes, and in May a 3-foot rabbit named Simon was found dead after a United flight.

You can watch the family's full interview below:

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Forget 'Make America Great Again' — Wharton professor says Trump has been terrible for America's brand

• Stephen Hawking was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) when he was 21.
• Doctors didn't expect him to live very long, but he ended up making it to the age of 76.
• The neuromuscular disease, which usually develops in older adults, progressively destroys nerve cells and inhibits muscle control.

British physicist Stephen Hawking, who wrote the classic "A Brief History of Time" and transformed our understanding of the cosmos and black holes, died Wednesday at the age of 76.

But decades before his death, at the young age of 21, Hawking was diagnosed with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. He wasn't expected to live for more than a few years after that, but he managed to stick around for 55 years before his death (which happened to coincide with Pi Day and Einstein's birthday).

So what is ALS and how did Hawking manage to stay alive for so long? 

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a disease that affects the nervous system of the body, slowly destroying nerve cells and becoming more debilitating over time. 

It usually begins with some muscle weakness, twitching, or slurred speech. That twitching tends to start in the hands, limbs or feet, according to the Mayo Clinic. Things get worse from there as the disease destroys more cells and degrades motor neurons, eventually affecting a person's ability to speak, eat, swallow, breathe, and eventually, live. On average, people live two to three years after a diagnosis. 

But ALS is a pretty variable disease, and doesn't typically have an effect on your brain's ability to think clearly. It also doesn't tend to have an effect on bladder, bowel, or sexual functions. Hawking got married twice, had three children, then lived to meet his three grandchildren, even as ALS slowly gnawed away at his muscle function.

Though Hawking spent most of his life in a wheelchair and was unable to move much of his body, he still had some working face muscles that came in handy. The physicist used a special computer that tracked his cheek muscle movement through a connection to his glasses. That's how he was able to talk to the world and theorize about what might be happening in the cosmos for decades. 

Leo McCluskey, medical director of the ALS Center at the University of Pennsylvania, told Scientific American that people who develop ALS when they're younger can live well into their 40s, 50s, and 60s. But he said Hawking’s long stint with the disease was an “astounding” and rare case.

“He's certainly an outlier,” McCluskey said.

For the more than five decades that Hawking had the disease, he dived in to groundbreaking research on how the cosmos formed in the big bang, and wrestled with how it might all end one day. He changed our understanding of black holes, and was the first scientist to unify Einstein's theory of relativity with the tiny, invisible world of quantum mechanics (which had previously been two separate ideas in physics).

Scientists don't fully understand what causes ALS, though a small portion of the cases are hereditary. New CRISPR techniques are helping geneticists learn more about some of the most common genes that drive the neurodegenerative disease.

There is no cure for ALS, though there are a couple of FDA-approved drugs on the market that can slow the progression of the disease. 

Remembering Stephen Hawking:

• These 15 photos show how Stephen Hawking defied his disability and lived an incredible life 
• Stephen Hawking died on a day that is cosmically connected to Albert Einstein and Pi
• The man who helped Stephen Hawking achieve his lifelong dream of experiencing zero gravity remembers what it was like to watch the acclaimed physicist break free of his wheelchair
• Stephen Hawking was rumored to run over the toes of people he didn't like with his wheelchair
• Here's what Eddie Redmayne, who played Stephen Hawking in 'The Theory of Everything,' said about his death
• 15 Stephen Hawking quotes that reveal how a genius thinks
• Stephen Hawking had a 'sense of humor as vast as the universe': unique tributes flood in for esteemed scientist

SEE ALSO: Stephen Hawking died on a day that is cosmically connected to Albert Einstein and Pi

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Stephen Hawking just set humanity a 100-year-deadline to colonize other planets — but this astronaut says we’re not ready

Do you want to stop drinking alcohol and cut all sugar, grains, beans, peanuts, and dairy from your plate for a month? Then the Whole30 diet is for you.

Created in 2009 by then husband-and-wife pair Melissa and Dallas Hartwig, the premise of the monthlong regime is that if you put only "good" things in your body you’ll feel better, reduce inflammation, and transform your relationship with food.

Melissa, a former heroin addict, came up with the plan after she left rehab, quit smoking, joined a gym, and started eating healthier. She shared what worked so well for her with the masses, and the Instagrammable hashtag #Whole30, which to date has spawned 3.4 million posts, was born.

Whole30 involves a lot of diet restriction and willpower, which means the diet may not be the right choice for everyone. In fact, it ranked near the bottom of the list of US News & World Report's 40 best diets of 2018.

Here's how it works.

SEE ALSO: I tried electric shock therapy —and it was one of the wildest experiences I've ever had in a workout

There are at least seven big no-no's on the Whole30 diet.

The first: absolutely no alcohol all 30 days. This includes cooking with wine. Whole30 is meant to be a kind of radical body cleanse, and for that reason the inventors also ask people to refrain from smoking during the 30 days of the fast.

Bread and whole grains are off limits.

Eating whole grains can be a great way to incorporate belly-filling fiber and satisfying protein into your diet, all while reducing inflammation. But forget about it if you're doing Whole30.

That includes quinoa.

Just about every kind of starch, bran, or germ you can think of is off limits. Gluten-free bread, buckwheat flour, amaranth, or rice? No, no, no, and no.

But potatoes, formerly banned from the diet, are OK for Whole30-ers now. (Still, no potato chips or french fries allowed.)

With "Tomb Raider" opening in theaters on Friday, Warner Bros. is rebooting the famed video game character that Angelina Jolie first brought to the screen in the early 2000s. 

This time the studio is stepping back to present the origin story of Lara Croft, a young woman from a privileged family trying to figure out what to do with her life and eventually finding her calling as a thrill-seeking archaeologist.

Oscar winner Alicia Vikander takes on the role and, like Jolie, didn't go cheap on the physical preparation. 

The 5' 5", 117-pound actress began working out with celebrity trainer Magnus Lygdback three months before shooting began and added 12 pounds of muscle to sustain the action-packed shoot (Lara Croft goes through a lot in this movie).

We dove into Lygdback's Instagram and found a series of "Tomb Raider" training videos he posted. 

Here are some of the workouts he put Vikander through to get her ripped for the role: 

SEE ALSO: The unique reason the director of box-office hit "Jumanji" says he doesn't want to direct a "Star Wars" movie

Back workouts

Standing Row - 20 reps / 4 sets

Kettlebell Swings - 20 reps / 4 sets

Straight Arm Lifts - 20 reps / 4 sets

Legs

Goblet Squats - 20 reps / 4 sets

Lunges - 20 reps / 4 sets

Skate Jumps - 20 reps / 4 sets

Abs

Magnus’ No-Name Ab exercise (Push-up position, rotate out and kick, raise arm) - 1 minute

Windshield Wiper - 30 seconds to 1 minute

Switch Blade - 30 seconds to 1 minute

• Pop singer Miley Cyrus is facing a $300 million copyright infringement lawsuit over her hit 2013 single, "We Can't Stop."
• The Jamaican songwriter Michael May, whose stage name is Flourgon, claims that Cyrus' "We Can't Stop" closely resembles his 1988 single "We Run Things."
• May said in the suit that Cyrus' song took "about 50 percent" from his song, including musical elements and the phrase, "We run things / Things no run we."
• Cyrus' "We Can't Stop" hit No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart after its release in June 2013. 
• May's "We Run Things" reached No. 1 in his home country, Jamaica, in 1988. 

Pop singer Miley Cyrus is facing a $300 million copyright infringement lawsuit from the Jamaican songwriter Michael May, who claims that Cyrus' 2013 hit single "We Can't Stop" closely resembles a song he wrote in 1988, Reuters reports. 

May, whose stage name is Flourgon, said in the suit that Cyrus' song took "about 50 percent" from his song "We Run Things" — including musical elements and the phrase,"We run things / Things no run we," which Cyrus sings in a chorus as, "We run things / Things don’t run we."

Cyrus' "We Can't Stop" hit No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart after its release in June 2013. May's "We Run Things" reached No. 1 in his home country, Jamaica, in 1988. 

In the suit, filed at the U.S. District Court in Manhattan on Tuesday, May's lawyers said that Cyrus' song "owes the basis of its chart-topping popularity to and its highly-lucrative success to plaintiff May’s protected, unique, creative and original content."

In addition to seeking $300 million in the case, May is also seeking a halt to subsequent sales and performances of Cyrus' song. 

Cyrus' representatives did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Listen to Cyrus' "We Can't Stop" and May's "We Run Things" below:

SEE ALSO: The 50 best-selling music artists of all time

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Why 555 is always used for phone numbers on TV and in movies

• Both the Toyota Tacoma TRD Sport and the Chevy Colorado ZR2 are aimed at people who want to go off-road in their pickups.
• We sampled these midsize off-road warriors back-to-back.
• The Chevy Colorado ZR2 is a nicer truck. The Toyota TRD Sport is very capable, though less refined.

Chevy is credited with single-handedly reviving the compact-pickup-truck segment in the US, but the truth is that Toyota has long ruled it with its Tacoma. It was just that the "Taco" stood more or less alone, with only the Nissan Frontier to challenge it in the entry-level-pickup space.

The Chevy Colorado arrived in 2014 to crash the party. By rights, this segment isn't the same as it was back in the day when the Chevy S-10 and the Ford Ranger were in the game. These new pickups are midsize, sitting a notch below the big stuff — Chevy's Silverado and Toyota's Tundra, for example.

I recently had a chance to check out the off-road, high-performance version of the Chevy Colorado, the ZR2. Soon after, I borrowed the Tacoma TRD Sport, the competition from Toyota.

OK, I didn't go rock busting or explore a desert. But I did tool around in both trucks on the daunting winter roads of suburban New Jersey.

Here's what I thought.

SEE ALSO: We drove a $63,000 Ford Raptor and a $58,000 Chevy Silverado Z71 to see which pickup truck we liked better — here's the verdict

FOLLOW US : On Facebook for more car and transportation content!

Let's start with the fetching 2018 Colorado ZR2, in "Cajun red tintcoat."

Our test truck was $43,475 — the Colorado ZR2 is already a lot pricier than the $20,000 basic Colorado, but our tester came well-optioned out of the box before a few extras added about $700.

Our ZR2 came with a crew cab and a "short box" bed. Some folks don't much like short boxes, but I think that for most owners it's ideal.

The Colorado ZR2 kind of blends aggression with sporty sleekness. But I don't think the various fascia elements — grille, badge, headlights — are in good balance.

• The Seasteading Institute set out on a mission to build a floating, libertarian utopia in the middle of the ocean.
• French Polynesia, an island nation that once agreed to let the institute develop the "seastead" off the coast of Tahiti, has now backed out of the deal.
• Locals in Tahiti feared that seasteading would bring tech colonialism to their shores. The project has long been criticized for its costs and elitism.

A South Pacific island nation is cutting ties with tech billionaires and libertarians.

In 2017, government officials in French Polynesia signed an agreement with the Seasteading Institute, a group founded by investor and entrepreneur Peter Thiel, that would give the libertarian group access to build a floating and politically autonomous city, called a seastead, off the coast.

Now the country's ruling political party says the agreement has expired.

The ruling Tapura Huiraatira party said in a Facebook post that the memorandum of understanding, a non-binding document that sealed the government's intent to work with the group, had a "deadline of validity" at the end of 2017. The agreement became void in January 2018.

"It's not a contract. This document does not bind the Country [sic] in any way. It has no legal value," the Facebook note said. 

In 2008, Thiel, a longtime tech industry fixture and a Trump transition team member, set out on a mission to develop a floating city that would run independently from existing nations. Thiel invested $1.7 million in The Seasteading Institute, but resigned from its board in 2011.

Thiel later said in an interview that engineering seasteads is "not quite feasible."

After the group's founding in 2008, some tech entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley chastised the idea, saying that the island paradises would be too wild, expensive, and elitist to generate real results.

But the seasteading concept began eventually gathering support from libertarians and people living outside the Silicon Valley bubble. A 2013 crowdfunding campaign raised over $27,000.

For years, the Seasteading Institute wanted to set up camp in international waters. Eventually, the group determined the costs of building hundreds of miles from a shoreline, away from an existing nation, were too extravagant. So the institute decided to team up with a host country.

French Polynesia fit the bill.

The island chain is located an eight-hour flight from Los Angeles. It has a fiber cable that runs underwater to Hawaii, providing the bandwidth that tech workers require.

Rising sea levels threaten French Polynesia's existence, which made a proposal to build new land appealing to the government.

In 2016, the Seasteading Institute sent a delegation to meet with French Polynesian officials. They drafted an informal agreement between the government and the Seasteading Institute.

But as the Seasteading Institute plotted its vision, locals from Tahiti — the largest island in French Polynesia — grew increasingly concerned about the prospect of "tech colonialism."

A documentary film crew followed the Seasteading Institute leadership at a conference in Tahiti last year. They found that locals weren't given much of a voice at these events. In the film, Alexandre Taliercio, a local radio and TV personality, describes the seastead project as a cross between "visionary genius" and "megalomania."

In a 2017 interview with The Guardian, Taliercio argued that rich Americans just want to skip out on paying taxes. "These millionaires have much more to gain than we do," he said.

The Seasteading Institute has not publicly addressed the sunken plans. Its website features a video about the French Polynesian "floating island" splashed across the front page.

Business Insider contacted the Seasteading Institute and did not immediately receive comment.

SEE ALSO: The tech elite are abandoning Silicon Valley in droves because of 'groupthink' and out-of-control living costs— here's where they're headed

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Peter Thiel on why he supports Trump: Insider politicians are just 'rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic'

• Stephen Hawking died in his home in Cambridge at age 76 on March 14, 2018.
• The physicist pioneered new ways of understanding black holes and the universe.
• His popular-science books — especially "A Brief History of Time" — may persist as some of his greatest achievements.

Stephen Hawking, who's known for his explorations of time and discovering that black holes can evaporate, died today at age 76 in his home in Cambridge.

I was lucky enough to see him speak in person twice, but I first got acquainted with the British physicist during a long Boy Scout trip in Ohio.

Hawking, of course, wasn't riding on our body-odor-filled bus. Instead, I saw his image on a paperback copy of his 1988 book, "A Brief History of Time: From the Big Bang to Black Holes". In the photo, the bespectacled author sat in a wheelchair in front of a star field.

I don't recall why a friend handed me the book. But that introduction to Hawking's writing influenced the arc of my life, and undoubtedly that of millions of other people.

How Hawking helped change me with words

Like many tweens-going-on-teens in the 1990s, I was trying to fit in at school with limited success.

"A Brief History of Time" became a magical escape hatch. In reading it, I could leave behind probing questions about girls I liked, peer pressure to make a clown out of myself (which I excelled at), and chaotic and sometimes cruel social circles.

Instead, I could join Hawking on fantastical adventures to the edges of black holes and inside time-traveling spacecraft; shrink down to the infinitesimal scale of subatomic particles; and journey to the birth and eventual death of the universe. He was like a Time Lord from the show "Doctor Who," though he scurried about the universe via words instead of a phone booth.

The book — which had sold millions of copies even then — was dense, for sure. But to me it read like a riveting sci-fi tale and murder mystery rolled into one. And it was real. What Hawking wrote represented a digestible guide to the limits of human knowledge.

I had only a crude knowledge of mathematics, so I didn't understand half of what Hawking wrote, at least at first. Yet his prose was eminently readable. I read the book cover-to-cover, again and again, extracting new understanding each time.

"We find ourselves in a bewildering world. We want to make sense of what we see around us and to ask: What
is the nature of the universe? What is our place in it and where did it and we come from? Why is it the way it is?" Hawking wrote.

His book not only helped answer those questions for my teenage self, but also instilled in me new curiosities, such as "Is there a theory of everything?" and "Will we ever detect evidence of multiple universes?"

More importantly, Hawking revealed how science was thought through and performed.

The things that once felt exciting and mysterious to me, like astrology, ghosts, UFOs, suddenly seemed foolish. Why clamor for evidence of the occult when the greatest source of mystery in our existence — the universe itself — was at our fingertips?

Smitten by the ultimate

I eventually returned the book to my friend in a dog-eared and tattered state. But its wonder stuck with me.

Hawking — whose struggle with the neurological disease ALSt left him increasingly unable to move his body — summoned the courage and resolve to turn his curse into a gift. He put forth bold ideas, thoughtful writing, and an uncanny ability to make the exceedingly complex comprehensible (and at times hilariously entertaining).

His work helped me see the purpose and excitement of learning to do math and science. It's also why Hawking and "A Brief History of Time" are the first two things I think of when asked why I became a science writer.

The book was my first exposure to the technically challenging, murky frontiers of human knowledge. It gave me the desire and the language to chase "the ultimate." Hawking's work is probably why I'm still smitten by absurdly complex topics like gravitational waves, black holes, nuclear physics, and space exploration. And it's why I spend my workdays striving to understand these frontiers and their profound, surprising relevance. (Have a gold or platinum ring? Thank a pair of colliding neutron stars.)

Now more than ever with his passing, I hope others will continue to find the boundless yet grounded curiosity he helped me discover at a young age.

I hope my work, in the footsteps of Hawking's, will spur someone to look up at the night sky (preferably in the middle of nowhere) and see more than "just" moons and stars. Hopefully they will understand a bit about the beauty and interconnectedness of the universe, how little we know about it, and how much we have yet to learn while stuck on a rock that's drifting through the void.

Remembering Stephen Hawking:

• A brief history of Stephen Hawking's time on planet Earth in one chart
• Stephen Hawking has died at 76 — here are some of the most remarkable and memorable things he ever said
• These 15 photos show how Stephen Hawking defied his disability and lived an incredible life
• Stephen Hawking was only expected to live a few years after being diagnosed with ALS at age 21 — here's what the disease is
• Stephen Hawking died on a day that is cosmically connected to Albert Einstein and Pi
• The man who helped Stephen Hawking achieve his lifelong dream of experiencing zero gravity remembers what it was like to watch the acclaimed physicist break free of his wheelchair
• Stephen Hawking was rumored to run over the toes of people he didn't like with his wheelchair
• Stephen Hawking had a 'sense of humor as vast as the universe': unique tributes flood in for esteemed scientist

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: There's a place at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean where hundreds of giant spacecraft go to die

Whether you're a frequent flier or have only flown a handful of times, chances are you've seen proof of how luxurious an experience in first class can be.

However, on some airlines, business class can provide an equally pampering journey — and a trip doesn't have to break the bank.

On board the new Boeing 787 Dreamliner or newly refitted Boeing 777 from Air Canada, passengers have the option of booking International Business Class "Executive Pods," which have lie-flat beds, a remote that lets you order food and drink directly to your seat, and lighting that claims to help with jet lag.

Zach Honig, Editor of The Points Guy website, flew from London to Toronto in one of the pods in July 2017 and reviewed his experience in a blog post. He paid $2,500 round-trip for the journey.

Scroll down to see what it's like to fly business class on Air Canada, according to both the airline and Honig's experience:

SEE ALSO: Air Canada is offering 'very generous compensation' after bumping a 10-year-old boy from an overbooked flight

SEE ALSO: Here's what it's like to fly business class on the Air India 787 Dreamliner — and for a low-ranking airline, it's pretty luxurious

International Business Class passengers get priority check-in, security clearance, boarding, and baggage delivery. They can also take two checked bags, of up to 32kg each.

They also get access to the Air Canada Concierge Team in person or via the phone for things like restaurant and theatre reservations, special in-flight meals, baggage handling, and chauffeur assistance.

These bookings also give you access to one of the 22 global Maple Leaf Lounges. Here's the entrance to the one at Heathrow, one of the airline's flagship lounges.

• Photojournalist Monique Jaques first visited the Gaza Strip in 2012 to document Operation Pillar of Defense — one of many conflagrations between Israel and the military wing of Hamas.
•  While there, Jaques was struck by the story the media wasn't telling — that of the everyday lives of Palestinians living in Gaza.
• Jaques befriended many Palestinian women in Gaza and documented their lives over the next five years to show an untold perspective on the conflict.
• Her photos have been collected in a book, called Gaza Girls, released earlier this year.

Photojournalist Monique Jaques first visited the Gaza Strip to document Operation Pillar of Defense in 2012, one of the many conflagrations between Israel and Hamas, which controls Gaza. 

While there, she was struck by the dissonance between what she saw on the ground in the blockaded territory versus what was shown and reported in the media. 

"Every image I saw was extremely violent and only had men in them. You never saw a woman and, if you did, she would most likely be covered head to toe," Jaques told Business Insider. "That image wasn’t matching up with the image I saw and the people I met."

That dissonance, and a budding friendship with her Palestinian translator, convinced her that there was a deep, untold story in the contested area. She knew that she had to tell the story of daily life of Palestinians, and women in particular, after the fighting stopped. 

Over the course of five years, Jaques returned again and again to speak with Palestinian women in Gaza and document their lives. Her commitment to telling their story allowed her to capture "stolen moments" and show a side of life in the territory rarely seen. 

The work has now been collected in a book, called Gaza Girls, which was published earlier this year.

Jaques first began documenting the women of Gaza after befriending her translator during her assignment covering Operation Pillar of Defense. The woman, a Palestinian, told her that she wanted to introduce Jaques to "a world no one is talking about."

Though photographing women was difficult due to Gaza's conservative culture, Jaques said that she was aided by a network of Palestinian women who understood the importance of telling the human-side of Gaza. Those women helped Jaques build relationships that lasted years.

Jaques said it helped that she wasn't on assignment. She was able to spend as much time as she needed to build relationships and gain trust. Jaques ended up spending five years visiting Gaza, returning for weeks at a time every few months.

Athletes are back in Pyeongchang, South Korea as the 2018 Winter Paralympics are well underway.

The Winter Paralympics began on March 9 with a record 650 athletes competing for 80 gold medals in alpine skiing, biathlon, cross-country skiing, sledge hockey, snowboarding, and wheelchair curling.

To accomodate competitors who sit, stand, or are are visually-impaired, there are three classifications within alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, and biathlon.

We've rounded up the most mesmerising photos taken at the games, which come to a close on March 18, so far.

Keep scrolling to check out our top 20.

SEE ALSO: Churros, pranks, and hallway bobsleds: Here's what Winter Olympic athletes get up to when they're not competing

DON'T MISS: The world's first ski tournament for robots was held near the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics — and the pictures are incredible

UP NEXT: North Korea's Winter Olympics cheer squad are being forced into sexual slavery, according to a defector

Like the 2018 Winter Olympics, the Paralympics in Pyeongchang had an opening ceremony where no expense was spared.

The opening ceremony was held on March 9. There were fireworks, choreographed dance routines, and light sculptures.

There was also a 'Parade of Nations' where athletes from all participating nations entered the 35,000 capacity Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium and waved at the crowds.

SEE ALSO: A personal trainer says there are 3 secrets to the perfect push-up — and using your knees will never get you there

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: The popularity of fail videos reveals a darker side of humanity

• Body language is an important form of communication — even if you're not always aware of it.
• The way you stand and gesture can make you seem more (or less) confident and attractive.
• Some body-language tweaks are easier to make than others.

It's generally easier to plan out exactly what you're going to say than it is to plan out how you're going to stand, what you'll do with your hands, and your facial expression.

And yet your body language — whether during a presentation or in an online dating profile picture — matters a lot. So it's worth paying attention to.

Below, find a series of common body-language mistakes that can make you seem less confident, more nervous, less attractive, and even more vulnerable to crime.

SEE ALSO: 11 horrible body language mistakes that are hard to quit but you'll be glad you did

Your handshake is weak

Your handshake can reveal a lot about you. In a Psychology Today blog post, psychologist John D. Mayer cites two studies that demonstrate how.

A 2000 University of Alabama study found that people could predict the personalities of undergraduates they shook hands with. Specifically, the handshake raters intuited that the students with firm handshakes were more positive, more outgoing, and less socially anxious.

Meanwhile, a 2008 study published in the Journal of Applied Psychology found that, in mock interviews, students who had a firmer handshake at the beginning of the interview were ultimately perceived as more hireable.

You're curled up in into yourself

Research suggests that we're more attracted to people in expansive — as opposed to contracted — postures, even if we don't consciously realize it. Think arms spread wide as opposed to shoulders hunched or arms crossed.

A 2016 study found that men and women pictured in contractive positions on a dating app were selected less often than the same exact men and women pictured in expansive positions.

You're concealing your hands

When you keep your hands out of sight, according to the book "Crazy Good Interviewing" by John B. Molidor and Barbara Parus, it looks like you have something to hide. This includes keeping your hands in your lap or behind your back.

As Anita Barbee, a professor of social work, told Real Simple, "A person may be telling you one thing, but these cues indicate you're not getting the whole story."

• Allbirds has launched a new shoe style called Tree Runners.
• Made from eucalyptus tree fibers, the Runners are the biggest departure yet from the company's signature style made from a novel Merino wool blend.
• Allbirds has found a cult following among tech workers in Silicon Valley.

Allbirds, the footwear-maker of choice among tech workers in Silicon Valley, is releasing the successor to a plain wool sneaker that's been called the "world's most comfortable shoe."

On Thursday, Allbirds launched a new style of sneaker that's made from eucalyptus trees. The shoes have a simple, low-top profile that's like the running sneaker meets the boat shoe.

According to Allbirds founders Tim Brown and Joey Zwillinger, the Tree Runners shoe is the most environmentally -friendly style the company has made since its founding in 2014. Fiber gets stripped from eucalyptus trees that grow in South Africa and is woven into a yarn using a 3D-knitting machine. The shoes are lightweight, comfy, and silky to the touch.

Tech workers in Silicon Valley have been singing the praises of Allbirds since the company's launch. The venture capital-backed startup based in San Francisco is best known for its Wool Runners and Loungers — both super-soft sneakers made from a Merino wool blend.

Titans of industry, including Larry Page, Dick Costolo, Ben Horowitz, and Marissa Mayer are fans.

Steven Sinofsky, a partner at top venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz who previously ran Windows at Microsoft, said he bought a pair because he's "just a guy trying to fit in."

The fashionable duo behind Warby Parker, Dave Gilboa and Neil Blumenthal, said in an interview that Allbirds are their go-to travel shoes. They invested in the company in 2016.

In 2017, Allbirds raised a $17.5 million Series B round of funding that allowed the company to open stores in San Francisco and New York City and launch a children's line called Smallbirds.

The company had a "very successful year" following the release of the Wool Runners in 2016, Brown, a former professional soccer player from New Zealand, told Business Insider. Allbirds would not disclose revenue, but said first-year sales of the sneaker beat projections five-fold.

Allbirds' charmed run has not been without difficulties. In 2017, a writer at Yahoo Finance reported that Silicon Valley's favorite sneaker has "a wear-and-tear problem." Half a dozen people who own the shoes told Yahoo Finance that the shoes fall apart when worn on a regular basis, and some buyers on the internet agreed that the $95 shoes aren't made to last.

Brown and Zwillinger told Business Insider that the new Tree Runners were designed for durability. The 3D-knitting machine uses more yarn around the toe and sides of the shoe to prevent stretching. The process also creates less waste because only the materials used are "printed."

I tested out a review pair of the Tree Runners at the South by Southwest tech conference last weekend. I also own several wool sneakers from Allbirds.

Being on my feet during 17-hour days was tolerable in the soft cradle of Allbirds' new kicks. The Tree Runners have gaps in the knit that made them breathable on a 90-degree day in Texas. The shoes provided the support of a traditional sneaker with the cool looks of a skipper.

The biggest annoyance was the shoelaces, which are now made from recycled water bottles. The laces came undone constantly, which I attributed to their smooth texture.

But overall, the new shoes should not disappoint fans. 

The Tree Runners style sells for $95 and is available now in Allbirds stores and online.

SEE ALSO: We reviewed the new Allbirds Tree collection — here's how they feel

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: These dress shoes are so comfortable you can actually run a marathon in them

• Veteran TV actor Walton Goggins gets some time on the big screen this weekend as he plays the villain in "Tomb Raider."
• He talked to Business Insider about coming up with the right tone for the character.
• He also teased his next big TV role, playing Jack Vincennes in the series adaptation of James Ellroy's "L.A. Confidential."
• And we chatted about his Oscar win in 2002.

Walton Goggins is one of those actors you can’t help but root for.

From his breakout performance in the 2000s FX hit “The Shield,” to his Emmy-nominated work on “Justified,” to his recent string of impressive performances in Quentin Tarantino movies (“Django Unchained” and “The Hateful Eight”), he’s done it all over his 28-year career. But only recently has he gotten cast in the high-profile projects he deserves (upcoming ones include “Ant-Man and The Wasp” and a TV series on the popular James Ellroy book “L.A. Confidential”).

Goggins also plays the villain in “Tomb Raider” (in theaters Friday) opposite Alicia Vikander in the title role. In a movie that tries very hard to show its hero Lara Croft is not a superhero but instead an ordinary person doing extraordinary things, Goggins used that real-world template to craft Mathias Vogel. Vogel is the leader of the expedition to locate a hidden tomb on a mysterious island who, after seven years of searching, has gone a little mad and is obsessed with finding the tomb so he can return to his family.

Business Insider talked to Goggins about crafting this grounded character, preparing to take on the role of Jack Vincennes in the “L.A. Confidential” TV version, and the night he won an Oscar.

Jason Guerrasio: First off, Mathias Vogel — he's a relatable villain. 

Walton Goggins: You know what, I'll take that. Okay.
 
Guerrasio: Because if I was on an island for seven years just blowing up rocks I would probably lose it too.

Goggins: I think so. If you really take a walk in his shoes — that he's a father and the day he left his family he kissed them all on the cheek and said he would be back in a year — you understand him. Desperate people do desperate things and that was my only way into him.

Guerrasio: I feel you could have done this role two ways: Play him really crazy and do a scenery-chewing performance or do what you did — make him more grounded. 

Goggins: You know I had a lengthy discussion with Roar Uthaug, our director, on a Skype call and I said, "If you want me to be a part of this story I think this is how I can help you tell it." It was in a grounded way. And I thought Alicia was going to do the same thing and Roar wanted to tell a similar story so we were all on the same page. To take it out of the realm of superpowers because Lara Croft doesn't have them. With everything I've been fortunate enough to do that's always been a part of my experience, be truthful to who these characters are. Even how grandiose Lee Russell was in “Vice Principals,” he's still a person in the world with deep pain. That's what interested me.

Guerrasio: Was the “Tomb Raider” role also attractive because it's basically a one-off in the franchise? You don't have to be stuck with a character for years. You can get in and out. 

Goggins: Huh, no one has asked me that. If I was offered a character in a franchise in a meaningful way I would have done that, for sure. But I don't think about those things. For this, this is a complete journey for this character and that's really satisfying. 

Guerrasio: Is your character also a one-off in "Ant-Man and The Wasp?"

Goggins: I don't know man, you got to see the movie. [Laughs] We'll see what happens. 

Guerrasio: Have you ever auditioned for a major Marvel or DC character that would have locked you into a franchise? Have you gone down that road yet?

Goggins: No. Not beyond what I've participated so far. I look at it like this, honestly, I've been in television for 15 years and however long it takes to tell the story that's how long it takes. For "The Shield,” I don't think [creator] Shawn Ryan had any idea that it would go seven years. But the story goes until the time when it doesn't need to anymore. And that's how we all felt about "Justified" too. So whether it's sequels or franchise, if you're doing it from an authentic place and it rings true then I'm up for it.

Guerrasio: Has it been crazy to watch the evolution of television from back on "The Shield" to how it is now? A lot of talent believe it’s more rewarding to do TV these days more than movies. That wasn’t the case when you started out. Has that been weird to see how things have shifted?

Goggins: With TV it's just rewarding because in a serialized story things can play out over a very long time so the opportunities to really explore nuances are there. It's very rewarding right now, but I feel that way about movies. The way they wanted to tell Lara Croft in this “Tomb Raider” movie is very refreshing and different. And this is possible because of what's coming out of TV now, each impact the other.

Guerrasio: You've bounced back and forth from movies and TV for a long time.
 
Goggins: A long time. 

Guerrasio: Did things change in the offers you were getting when you starred in back-to-back Tarantino movies?

Goggins: Yeah. Most people who have worked with Quentin you measure your life in “before Quentin Tarantino” and “after Quentin Tarantino.” But for me it's never been more complicated than to be good at telling stories. The cherry on top, though, is working with filmmakers like Quentin.
 
Guerrasio: Will we see you in the next Tarantino movie?

Goggins: Buddy, I don't know who you are talking about right now. [Laughs] Tarantino who? No. He's very private in his process and I respect that. We'll see. Maybe.

Guerrasio: But you’ve done two movies with him, are you at the point where you can text him and just say hi or do you just wait and see if you're called on again?

Goggins: It's not something that you ever expect to happen again. When you get that call, that golden ticket, you just jump on the ride. 

Guerrasio: Can you talk a little about playing Jack Vincennes in the upcoming TV version of "L.A. Confidential?"

Goggins: I can tell you that it isn't a remake of the movie (in which Kevin Spacey played Vincennes). It is a telling of James Ellroy's novel and I'm really excited about it. 

Guerrasio: I’m actually reading the book again right now. There's so much to the Jack character that was not explored in the movie.

Goggins: That's how I feel. I'm just reading Ellroy for the first time now. 

Guerrasio: It's a quick read, right? You just fly through his books.

Goggins: Yeah. And the story behind how he found his voice for “L.A. Confidential,” from what I was told, is he was told to cut a third of the book and he couldn't do that so we went back to page one and just began cutting words and sentences and did it through the whole book and it became this rapid, quick-fire read. I'm just blown away by it. 

Guerrasio: It dawned on me the other day, you are an Oscar winner. You won in 2002 for a short film you starred and produced, "The Accountant," right?

Goggins: It was myself and my two partners, Ray McKinnon and Lisa Blount, who has since passed away. And in the short film category you can only put two names down for the award, so it was Ray and Lisa, but we all did it together so we all decided we'd walk up on stage. And we timed our speech so we all could talk in 30 seconds and not piss anyone off. It came from the heart and it brought the house down. And that's hard to do after Sidney Poitier just got his lifetime achievement award. It was pretty incredible. 

Guerrasio: Do you have one of the Oscars?

Goggins: I have one and Ray has the other and we have Lisa in our hearts.  

SEE ALSO: The 30 most important deaths in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, ranked by how sad they were

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: You can connect all 9 Best Picture Oscar nominees with actors they have in common — here's how