Wondering if it's better to workout in the morning or at night? Whether you should drink coffee as soon as you wake up or hold off until later? What about how early you should stop looking at screens before bedtime?

As it turns out, scientists have been looking for answers to these questions too.

You can use their research to guide many of the decisions you make on a day-to-day basis, from what time you eat to when you head to bed.

SEE ALSO: What your daily routine should look like, according to science

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NOW WATCH: What happens to your body when you start exercising regularly

• A growing body of evidence finds that cardio exercise is the closest thing to a miracle drug that we have.
• Cardio, otherwise known as aerobic exercise, has been tied to benefits ranging from better moods and a stronger heart to a sharper mind.
• To get the most out of your swimming, running, or walking routine, studies suggest you should commit to doing it at least 2-4 times per week. Each workout should be at least 30-45 minutes.

Want an all-natural way to lift your mood, improve your memory, and protect your brain against age-related cognitive decline?

Get moving.

A wealth of recentresearch, including a new study published this month in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, suggests that any type of exercise that raises your heart rate and gets you moving and sweating for a sustained period of time — known as aerobic exercise — has a significant, overwhelmingly beneficial impact on the brain. Those benefits may start to emerge as soon as you start working out regularly.

"Aerobic exercise is the key for your head, just as it is for your heart," write the authors of an article in the Harvard Medical School blog "Mind and Mood."

For the latest study, researchers at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center looked at a sample of older people who showed early signs of memory loss and were at risk of developing Alzheimer’s. The less frequently the participants exercised, the weaker the connections in their brain's white matter and the more poorly they performed on a bunch of cognitive tests.

"This research supports the hypothesis that improving people’s fitness may improve their brain health and slow down the aging process,” Kan Ding, a neurologist with the Peter O’Donnell Jr. Brain Institute and the lead author on the paper, said in a statement.

Exercise may help keep the brain young

As we age, the brain — like any other organ — begins to work less efficiently, so normal signs of decline begin to surface. Our memory might not be quite as sharp as it once was, for example.

Exercising regularly as we get older appears to help defend against some of this decline, both for healthy people who show normal signs of aging and for older people who may be on the path toward developing Alzheimer's disease.

Researchers still aren't sure why this is, or how it happens. Exercise could strengthen some of the pathways our brain uses to relay signals for recent events, or boost the size of certain brain regions that are key for learning and storing memories.

Regardless of the specific mechanism at play in our bodies, the most recent recommendations suggest that working out twice a week may be beneficial in curbing some symptoms of mild cognitive impairment (MCI), a stage that precedes the development of Alzheimer's in some older people. This typically involves more serious problems with memory, language, thinking, and judgment than those that might be displayed by a healthy older person.

Most studies focusing on people with MCI require people to either work out or self-report their own fitness levels. But the latest study measured how fit people were by studying their breathing and heart rate. The researchers then used brain imaging to measure the functionality of peoples' white matter and had them take a series of cognitive tests designed to measure how sharp they were.

Overall, they found that the less fit people were, the weaker their brain's white matter connections, and the worse they did on the cognitive tests.

Two other recent studies of older people with MCI have suggested that merely amping up one's workout routine with the right moves could help slow the brain's decay.

Last May, scientists recruited adults with MCI between the ages of 60-88 and had them walk for 30 minutes four days a week for 12 weeks. The results showed strengthened connectivity in a region of the brain where weakened connections have been linked with memory loss. That development, the researchers noted, "may possibly increase cognitive reserve," but more studies are needed.

Another study, this time of exclusively older women with MCI, found that aerobic exercise was tied to an increase in the size of the hippocampus, a brain area involved in learning and memory.

SEE ALSO: The best ways to counter the negative effects of aging and live a long time — starting right now

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NOW WATCH: Scientists have a new way to measure health by determining your 'fitness age' — here's how you can calculate it

• Celebrity trainer Corey Calliet put Michael B. Jordan through a grueling weightlifting regimen to make him look like a convincing superhero bad guy in "Black Panther."
• The two worked out for six days a week in the months leading up to production. Jordan would also eat six meals a day.
• Jordan gained 15 pounds of muscle for the role.
• Calliet also worked with Jordan to get him into incredible shape for the movie "Creed."

Michael B. Jordan was in the best shape of his life when he played the title character in the hit movie “Creed,” but to play a superhero villain in “Black Panther,” he knew he had to be superhero big. And there was only one guy who could get him there.

Celebrity trainer Corey Calliet has been working consistently with Jordan since they connected on the set of 2015’s “Fantastic Four.” At that time Calliet said Jordan could barely lift 25 pounds, but by the end of filming one of the movie’s producers asked Calliet to slow down the training because Jordan could barely fit into his Johnny Storm suit.

Calliet said when Jordan contacted him about playing Erik Killmonger in “Black Panther” the actor only sent him a picture of the character from the comic book.

“He told me, 'I need to look like this,' and it's a picture of Killmonger fighting Black Panther,” Calliet told Business Insider. “He was very big, so I knew I had to make Mike look like a free safety or a Marine. If you want to be a villain you have to have that savage type of demeanor. “

To get Jordan to that kind of body type, Calliet would put him through a very different kind of regimen compared to “Creed.”

As Calliet did a lot of cardio work to get Jordan into a boxer look to play Adonis Creed, for Killmonger he needed the actor to put on muscle. That meant doing a weightlifting program to give him intense muscle training.

It was nothing fancy, just basic weight training: bench press, lat pull downs, dead lifts. While also eating six meals a day. They went on for six days a week for a few months leading up to production.

The work then intensified to interval training closer to shooting.

Dumbbell curls to lat pull downs; dips to pull ups to push ups; incline bench press to fly presses.

At one point, Jordan was lifting with 115-pound dumbbells.

Calliet said Jordan added 15 pounds of muscle from “Creed” to “Black Panther.” But the trainer admitted none of it was fun for Jordan, and that’s just what Calliet intended.

“The way I train, the person never gets used to it,” Calliet said. “I would have him do squats and then move right to burpees — that’s not a good feeling. It was nothing that was enjoyable.”

But it’s the finished product that both men strived for, and they can’t be happier with the result. Calliet said he got chills seeing Jordan on screen.

“When I was bodybuilding competing the saying always was, ‘Shows are won from the back,’ so that scene where Killmonger and Black Panther fight, you can see Mike’s back and the definition and the lat spread, all the work we put in is highlighted in that one scene.”

However, the work continues today. With shooting for “Creed 2” beginning in April, Calliet and Jordan have been training getting the actor back to looking like a boxer.

“We were in New York City working out at 3 a.m. the other day,” Calliet said. “I promise you, the body I’m bringing to the screen for ‘Creed 2’ is going to be better than any of the work I’ve ever done.”

"Black Panther" is currently playing in theaters.

SEE ALSO: "Black Panther" is the rare Marvel movie that makes you care about the villain — and Michael B. Jordan delivers an incredible performance

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Why most scientists don't care about these incredible UFO videos

• Jimmy Kimmel gave an emotional plea to President Trump on gun control Thursday, over the school shooting that killed 17 people in Parkland, Florida.
• The host challenged Trump and Republican lawmakers for framing mass shootings as a "mental health" issue and taking money from the NRA.

Jimmy Kimmel addressed the deadly school shooting that killed 17 people in Parkland, Florida, in an emotional monologue on Thursday night's "Jimmy Kimmel Live!"

Kimmel began the monologue by playing two clips of President Trump discussing the shooting, in which Trump said, "No parent should ever have to fear for their sons and daughters when they kiss them goodbye in the morning."

"Agreed," Kimmel responded. "Here's what you do to fix that. Tell your buddies in Congress — tell Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell and Marco Rubio, all the family men who care so much about their communities — that what we need are laws. Real laws that do everything possible to keep assault rifles out of the hands of people who are going to shoot our kids."

Authorities said Nikolas Cruz, 19, killed 17 people and injured 14 more at Marjory Stoneman Douglas high school with an AR-15 semiautomatic rifle on Wednesday.

Kimmel continued to address Trump in an emotional plea.

"Tell these Congressmen and lobbyists, who infest that swamp you said you were going to drain, force these allegedly Christian men and women who stuff their pockets with money from the NRA year after year after year to do something," he said.

"Children are being murdered! Do something," Kimmel continued, his voice breaking. "We still haven't even talked about it. You still haven't done anything about this. Nothing. You've literally done nothing."

Kimmel concluded the monologue by addressing how Trump and Republican lawmakers have framed mass shootings as a "mental health" issue. The host said that one of Trump's first acts as president was to roll back a regulation designed to prevent the mentally ill from purchasing firearms.

Watch the monologue below:

SEE ALSO: Parkland, Florida, and the deadliest shootings in US history all have one thing in common

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: No one wants to host the Olympics anymore — will they go away?

• Gael García Bernal returns as star conductor Rodrigo in "Mozart in the Jungle's" fourth season, out Friday, February 2.
• García Bernal talked to Business Insider about fraught relationships between artists, the interplay of tech and art, and what he'll miss most about playing Rodrigo.
• He also shared the origin of Rodrigo catch phrase: "Play with the blood."

For decades, actor Gael García Bernal crossed seamlessly between international cinema and Hollywood, starring in everything from Pixar's "Coco" to iconic Mexican film "Y Tu Mamá También."

But playing the quirky superstar conductor Rodrigo on Amazon's "Mozart in the Jungle," for four seasons and counting, is a role that will stick with him. That's not just because he's played it for so long, but because as a character, Rodrigo lets García Bernal explore an alternate life he might have enjoyed, he told Business Insider in a recent interview.

"As actors you get a chance to live different lives," García Bernal said. "But sometimes you get a chance to live lives you wish you did."

Business Insider caught up with García Bernal ahead of the Golden Globe-winning show's fourth season, which is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video starting Friday, February 16. In our interview García Bernal went deep on the interplay between art and technology, romantic relationships between artists, and how he came up with one of Rodrigo's catch phrases: "Play with the blood."

This interview has been lightly edited for clarity.

Nathan McAlone: Your character has an interesting relationship to a robot this season [no spoilers]. How do you personally feel about technology and art, and the interplay between them?

Gael García Bernal: It’s like recently, the machine that finally won Go [the strategy board game, beating the best human player]. The interesting thing about this is that we always count now on our asset [as humans] that we can make mistakes. Those mistakes are sometimes incredible accidents. That's something apparently robots don't do as well. Maybe that’s needed for music to exist in a way, to be vibrant, to be alive, to be warm, to lead you to places. It is interesting to entertain the idea if it’s possible [for a robot to make, or help make music]. Because also music is mathematical. You can transcribe it into mathematics. You would expect it to be quantifiable. I don’t know. For example, biology used to be a descriptive science, and now it’s a quantifiable science. You need a computer to sequence DNA, and those kinds of things. Was that good? Yeah, it was good because now we can understand how mathematics goes deep into something really small, or really big. If that can be translated into music in particular, I don’t know. I have no idea. In a way I hope it can.

McAlone: In this season, there’s the idea of relationships between artists, and what each person needs at what point, and how that interacts with career aspirations, and your journey as an artist. Did any element of that resonate with you in your life?

García Bernal: It’s difficult to talk about the relationship aspect of people who do the same thing. Is it expected that there will be a natural competition? Yeah, maybe. Will it be positive or negative competition, you never know. On the book, maybe it’s not good. Maybe some people know how to deal with it. It’s complicated. There’s no right or wrong. But it’s also part of any journey with a couple — you live with things, struggles, this and that. If there is no struggle, you invent one.

McAlone: What aspect of your character was most challenging for you as an actor?

García Bernal: Definitely it’s very challenging to stand in front of a group of musicians and play. It’s really daunting.

McAlone: Did that get easier [as the seasons progressed]?

García Bernal: Yes, easier, but not in the sense that I know how to. Now I have no problem making a fool of myself. I don't care that much.

McAlone: It’s a very playful show generally.

García Bernal: Yeah, and you reach a certain proximity and understanding with music.

McAlone: What's your personal relationship with music?

García Bernal: I've always listened to music, of course. I’ve always admired symphonic, classical music, but I was never as close as I am now to that type of music. I engage with it, play with it, I've incorporated it into my life. I listen to that music every day.

McAlone: How did the “play with the blood” [one of Rodrigo’s catch phrases] come about?

García Bernal: I think it was an improvisation actually. I was looking for a word of ... play with “passion” would be too lame. Come on, play with ‘blood,' play with more ... Play with the pancreas. A bit more crazy. And then it just stayed. Like many things Rodrigo now does. Like Hailey [played by Lola Kirke], calling her “Hai-lai” was a mistake, and we just stuck with it.

McAlone: How did that happen?

García Bernal: Well, it was Rodrigo not being able to say certain names. And now every person he meets he changes the name. I like playing with that. Now it became him.

McAlone: What will you miss most about Rodrigo when the show eventually ends, about inhabiting him?

García Bernal: The proximity to music. Rodrigo is also a vessel for me. As actors you get a chance to live different lives. But sometimes you get a chance to live lives you wish you did. And this one, with Rodrigo. It is now after experiencing him [I realize] he is a kind of person that I would have liked to be. And I’m very happy that I'm able to be that person, now and then. His craziness. His impunity. The way he manages to go through the world and think about music, and doesn't really incorporate all the other noise that comes into life. The craziness of it all. I miss that even when we are not doing the season.

SEE ALSO: Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman has a biting take on Netflix's new show 'Altered Carbon'

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NOW WATCH: Elon Musk explains the one thing that went wrong with SpaceX's Falcon Heavy flight

Business Insider UK is hiring a paid digital fellow to work on editorial partnerships from our London office.

This fellowship will teach you the ins and outs of how a digital news site operates.

This candidate will be responsible for promoting Business Insider UK's content to key editorial partners, as well as tracking and analysing our best-performing stories. He or she will also review and select stories from our partners and rewrite headlines to make them pop on our website. This fellow will become familiar with a variety of verticals and assist the partnerships editor with searching for new partners across all topic areas. 

We are looking for a voracious news reader:

• with excellent copy-editing skills, who can work quickly and independently
• who knows how to package stories in an exciting and smart way
• who has a good instinct for what Business Insider readers find interesting
• who knows how to use blogs, Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and other social media to attract and engage an audience

A background in journalism and light HTML and photo-editing skills are a huge plus.

As a digital fellow at Business Insider, there is no getting coffee, filing, or making copies.

APPLY HEREwith a cover letter about why this position appeals to you.

This position requires that you work in our London office, located near the Aldgate East tube station. Fellows are encouraged to work 40 hours a week for a six-month period from the start date.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Here’s a great explanation of what the blockchain is from the person tasked with explaining it to the world

Netflix has been doing nostalgia better than just about anyone in recent years.

As the company has leaned into making its own shows, a big piece of its strategy has been reviving fan favorites like "Full House," "Arrested Development," and "Gilmore Girls." Most recently, the service brought back the reality series "Queer Eye." 

Given Netflix's love of data, this commitment to nostalgia makes sense.

If you can see that people keep binge-watching "Gilmore Girls" over and over again, why not make a new series? You already know there's an audience for it. (That seems to have translated into viewership, at least for the "Gilmore Girls" and "Full House" revivals).

But are these revivals any good?

To try and answer that question, we turned to reviews aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, and looked at what the critics had to say. Here's a list of shows Netflix has brought back from the dead, ranked from worst to best in critical reception, along with a short description (we excluded kids' shows). We also split the two versions of "Wet Hot American Summer" for clarity.

Nathan McAlone contributed to an earlier version of this post.

SEE ALSO: All 49 of Netflix's notable original movies, ranked from worst to best

12. "Fuller House" — 32%

Critic rating: 32%

Audience rating: 73%

Previous network: ABC

Netflix description: "The Tanner family's adventures continue as DJ Tanner-Fuller shares a home with her sister Stephanie and friend Kimmy who help raise her three boys."

11. "The Killing" (Season 4) — 47%

Critic rating: 47%

Audience rating: 80%

Previous network: AMC

Netflix description: "Seattle homicide detectives Sarah Linden and Stephen Holder are deeply affected by the murders they investigate in this dark, acclaimed crime series."

10. "Wet Hot American Summer: Ten Years Later" — 76%

Critic rating: 76%

Audience rating: 70%

Previous network: Film by USA Films

Netflix description: "A decade after their wild summer as junior counselors, the gang reunites for a weekend of bonding, hanky-panky and hair-raising adventures."

• "Black Panther" earned $25.2 million at Thursday preview screenings.
• That's the best-ever for February and the second-best out of the Marvel franchise.

Hold on tight, because it looks like the box office for "Black Panther" is going to be out of this world by the end of the weekend.

The Thursday preview numbers are in and the latest Marvel movie took in $25.2 million, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

That's the best Thursday preview for February (beating out "Deadpool," $12.7 million) and the second-best preview for a Marvel movie (just under "Avengers: Age of Ultron," $27.6 million).

This all looks to be leading up to the movie having a gigantic opening weekend that could be north of $170 million domestically by the time we get to Presidents' Day on Monday.

Directed by Ryan Coogler ("Creed"), the first-ever standalone Marvel movie focused on a black character has been a hit with critics, as it has a 98% Rotten Tomatoes score (the best ever for a Marvel Cinematic Universe title).

And with this kind of Thursday performance it's pretty certain that general audiences are going to love it, too.

SEE ALSO: Michael B. Jordan added 15 pounds of muscle after "Creed" to play the villain in "Black Panther" — here's how he did it

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: No one wants to host the Olympics anymore — will they go away?

• A number of Twitter users are being called out for posting fake claims of racially motivated assaults at showings of Marvel's "Black Panther.
• Many of the false claims have used unrelated photos of physically abused women.

A handful of Twitter users have been called out for posting fake claims of racially motivated assaults at showings of Marvel's "Black Panther," Buzzfeed reported Friday.

Many of the false claims have used unrelated photos of physically abused women to suggest that assaults took place at screenings of the film on Thursday.

Others on Twitter have called out the fake claims of assault, citing the original photos of the abused women used in the fabricated posts. 

Twitter has already taken down a number of posts previously reported by Buzzfeed.

SEE ALSO: 'Black Panther' is already breaking records at the box office — and had the second-best Thursday preview of any Marvel movie

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Why North Korea sent hundreds of cheerleaders to the Olympics

• Netflix's new original series "Everything Sucks!" does not suck at all.
• It takes awhile to get good, but it's worth your time.
• It's reminiscent of "Freaks and Geeks," but set in the 90s.
• It tells the story of a teenage girl coming to terms with being gay, and her classmates who are trying to figure out who they are. 

By now, you may have heard the hype around Netflix's "Everything Sucks!," which made its debut Friday and has been called the service's next "sleeper hit." 

In the weeks before its release, the show's been unfairly compared to "Stranger Things," simply because it features a young cast and takes place in a nostalgic decade: the 90s.

Like "Stranger Things," "Everything Sucks!" is a love letter to the decade, but there are absolutely no Upside Downs, shadow monsters, Eggo waffles, or Winona Ryders. Just the ups and downs of being a teenager, set to 90s songs from your favorites including The Mighty Bosstones, Ace of Base, Oasis, and Tori Amos.

But it's still definitely worth your time.

"Everything Sucks!" is like "Freaks and Geeks" meets "My So-Called Life," but with actual teens playing teens. The very well-cast teens on this show are in the A/V club and the drama club at a high school in Boring, Oregon (a real town, where the series filmed). Despite their differences, the two clubs make a sci-fi movie together, directed by Luke (Jahi Di'Allo Winston). 

In the meantime, the show's female protagonist, Kate Messner (Peyton Kennedy), is struggling with her sexuality: She thinks she's lesbian. The 90s setting, though at times a little heavy-handed, tells a story that would've never made it to television in the actual 90s.  

You should binge-watch "Everything Sucks!" this weekend. It's not the best Netflix original series to date, especially since it takes some time to find its voice. But the excellent final episodes will leave you wanting more.

Here's why you should binge-watch "Everything Sucks!" on Netflix. Warning, mild spoilers:

SEE ALSO: The 100 best movies on Amazon Prime right now

All 10 episodes are under 30 minutes long.

With no time to let things linger, the shortened episode length helps the show keep things moving forward quickly. The shortest episodes of "Everything Sucks!"are 22 minutes, and its longest is the 27-minute season finale.

Like Netflix's critical hit "The End of the F---ing World," the show proves that a lot of story can be told in a shorter period of time. For shows like these, it's a huge advantage. 

All those short episodes do add up, but it's worth investing your time. It's better than "Altered Carbon."

It's a messy mix of slapstick comedy, teenage romance, and family drama. And that's the point.

The show is uneven, but that's the point. The lack of balance between the slapstick comedy and the tear-jerking drama captures exactly what being a teenager (and a person) is like.

It takes a few episodes for the show to get really good, but the final episodes are worth waiting for.

The show starts by banging the 90s thing over your head like, say, a snap bracelet. 

But once the story gets deeper into its characters, the references feel more organic and earned. In one of the show's best episodes, the teens take a trip to a film location for their movie. On the way, they're happily singing along to Ace of Base's "It's a Beautiful Life" on a bus. 

After some drama happens on set, the song plays on the bus on their way back to Boring. But this time no one is sitting together, and no one is singing along. Moments like these feel more earned and truer to the characters than some moments in earlier episodes, which makes a second season more promising. 

• The rapper Drake said he gave away the entire $996,631.90 budget of his new "God's Plan" music video during its production in Miami.
• The Miami Herald previously reported that Drake recently donated $25,000 to a Miami high school and $50,000 to a student at the University of Miami. He performs at both locations in the uplifting video.

The rapper Drake said he gave away nearly $1 million in the production of the new music video for his single "God's Plan," which has held the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for the three weeks since its release.

The video opens with lines of text: "The budget for this video was $996,631.90. We gave it all away. Don't tell the label."

In the uplifting video, the 31-year-old rapper donates oversized checks and full carts of free groceries to Miami citizens.

The Miami Herald previously reported that Drake recently donated $25,000 to a Miami high school and $50,000 to a student at the University of Miami. He performs at both locations in the "God's Plan" video.

Watch the video:

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

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Why North Korea sent hundreds of cheerleaders to the Olympics

Melania Knavs came to New York in the '90s to pursue a career in modeling. Little did the 26-year-old know, she would soon cross paths with the famous real estate mogul Donald Trump.

Although she was wary at first of entering in a relationship with Trump considering his reputation as a womanizer, Knavs fell in love with "a real man." Seven years later, they married. Today, she is the first lady of the United States.

Here's a look at the 13-year marriage of America's first couple:

SEE ALSO: The mysterious life of first lady Melania Trump, a former supermodel who is the subject of fashion scandals and bizarre conspiracy theories

DON'T MISS: Inside the marriage of Bill and Melinda Gates, who met at work, live in a $124 million home, and will leave their children only a small fraction of their fortune

Trump met Melania at a party during New York's Fashion Week in September 1998. He was 52; she was 28.

Source: Vanity Fair

He came to the party with another woman, but reportedly talked to Melania while his date was in the bathroom.

Source: GQ

After seeing Melania for the first time, Trump said he "went crazy." He asked for her number, but she asked for his number instead.

Sources: CNN, Vanity Fair

All jobs have their highs and lows. 

Nordstrom has a great reputation when it comes to their employee's happiness and overall workplace culture. In fact, the retailer has made the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For List for 20 consecutive years in a row. 

Still, day to day life as a retail associate can be challenging. During my three year tenure at Nordstrom, I learned many valuable lessons and experienced some shocking customers.

Here's what it's really like to work at Nordstrom:  

SEE ALSO: We visited Walmart in India — and it's shockingly different from what you'll see in America

Employees are driven to extremes for commission checks

Nordstrom employees are paid a commission of all the sales they make — and it sometimes brings out an ugly competitiveness amongst floor associates. Many employees aggressively court customers in pricey departments of the store in hopes of hooking a customer and their commission before other colleagues. 

If you don't reach your sales goals you run the risk of being demoted or fired

Nordstrom sets daily, weekly, monthly and yearly goals that all employees are expected to meet. When managers suspect an employee may be missing their marks, they set up mandatory mini-training sessions on how they can better approach his or her sales. 

Pressure to perform has led some Nordstrom associates to go rogue

In the past, employees looking to steal their co-workers sales and commission glory have attempted to reverse payment transactions. Once a previous transaction is reversed, the rogue associate can personally ring the customer up a second time and receive credit for the purchase. 

Debates about "best" and "worst" cities elicit strong feelings. It's a tricky issue because such debates are largely subjective.

So Business Insider attempted to use data to definitively prove which are the most exciting and most boring cities in every state across America.

To do that, we took counts of the number of establishments for 66 different types of businesses — like breweries, art dealers, and museums — that can make a city more "interesting." We sourced data from the Census Bureau's 2015 County Business Patterns program and picked the metro areas with the highest and lowest count of these businesses for our interesting and boring cities.

For example, the New York City metro area has 62 breweries, 762 art dealers, and 305 museums, based on federal data. That ended up being the "most exciting" city in New York. Elmira, the "most boring" city in New York, has two breweries, zero art dealers, and four museums. Of course, this means that bigger cities tended to rank better as "exciting" cities, but that is a trend for most lists of this nature.

The list below breaks out cities by each of the 381 Metropolitan Statistical Areas recognized by the federal government. You will see that some of the metro areas span more than one state (e.g. New York City includes Jersey City and Newark, New Jersey). We have made it clear in the slides below which metro areas span more than one state.

And two states — Rhode Island and Vermont — are not included in the list because they don't have at least two metro areas as defined by the federal government.

Read below to see the most exciting and most boring city in every state in America.

SEE ALSO: Billionaires and royals are rushing to teach their kids Mandarin

Alabama

Most Exciting

Birmingham, Hoover, Alabama

Population: 1,144,857

Most Boring

Gadsden, Alabama

Population: 102,873

Alaska

Most Exciting

Anchorage, Alaska

Population: 399,432

Most Boring

Fairbanks, Alaska

Population: 99,639

Arizona

Most Exciting

Phoenix, Mesa, Scottsdale, Arizona

Population: 4,567,857

Most Boring

Sierra Vista-Douglas, Arizona

Population: 126,395

• There's a growing movement for airlines to introduce child-free seating.
• Some international airlines have created "kid-free" zones where customers can purchase seats without the risk of sitting next to a noisy child.
• But similar options are unlikely to appear on US airlines, as they would likely attract significant controversy.

Few issues get travelers more worked up than the debate over how airlines should handle children.

Some think the chance of sitting near a noisy child is part of the risk one bears when buying an airline ticket, but others think airlines need to take action and separate children from adults by creating child-only or child-free seating sections.

There's demand for child-free seating in the US

A 2017 survey from the air travel site Airfwarewatchdog found that a little over half of respondents believe families with children aged 10 and under should have to sit in a designated section apart from other passengers, and the idea of separating children and adults has gained traction on Reddit, where threads with titles like "Would you pay extra for a child-free flight? YESSSS!!!" and "It's time airlines introduced child-free zones" indicate the demand for child-free seating.

Some international airlines, including Malaysia Airlines, AirAsia, Scoot Airlines, and IndiGo have introduced "kid-free" zones where customers can purchase seats without the risk of sitting next to a noisy child. 

So why haven't any US airlines followed them?

Child-free seating would be a PR nightmare

Because doing so would spark outrage, according to Airfarewatchdog content editor Tracy Stewart.

"It's probably hard for parents to be super objective for this stuff. Whenever this comes up, people get so upset about it," Stewart told Business Insider. "It would be great if an American carrier would give it a shot, but I would be surprised if anyone takes it on."

Stewart said that once parents become acclimated to living with young children, it can be difficult to recognize how disruptive their children can be to those around them.

"If you're a parent and you live with that kind of behavior, you're probably pretty resigned to kicking and screaming. If some stranger calls out your kid for misbehaving on a plane, those situations escalate so quickly," Stewart said.

Airlines don't need more controversy

Those tensions would make it difficult for a US airline to even test child-free seating without creating controversy. Given the crisis airlines have faced around their rules for allowing emotional support animals on flights — policies that affect a small percentage of passengers — it's not difficult to imagine the PR nightmare that would follow child-free seating policies, even if the current system causes as much stress for parents as those sitting around them.

A 2012 Reddit post highlighted two parents of young children who offered ear plugs to the other passengers on their flight via notes included in bags of candy. While the gesture was largely praised, purchasing earplugs and arranging goodie bags every time you fly would be time-consuming and only add to the difficulty of raising a child. Creating separate seating for children would reduce the stress some parents feel when sitting next to passengers traveling without children.

Still, it's unlikely that child-free seating will be introduced on a US airline anytime soon. The status quo isn't perfect, but it's easier to keep a controversial system than to adopt a new one.

SEE ALSO: A Lufthansa passenger filmed a 'demonic' child screaming for 8 hours on a flight — and people are horrified

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• Professional stylists and former wedding planners, the women of Going Out In Style, have now turned to the funeral business.
• Their services cover all aspects of the event, and they encourage clients to think outside of the box.
• They work both with consulting clients who are looking to pre-plan their funerals, and the families of the deceased.  

The four women of Going Out In Style want you to think differently about death.

That is, what happens after your death — including what you'd like your funeral service to look like, smell like, taste like, and feel like for the guests.

Of course, you won't be there to enjoy it, but GOIS wants to style, organize, and throw you the ultimate after-party anyway. The women consult with clients prior to death, as well as family or friends of the deceased.

Their last client — who held a memorial service at New York City's renowned power-lunch spot, The Grill — was celebrated and remembered with napkins depicting custom illustrations of his two dogs, his favorite sayings printed on coasters, and a cart serving whiskey — his preferred drink. They approached the client's family with a simple request: "Tell us a story about him." From there, they begin their planning.

They stand firmly behind the idea that their funeral-styling services help those you've left behind. "In the time of need, wouldn't it be nice if you knew exactly what that person wanted instead of trying to guess?" co-founder Cassidy Iwersen told Business Insider.

With an attention to detail similar to wedding planning, Naomi DeManana, Colleen Banks, Erin Furey, and Iwersen plan every aspect of the event — and no request is too absurd. 

"Specialty gifts we can also provide include a visit to your home to hide secrets and embarrassing items — or deleting your browsing history," said Iwersen.

We followed the ladies of Going Out In Style for a day to get an idea of how they operate — and what they can offer clients.      

Our first stop was Manhattan's flower district — where DeManana was picking up a bouquet of red roses as a thank you gift for a former client.

Their services span floral arrangements, location and venue booking, invitations, musical arrangements, the food, organizing readings, how you'd like to be buried or cremated, what you'll be wearing inside your casket, what your casket will be made of, and the parting gifts — anything and everything you, or your family might request on your behalf. 

As professional stylists and former wedding planners, the team has years of experience creating and executing large-scale events.

Iwersen noted the difference in their new line of work: "People are grieving, and they really need you to help come in...and tease out these details quickly while they're a little clouded or sad. It feels good to use our skills that way."

When consulting with clients, the questions they ask branch out well beyond the major event musts, down to the nitty gritty details.

No request is too over the top. They have a list of questions they ask, starting with the main event. "Is it a funeral? Memorial? A party or an ocean send off? What's the location? Is it a destination funeral? Time of day? The guest list? Invitation — is there one? Is it printed? An email? Delivered by carrier pigeons?" said Iwersen.

• In honor of Presidents' Day, some people are celebrating with a long weekend.

• Business Insider reached out to some experts on how to set yourself up for success when you have an extra day off.

• Their suggestions focused on prioritizing tasks, setting technology guidelines, and spending time with loved ones.

Presidents' Day is here, and that could mean you have an extra day off to add to your normal weekend.

But how should you spend your long weekend?

If you're not sure how to make the most of the next few days, we've got some ideas.

In addition to reflecting on the legacy of the US presidency, here are 17 things successful people can do before and over long weekends:

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1. They plan ahead

Many successful people plan out their activities for the holiday weekend well in advance so that they are not drawn into the temptation of working, said Michael Kerr, an international business speaker and author of "The Humor Advantage." They make reservations, book tee times, or schedule activities with their kids.

"They're strategic enough to have an action plan for the three-day weekend, but flexible enough to tackle any urgent work issues that may arise," said Lynn Taylor, a national workplace expert and the author of "Tame Your Terrible Office Tyrant: How to Manage Childish Boss Behavior and Thrive in Your Job."

2. They prepare at work

"Most of what they do happens before they leave for a long weekend so that they are psychologically free to relax and enjoy it," Kerr said.

This includes saying proper goodbyes to colleagues, cleaning up their office, finishing any pressing tasks, and creating a clear plan of action for when they return to the office so they can hit the ground running.

3. They unplug

Not only do they set guidelines, but truly successful people actually put their phones and laptops away — at least for part of the weekend.

Don't sit and stare at screens during your time off. Unplug and try to use as little technology as possible. It will help you sleep better and can keep your mind clear.

It's been more than 15 years since the heyday of CD sales. But the shiny little discs still have their devotees. As this chart by Statista shows, millions of people continue to purchase CDs ever year.

Given that the sound quality of CDs is superior to streaming services like Spotify or Apple Music, it's not surprising that there are audiophile holdouts. But these diehards might be in for some tough times following the announcement by electronics retailer Best Buy that it will stop selling compact discs in its stores.

Best Buy's move could provide the death blow to CDs, or it could signal the beginning of a vinyl-like comeback for people with a yen for "retro" items.

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• A February 2 Facebook post described a remarkable moment at Los Angeles International Airport.
• A pregnant woman was attempting to board a flight with her child, but the child became upset and refused to board the plane.
• "Six or seven" women approached and began to comfort the mother and child, who eventually were able to board their flight, according to the Facebook post.

Traveling with a child isn't easy, let alone a child who's upset. A February 2 Facebook post that has been shared over 15,000 times described a remarkable moment at Los Angeles International Airport, where a group of women comforted a pregnant mother and her upset child.

According to Beth Bornstein Dunnington, who shared the post on Facebook, a pregnant woman was attempting to board a flight with her child, but the child became upset and refused to board the plane.

"A toddler who looked to be eighteen or so months old was having a total meltdown, running between the seats, kicking and screaming, then lying on the ground, refusing to board the plane," Dunnington wrote.

After unsuccessfully attempting to pick up her child, the woman sat on the floor and began to cry, before "six or seven" women approached the two and comforted them.

"I sang 'The Itsy Bitsy Spider' to the little boy ... one woman had an orange that she peeled, one woman had a little toy in her bag that she let the toddler play with, another woman gave the mom a bottle of water. Someone else helped the mom get the kid's sippy cup out of her bag and give it to him," Dunnington wrote. 

According to Dunnington, none of the women knew each other before helping the mother and her child, but they were able to calm both of them enough to allow them to board their flight. 

"We were strangers, gathering to solve something," Dunnington wrote. "I will never forget that moment."

SEE ALSO: There's a growing movement to force kids to sit in a separate section on airplanes

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Air India might not be an obvious choice for a flight from New York to London — but when Zach Honig, editor of The Points Guy, spotted a one-way business class ticket for $1,226 (£870) he couldn't resist.

The airline doesn't even rank in the top 100 in the world, according to Skytrax, but Honig's recent experience was surprisingly good — luxurious even.

Especially when you consider that this wasn't Honig's first time flying AI. The first trip he took with the carrier in 2017 — Delhi to New York — he deemed "arguably the worst business class flight of my life."

This time, he flew the Air India 787 Dreamliner, documented his trip in a blog post, and shared photos of the trip with Business Insider.

Scroll down to find out how Air India redeemed itself with this six-hour red eye business class flight from Newark, New York to London Heathrow.

SEE ALSO: This man quit his job at Morgan Stanley to embrace his obsession with air miles — and he now flies first class for a living

Before even stepping on the plane, Honig said he was pleased with the convenient flight departure time of 11.15 p.m. from Newark. It provided the perfect opportunity to grab a pre-flight drink at the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse, where Air India business passengers are invited to hang out.

The invite to the Clubhouse came as a surprise for Honig, who called it "easily the best lounge at Newark Airport," and even one of the best in the US. "There’s a fantastic bar, sit-down a-la-carte dining, showers, plenty of seating and more," he wrote.

He appears to have made time for a couple of cocktails and a bite to eat before jetting off.