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A psychologist who’s studied couples for decades says this is the best way to argue with your partner

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couple joking

When's the last time you really got into it with your significant other? After the yelling was done, did your mind swirl with ideas about what you should have said? Or perhaps about what you should not have said?

Here's the good news: Not only can you most likely rectify the situation, but also knowing how to approach the argument next time can mean you and your partner have a more productive — and perhaps less volatile — "discussion."

Productive arguments, in fact, are one of the things that appear to distinguish couples who stay together from those who split, according to research from several psychologists, including University of Washington psychology professor John Gottman, founder of the Gottman Institute, an organization dedicated to studying and improving relationships.

Together with University of California at Berkeley psychologist Robert Levenson, Gottman conducted a 14-year study of 79 married couples living across the US Midwest.

Among the couples they studied, 21 ended up divorcing over the more than decade-long period. But among those who stuck it out, Gottman and Levenson noticed some key things about their relationships, including how they fought. Here are some of the key takeaways:

How couples who stay together argue

1. They stabilize a rocking boat.

sailboat

Among the couples who split, the vast majority took far longer to address a recent argument than those who stayed together, often leaving each other to stew in individual thoughts for hours or days after a fight, Gottman told Business Insider. Conversely, couples who stayed together would typically discuss their arguments almost immediately after they'd happened.

Picture yourself and your partner in a boat, Gottman suggested. Now imagine that the emotions you and your partner are feeling are represented by the sea around you. A small argument stirs the waters a bit and gets the boat rocking. But a quick effort to stabilize the boat — with an open conversation or an apology — can be all that's required to get you back to smooth sailing.

Waiting around, on the other hand, only strengthens the waves. And waiting too long, he said, can lead to disaster.

To calm a rocking boat, Gottman suggests you and your partner talk immediately and openly about what just happened. This requires recognizing that both of you are partially responsible for the problem and both of you are responsible for making amends.

2. They allow the other person to be heard.

couple jokingAnother characteristic of couples who later divorced that Gottman observed is that they'd frequently cut off discussions about a conflict prematurely with unhelpful, insensitive comments. But strong couples tended to consistently approach one another with an open mind, taking responsibility for their actions and listening to what their partner had to say.

So if, in the middle of an argument, you stop your partner to them they're being illogical, you're probably doing it wrong.

"If you tell someone they're not being logical or say something like 'you're getting off track,' it just doesn't work. It makes people angry," said Gottman. Instead, saying something like: "I can see that this is really important to you; tell me more" allows the other person to feel heard.

What other research says

More recent psychological research builds upon Gottman and Levenson's work.

A study of 145 couples published in the Journal of Counseling Psychology last year found that couples who received trainings on how to address conflicts immediately and with clear communication felt more satisfied with their relationship a year down the road than couples who didn't get the training. Those who didn't receive the training were also more likely to see their interactions deteriorate over the year they were reporting back to the researchers.

And a 2010 study published in the Journal of Marriage and Family that looked at 373 married couples found that, when both partners engaged positively during an argument — meaning they discussed the topic calmly and made an effort to listen to their partner and better understand his or her feelings — they were far less likely to divorce than couples where there was no positive engagement or when only one partner would engage positively. The results held steady as far as 16 years down the road.

So next time you feel an argument escalating, try one of these tactics. It might restore some calm to your relationship, or even help keep your boat from capsizing.

UP NEXT: Scientists say one behavior is the 'kiss of death' for a relationship

RELATED: A social psychologist reveals why so many marriages are falling apart and how to fix it

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It's about to get a lot harder for wealthy New Yorkers to buy multimillion-dollar homes anonymously

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432 park ave

The Treasury Department will begin tracking the masked buyers of high-end properties in Manhattan and Miami-Dade County, The New York Times reported Wednesday.

The new initiative will require real-estate companies to reveal the names of people who purchase properties behind shell companies, often in all-cash transactions.

The practice of using LLCs to hide a buyer's identity is fairly common, and it is legal.

In an investigation conducted by The Times last year, it was revealed that nearly half of homes sold for more than $5 million across the country were purchased by shell companies. That number would presumably be higher in more competitive real-estate markets like New York and Miami.

In Manhattan, rows of super-tall buildings along 57th Street — One57 and 432 Park, just to name a few — are rife with these kinds of purchases.

At the Time Warner Center near Central Park, it was found that dozens of longtime owners who had been hidden by shell companies were actually under investigation by the government. Among these hidden owners were former Russian senators and a businessman tied to the Malaysian prime minister.

"We are concerned about the possibility that dirty money is being put into luxury real estate," Jennifer Shasky Calvery, the director of the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, told The Times. "We think some of the bigger risk is around the least transparent transactions."

The new initiative will specifically require title insurance companies to find out buyers' identities and submit their discoveries to the Treasury.

SEE ALSO: Inside One57, the new most expensive building in New York City

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How long you have to live in 15 major US cities to make buying a home worth your money

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bvr_map

Should you rent or buy a home?

If you're living in a major city, chances are the housing market is competitive — and with higher prices, fees, and closing costs, it may not make sense to buy unless you're staying put for several years.

To give you an idea of just how long you have to stay in a city for it to be worth your money to buy, personal finance site SmartAsset calculated the breakeven point — the point at which the total costs of renting become greater than the total costs of buying — for 29 major cities.

SmartAsset compared the total costs of buying and renting for a household earning $100,000 a year. For the buying scenario, the research team assumed a mortgage rate of 4.5%, closing costs of $2,000, and a down payment of 20%.

Read the full methodology.

A shorter time to break even means it's a better place to buy soon.

Read on to see how long it would take to break even in 15 major US cities cities. We've also included the average monthly mortgage payment, monthly rent, and home price, from SmartAsset's report:

SEE ALSO: Here's how much it costs for a family to live in 20 major US cities

15. Pittsburgh

Average monthly mortgage payment: $560

Average monthly rent: $1,069

Average home price: $138,235

Breakeven year: 4.3



14. Denver

Average monthly mortgage payment: $1,114

Average monthly rent: $1,504

Average home price: $274,835

Breakeven year: 5.4



13. Phoenix

Average monthly mortgage payment: $1,122

Average monthly rent: $1,410

Average home price: $276,744

Breakeven year: 5.7



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Everything you need to know about the extreme diet Kate Hudson claims gave her the killer abs that stole the Golden Globes

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kate hudson fabletics

Celebrity Kate Hudson flaunted her abs at the Golden Globes on Sunday, saying that she stays slim and healthy by following what's called an alkaline diet.

Her abs were even named "the real winner of this year's Golden Globes."

So how'd she get them?

"I live by a rulebook of eating alkaline — no meat, no dairy, no gluten, I try to stay away from sugar," she told People Magazine.

The idea behind the alkaline diet is that certain foods, like meat, wheat, refined sugar, and processed foods, fire up acid production in your body, which can cause numerous health problems like bone loss, muscle loss, and back pain.

By avoiding these acid-producing foods and sticking to more alkaline (nonacidic) promoting foods, you can maintain a healthy blood pH level, lose weight, and ward off these adverse health affects — at least that's what alkaline proponents would have you think.

Not so fast

Charlotte McKinney Carls Jr hamburger model eatingIf this sounds odd, you're right. In fact, it's more than odd — it's bogus.

What you eat has little affect on the acid concentrations in your blood, which hovers around a pH level of 7.4 — neither extremely acidic (pH level of 0) or basic (pH level of 14).

Diet will, undoubtedly, impact the acidity in other parts of your body, namely urine, but your kidneys work hard to maintain a steady blood pH level.

For example, one small 2002 study found that a diet high in protein with limited carbohydrates had a strong impact on urinary chemistry and acidity, but very little change in blood chemistry or pH.

But don't write off the alkaline diet just yet.

While the reasoning might be baseless, the foods you eat on this diet actually make up a relatively well-balanced meal plan, and may, in fact, help promote certain health benefits — but not for the reason that alkaline proponents think.

Why it works

Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, LondonAs Hudson mentioned, the alkaline diet is "mostly to completely vegetarian."

It focuses on eating fresh fruits and vegetables while completely eliminating food that can prompt allergies like dairy, wheat, eggs, peanuts, and walnuts. Also, it strongly limits salt, sugar, caffeine, and alcohol intake.

Studies have found, time and again, that fresh, fiber-packed fruits and vegetables beat packaged, processed foods any day when it comes to feeling full, losing weight, and getting nutrition.

But it's not because of the acid, or lack of, that fruits and vegetables help the body produce. It's because of the vitamins, minerals, and pigments you get in plants that you simply can't find inside of a box.

Here are some of the proven health benefits of a diet rich in fruits and vegetables:

False vs. true claims

kate hudson

But what about those other problems the alkaline diet claims to help prevent, like bone loss, muscle loss, and back pain?

According to a detailed analysis of the medical literature: "There is no substantial evidence that this [diet] improves bone health or protects from osteoporosis."

On the other hand, a three-year study found that a diet rich in potassium, which can be found in many fruits and vegetables, helped preserve muscle mass in a group of men and women older than 65 years.

And as for back pain: Alkalizing minerals, such as calcium, magnesium, sodium, and potassium have been shown to help ease back pain. You can find these types of minerals either as supplements or in certain fruits and vegetables.

Ultimately, the alkaline diet — as well as many other plant-based diets— promotes healthy eating, and a healthy body will inevitably follow as a result. But don't be fooled into thinking the acidity of your blood has anything to do with it.

UP NEXT: 8 science-backed reasons to go on a plant-based diet

SEE ALSO: Dietitians, nutritionists, and food psychologists got together and ranked the best diets of 2016 — here's their top 10

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The 19 best online programs for getting your bachelor's degree

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Studying online

For many people, restrictions on time and money make going to school full time impossible. But with the rise of online programs, it's easier and more affordable than ever to earn a degree — no matter where in the country you reside. 

U.S. News & World Report recently released its 2016 list of the best online programs for earning a bachelor's degree, focusing on schools that effectively deliver affordable undergraduate degrees in a reasonable amount of time. To determine the rankings, U.S. News considered four categories: student engagement, faculty credentials and training, student services and technology, and peer reputation. (You can read a full breakdown of the methodology here.) Note that because of multiple ties, the ranking only goes through No. 17. 

Read on to see the 19 schools that make earning a degree online as seamless as possible, according to U.S. News.

 

SEE ALSO: The 50 colleges where students work the hardest

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17. TIE: University of Nebraska Omaha

U.S. News score: 90

Cost per credit: $409 (out-of-state), $257 (in-state)

Most popular major: Business/commerce

The University of Nebraska Omaha offers more than 20 fully online degrees, including highly specialized programs like architectural engineering, gerontology, and aviation studies. A military-friendly school, UNO provides extra benefits to veterans, including participation in the Yellow Ribbon Post 9/11 GI Bill. 



17. TIE: Regent University

U.S. News score: 90

Cost per credit: $395

Most popular major: Business administration and management

Online students at Regent University take classes from the same top-notch professors who teach on campus. Like with traditional classes, students still participate in class discussions via online threads and develop a community among their classmates, all while maintaining an independent schedule. 



17. TIE: Charleston Southern University

U.S. News score: 90

Cost per credit: $490

Most popular major: Business administration, management and operations

Charleston Southern University offers three bachelor's degree programs for students who have no college experience up to those holding associate's degrees.

Students in the organizational management program can take advantage of classes with rolling enrollment, which allows them to complete two accelerated seven-week courses per semester. 



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Step inside the lavish New York City condo Donald Trump just sold for $14.05 million

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trump condoReal-estate developer and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump recently sold a New York City condo for $14.05 million, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The 27th-floor condominium, about 4,200 square feet in size, includes lavish amenities like a private elevator, large windows, marble baths, and unbelievable city views.

The unit is one of several Trump kept for himself when developing the building. It was originally listed for $16.8 million in December and was previously being rented.

SEE ALSO: Go inside the infamous Playboy Mansion, which just hit the market for $200 million

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The 4,192-square-foot unit is in the 32-story tower of Trump Park Avenue, formerly the Delmonico Hotel, at Park Avenue and 59th Street.



According to The Wall Street Journal, Trump bought the building in 2001 at a price of $115 million and decided to convert it into condominiums.

Source: The Wall Street Journal



The penthouse residence has plenty of windows that create a light-filled space and showcase New York City's incredible views.



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The amazing benefits of a long-distance relationship and how to make it work

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The-Notebook-Valentine's-Day

Today, about 3 million married Americans and as many as half of US college students are in a long-distance relationship— but don't feel too bad for them.

Scientific studies show that couples in long-distance relationships can be equally, if not more, satisfied as geographically-close couples.

Not only that, long-distance couples are more likely to share meaningful thoughts and feelings, and therefore, experience a deeper sense of emotional intimacy, according to one study of 63 college students.

But not everyone can thrive in this kind of romantic commitment.

Emma Dargie, a professor of psychology at Queen's University who has studied hundreds of long-distance daters, says that the single best advice for maintaining a healthy, long-distance relationship is communication.

"Establish the needs of each partner early on, practice working towards meeting those needs, and give feedback about which needs are still being unmet," Dargie told Business Insider in an email.

These needs can include agreeing on anything from on how often the couple communicates to how frequently they take time to see each other in person. In fact, it's important to set dates for meet ups, Dargie said. Going long distance with no end in sight can be trickier.

"Those who are certain of when they will be in the same city as their partner … seem to cope better with the distance," she said.

The hardest part

long distance relationshipDargie, along with a team of researchers at Queen's University, published a paper in 2014 that compared relationship quality between long-distance couples and geographically-close couples.

In their study, the researchers gave 474 females and 243 males in long-distance relationships a series of questions on topics including intimacy, commitment, communication, and sexual satisfaction (or lack thereof).

The researchers asked the same questions of 314 females and 111 males who lived near their partner.

In the end, Dargie and her colleagues found no difference in the quality of the relationship for either type of couple. Oddly enough, they found that for long-distance couples, the farther apart each partner was from the other geographically, the higher their level of satisfaction, intimacy, and communication was.

This suggests that the hardest part about long-distance relationships is not the distance itself, Dargie said.

"According to our research, it's not necessarily how far apart you are or how little you see your partners," she explained. "It's more about the discrepancy between your expectations for relationships and the reality of your current situation."

In addition to her research, Dargie is an expert on long-distance romance from personal experience. In fact, part of the reason she began researching this type of relationship is because she was in a long-distance relationship at the time.

"There was not, and still is not, a great deal of research on the topic, so my partner and we were just stumbling through as best we could. Ultimately, that relationship ended," Dargie said. "Although it would be tempting to blame the long distance for that dissolution, I now see that the relationship had just run its course."

Technology to the rescue

long distance relationshipWhile long-distance relationships are nothing new and faraway lovers have historically stayed in touch via letters and phone calls, recent technology — especially the internet — means it's possible to regularly see and communicate with your partner even if you can't be with them physically.

The study of 63 couples, published in the Journal of Communication in 2013, found that digital media, like video chatting and texting, may help couples achieve healthy long-distance relationships — at least among younger daters.

(The average age of research participants was 21, and the authors cautioned in the paper that "the sample of tech-savvy college students may limit the generalizability of the conclusions.")

The study analyzed 876 diary entries detailing the couples' day-to-day interactions. Roughly half of the couples were in long-distance relationships. Although the people in a long-distance did not interact as frequently throughout the day, their interactions were longer and more intimate.

"If being geographically apart is inevitable, people should not despair," Crystal Jiang, an assistant professor at City University of Hong Kong and coauthor of the paper, told the Huffington Post. "They are capable of communicating intimacy."

Some more advice

drew barrymore in going the distance movieIn any relationship, but especially in long-distance relationships, it's important to understand that your partner has a life outside of the relationship.

While making time for talking and being together is crucial, it's also important to spend time with friends and family.

"There is likely little that people will be able to do in order to change their long distance status, but if they devote their time to filling their lives with good people and fun activities, that absence may feel less pronounced," Dargie told Business Insider. "Plus, that gives much more to talk about during phone and/or Skype dates!"

 

SEE ALSO: Here's why marriage is harder than ever

LEARN MORE: Why you should never give your partner the silent treatment

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Wealthy Beverly Hills residents are sending their gardeners and housekeepers to buy Powerball tickets for them

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powerball tickets

It seems no one is immune to the allure of cold, hard cash.

Even in the uber-rich enclave of Beverly Hills, California, where the median home value is $3.1 million, locals are flocking to gas stations and drug stores to pick up Powerball tickets, the Los Angeles Times reports.

At the Beverly Hills Rite-Aid, a worker noticed an "'overwhelming' number of wealthy buyers." The tip-off? Expensive clothes.

For some potential buyers, though, running the actual errand may not be worth the time. Instead, they're sending their employees — gardeners and housekeepers — to purchase the tickets on their behalf, the LA Times says.

"The national phenomenon that is this Powerball drawing has people of all socioeconomic backgrounds rushing to ticket agents for their chance at the grand prize," the Association of California School Administrators told the newspaper.

Traditionally, lower-income consumers are the primary lottery participants: according to a Cornell University study, the combination of low-price entertainment and high-potential payout makes playing the lottery an attractive pastime for those dreaming of bigger things with little to spend. It's called the "desperation hypothesis," and it rarely works out well for those on the lower end of the income spectrum. 

But $1.5 billion is big bucks even for run-of-the-mill millionaires, so this year's Powerball is attracting an unusually broad demographic.  

The winning ticket — drawn at 10:59 p.m. ET tonight — offers a $1.5 billion jackpot, the largest in lottery history. 

Probability of a win is slim, experts agree. Your chances are an astronomically small one in 292.2 million; you're 246 times more likely to be struck by lightning. So those with the means are stacking their odds by purchasing thousands of dollars of tickets, all at $2 a pop.

SEE ALSO: Go inside the infamous Playboy Mansion, which just hit the market for $200 million

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Sales have soared for the LA retailer that sells the shirt ‘El Chapo’ wore for his Rolling Stone interview

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Barabas

A drug lord bust has turned into a veritable boon for one LA-based shirtmaker.

After prison escapee and head of the Sinaloa drug cartel Joaquín Archivaldo Guzmán Loera — better known as "El Chapo", or "the shorty" — was (re)captured by Mexican authorities on Friday, it was revealed he met with actor Sean Penn for an interview with Rolling Stone.

When he was captured, Rolling Stone released a photo of Penn and Chapo shaking hands, with Chapo wearing a garish striped shirt. It appeared to be a shiny striped affair, later pinned by TMZ to downtown LA shirtmaker Barabas. 

It's called the "Fantasy" model and retails for $128. A store manager told TMZ that sales for the shirt went through the roof after the Rolling Stone photo was released. The interest also caused sales of the shirt to spike on the retailer's website, which caused it to crash on Tuesday.

The website is now back up, and it features the Rolling Stone image with Sean Penn and the text "Most Wanted Shirt". Barabas' Facebook is also plastered with images of 'El Chapo' in the shirt, including images of him in another of Barabas' shirt called "Crazy Paisley."

According to the website's copy, the striped shirt has "an Abstract Design throughout the entire Shirt that makes it Dynamic and stand out against the Bright Color." (sic)

One wonders why a drug lord on the run would want to wear a shirt designed for standing out.

We reached out to Barabas for comment and will update this post when we hear back.

Here's the infamous shirt on a Barabas model:

Barabas Fantasy

SEE ALSO: There's a new cologne 'inspired by' Vladimir Putin, and reviewers are saying it smells like 'cheap perfume'

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This old gas station has the best coffee in Portland, Maine

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Portland, Maine, has a wealth of excellent independent cafés and restaurants that give it the reputation of foodie paradise. Its coffee selection is no exception, and one of the best of an increasingly large group of independent coffee roasters in town may also be one of the newest.

Tandem Coffee was founded by husband and wife team Will and Kathleen Pratt in 2012. The couple opened their first location in Portland's up-and-coming East Bayside neighborhood, and after great initial success expanded to a second location in 2014.

This location is an abandoned gas station in Portland's West End. Originally built in the 1960's, the building had most recently been a laundromat and eBay storefront before closing down and being left vacant for years. With giant original windows and a large sloping overhang, it's an ideal place to relax and have a latté while watching Congress Street's bustling foot traffic meander by.

Tandem Coffee roasts its own beans, and produces a light, clean-tasting coffee that has a hint of sweetness.

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9 over-the-top purchases you could make if you won the $1.5 billion Powerball jackpot

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necker island

Yes, we know the chances of winning are slim, and you probably wouldn't want to take the lump sum anyway.

But dreaming never hurt anyone. We've compiled a list of some of the most outrageously expensive things you could do and buy — with a clean conscience — if you were to take home the insane $1.5 billion Powerball lottery jackpot.

Even if you made these purchases, you'd still have a lot of cash left over.

SEE ALSO: Go inside the infamous Playboy mansion, which just hit the market for $200 million

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You could start small, picking up the most expensive ride in the world: the 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO. Recently sold at auction for $38 million, the GTO would barely make a dent in a lottery winner's net worth.

Source: Business Insider



When you're ready to start spending, a private jet would be a good way to go. While normal top-of-the-line jets go for the $65 million range, as a lottery winner you might want to consider the $500 million Airbus A380.

Source: Forbes



For $1 billion of your winnings, you could try your hand in real estate by buying out Antilia, the most expensive home in the world. The 27-story tower, in Mumbai, India, is 400,000 square feet and has three helicopter pads and an underground parking garage. It's not on the market, though — it's currently owned by energy magnate Mukesh Ambani, India's richest man.

Source: Time



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Here's the one clothing item that men should splurge on, according to Tim Gunn

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While there are some items you can cut costs on, others are worth the money. 

In a recent interview with Business Insider, fashion guru Tim Gunn shared the one item that he thinks men should splurge on. 

"An overcoat, because it's not a trendy item that will go out of style, but one that you can wear for at least 10 years or more," Gunn told us. 

overcoatsleevesThis especially rings true for those who happen to live in colder climates, since an overcoat can quickly become an everyday item when the winter hits. 

Whether you opt for a tailored topcoat or the looser overcoats that have come into style over the years, just make sure that the shoulder and sleeves remain snug to perfect the fit.

If you're having trouble deciding what type of coat to go for, try a classic black wool and cashmere blend for a piece that will match with almost anything in your closet and keep you snug throughout the cold.

The price for overcoats can range widely. At Hugo Boss, for example, overcoats are currently on sale for between $297 and $1,646. 

SEE ALSO: Fashion guru Tim Gunn shares where he buys his suits

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We tested an economic theory by trying to buy people's Powerball tickets for much more than they paid

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Most people aren't shocked when they don't win the lottery. The odds are heavily stacked against them and there is little they could have done differently to change the outcome. They might feel differently however, if they had at one point owned the winning ticket but made the decision to trade it. They would most likely feel some, if not overwhelming, regret.

We asked people to sell us their Powerball tickets after the jackpot had risen to $1.5 billion. We offered more than the cost of the ticket. This seemed like a pretty good offer. They could buy a new ticket and pocket the extra cash to come out ahead. Since the odds of winning with the new ticket are exactly the same. However, a cognitive bias known as regret avoidance can make it difficult for people to choose the extra cash. The anticipated regret of giving up what might be the winning ticket weighs heavily on their decision.

Regret avoidance in a lottery was tested on Israeli college students in a 1996 study. The students were given lottery tickets and told that one of them would be chosen to win $17. The students were offered expensive-looking chocolate if they agreed to trade tickets with a classmate. 59% of the students refused to trade even though they were just as likely to win with a new ticket and had the added incentive. 

Produced by Jenner Deal and Sara Silverstein

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A shirt made famous by a drug lord is flying off shelves

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Last Friday, Mexican authorities recaptured notorious drug lord Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán six months after he escaped from prison.

In a bizarre twist, it turns out that actor Sean Penn had met with the kingpin, and published an article about him in Rolling Stone.

As the story unfolds, it only gets more odd. The shirts El Chapo wore in the pictures accompanying the Rolling Stone article are flying off both physical and digital shelves.

The striped shirt sported by the drug trafficker in a photo with Penn was sold out at a store in Texas, and a blue shirt with a paisley print featured in a separate photograph was also in high demand.

 on

Los Angeles-based company Barabas makes both shirts, and even rebranded them, calling them "El Chapo shirts" in online ads. The store manager told TMZ that sales for the shirt have spiked so much since Penn's article that the website crashed on Tuesday.

Story and editing by Andrew Fowler

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For just $199, this budget airline will fly you from California to almost anywhere in Europe

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wow air

This week, Icelandic budget airline WOW Air unveiled a set of new flight deals from Los Angeles International Airport and San Francisco International Airport: $199 one-way tickets to various destinations in Europe, and $99 straight to Iceland.

Yes, you read those numbers right.

The $199 flights have a one-hour stopover in Keflavik, Iceland, before allowing you to jump to 18 different cities in Europe, including London, Paris, and Berlin.

For a long-haul transatlantic commute, that's a steal; a quick online price check with traditional carriers shows nonstop flights for later this month going for $1,200 and up, and one-stop options hovering in the $700 range. With more than two stops on your route, you're still going to have to shell out $518.

Meanwhile, budget transatlantic air rival Norwegian Air is posting prices upwards of $275.

So what's the catch? WOW Air is a notorious budget carrier, along the lines of the Spirit, Ryanair, and Allegiant brands. They identify as part of the "ultra-low-cost long haul" category, in which they're shooting to become the industry leader.

Currently rated at 2.5 stars on Yelp, you're going to have to pony up for traditional carrier amenities. It's $25 for an aisle seat; $10 for seat assignment in advance; up to $48 for an extra five inches of legroom; a $48 fee for "overweight" carry-on luggage, which means anything over 11 lbs.; and $67 or more for checked luggage. Reviewers also mention that in-flight refreshments are not free. 

Still, since they launched Boston and Washington, DC low-cost routes in 2015, they've grown substantially, running at 90% capacity this year and expecting to double their passenger capacity this year.

"We have had a tremendously positive response to our low prices on our current transatlantic routes and this gives us confidence that passengers will take up the chance to travel even further afield," said CEO and Founder Skuli Mogenson in a statement posted on their site

You'll be flying in one of three new Airbus A330-300 aircraft that WOW purchased just for these routes, each holding up to 340 passengers. And there will be no "upgrades" to business class, as WOW flies single class only. 

Don't get too excited about making an affordable last-minute escape to Europe this winter, though. A quick search shows that their $199 deals are booked out to most destinations through the fall of 2016. But you know what they say: Paris is always a good idea. It'll be lovely next October, especially for just $199.

SEE ALSO: 100 trips everyone should take in their lifetime

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After over a year of silence, a mysterious online puzzle has returned with a cryptic tweet

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cicada 3301

The anonymous group behind a bizarre online puzzle, known only as “Cicada 3301,” or 3301 for short, has ended more than a year of silence with a single tweet. The January 5th tweet sent amateur sleuths back to the drawing board to re-examine previously abandoned leads in the hopes of solving the mysterious puzzle and claiming an unknown reward.

The tweet contained a link to an image in the signature style of 3301: white text on a black background. Hidden inside the image file was a known cryptographic signature proving that the message could only have been sent by the group itself rather than the imitators who crop up every year.

The image’s message, however, seems only to suggest that solvers go back to something they’d practically given up on: “Liber Primus is the way. Its words are the map, their meaning is the road, and their numbers are the direction.”

Liber Primus is the name given to a nearly-60-page book of runes discovered at the end of the 2014 version of the 3301 puzzle, and it remains largely undeciphered to this day, having been practically abandoned out of frustration.

“Runes… don’t get me started on those,” a 3301 solver who goes by the handle soulseekah told Business Insider. “[The] runes puzzles sucked, too many ways to interpret them, too many possibilities to hide data in them. It quickly went from a rigorous [capture the flag]-type of contest to a Dan Brown world of magic, hidden messages and pseudo-b*******.”

Jordan Thompson, a computer science student who made it through both the 2013 and 2014 puzzles, up to the runes, had a similar response: “[The Liber Primus] felt like a slap in the face to those who thought they’d made it through [the 2014 puzzle].”

cicada 3301 liber primus

Marcus Wanner, one of the solvers of the original 2012 puzzle, was put off too. “I was initially attracted to 3301 because they built the puzzle the same way as I or most other free software developers would have,” Wanner told Business Insider, “and this kinda flew in the face of that.”

Wanner’s gave an interview of his experience with 3301 to Rolling Stone for a story early last year, and the spotty history of the puzzle he provides helps explain how the group’s return might bring more trepidation than excitement from the enthusiasts who spent hours trying to crack its mysteries.

cicada 3301 telephone pollHere’s what happened. In early 2012, a mysterious image started amateur sleuths off on what became a massive online cryptographic puzzle. The winners, as we would later learn from Wanner’s account and a leaked email, were recruited into a group with goals of “researching and developing techniques to aid the ideas we advocate: liberty, privacy, security.”

According to Wanner, the 2012 solving group had been collaborating on a project called CAKES through a website set up by 3301. CAKES was designed to protect whistleblowers from retribution, but it fell apart when members began to tire of the work.

Then in 2013, a new version of the puzzle started up again. The community suspected that the new batch of successful solvers would be put in contact with the last year’s. But when the puzzle seemed finished, 3301’s lines of communication went silent before the latest winners were given the opportunity to do anything at all. Furthermore, the 3301 group shut down the site it had created for 2012 solvers to communicate amongst themselves.

Perhaps surprisingly, 2014 brought yet another puzzle, this time with a forking conclusion. Puzzlers were told to create a server that 3301 could send a file to. Some received an unpersonalized recruitment letter similar to those from previous years — but never any follow-up. Others received a link to a deep web site that would eventually contain the now-infamous Liber Primus runes.

When January 2015 rolled around, the same time of year all the other puzzles began, nothing but fakes ever turned up. 3301 had disappeared, breaking its silence only once to distance itself from a group using the same name.

“As far as I was concerned, 2014 was solved,” Thompson told Business Insider. He felt that the runes were likely some sort of consolation prize or bonus puzzle for those who hadn’t made it through 2014, even though no one ever received anything for “solving” that year’s puzzle (or the one before it). Thompson felt like the 3301 group had seen the slow dissolution of the 2012 solving group as a sign that their recruitment strategy hadn’t worked, hence never following up with the 2013 solvers. The 2014 puzzle, he theorized, was just a way not to disappoint after all the built-up hype.

But the new tweet, which followed on the tail of the latest imitators, instead pointed solvers back to those runes? “I guess this means instead [the runes were] intended to be the next year’s puzzle.”

cicada 3301

Despite having already thrown every trick in the book at the runes, the old solvers can’t help but be enticed again.

Thompson said that, while he was feeling cautious about diving back in, “it’s impossible after all this time and effort not to be interested to hear such a directed suggestion from [the 3301 group]. ... I’m just trying to keep a sane level of involvement for now.”

In a later email, Thompson conceded, “I’ve already spent about 6 hours on it today, so I’m guessing I’m pretty hooked for now.” How could he not? “I saw all those familiar names [coming back into the chatroom] when the message happened.”

“I’ve looked into some non-Cicada puzzles and [alternate reality games], but nothing seems to have the difficulty and challenge present in the 3301 puzzles,” said David Gotrik, a systems engineer who participates in the 3301 community under the handle of onecool. Gotrik isn’t phased by 3301’s low profile and long time off. “They’ve always been mysterious.”

Wanner isn’t discouraged by 3301’s sporadic activity either. “Their work speaks for itself,” he told us. “It turned into frustration and paranoia for some people, but I looked at is as just a game.”

Soulseekah’s attitude on returning to the runes characterizes the frustration that Wanner mentions: “New clue’ my a**, not even going to bother.” But even he admitted that he would be getting involved with the community and solving effort again. “Absolutely, the technical challenges are still inspiring.”

cicada 3301 irc chat log

In the week since 3301’s return, progress has been slow. Wanner didn't feel that much progress had been made, but Thompson seems optimistic.

“There's a lot more work being done,” Thompson said, “and a lot of analysis that should have been done years ago that's now got enough people interested again that it can happen.”

Solvers are trying to find common phrases that 3301 has used before in the encrypted runes, with some success that may or may not be coincidental. “We have to fail it a lot before we get it right,” Thompson said. “So I can't say [the runes are] solved yet, but this time I do only think it's a matter of time.”

Correction: An original version of this story stated that the 2013 successful solvers were told that they would be put in contact with the successful solvers of the previous year. The story has been updated to reflect that this was a commonly held belief of the community but not an explicitly made promise.

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NOW WATCH: How Apple makes their Geniuses always seem so happy and helpful

The ugly truth about losing weight

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There's a famous slogan promoted by every weight-loss program imaginable that is not completely true: Lose weight and feel great.

In reality, losing weight actually makes us more prone to feeling depressed or prone to anger than happy. And while losing weight is essential to being healthy for the two out of three Americans who are overweight or obese, don't expect to feel a sense of elation as the pounds drop.

There's a growing body of research that reveals this ugly truth about losing weight, according to Happify— a website and app that uses games and tasks based on scientific studies in positive psychology to make you feel happier.

Check out the numbers that really matter when it comes to weight loss from real people and real studies:

Happify Weight

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