Barnard College is a private, women’s liberal arts college known for its progressive and feminist ideals. Yet the 125-year-old institution is in the news for a very un-feminist reason. 

Feministing reports that Barnard imposed a dress code on its 2014 resident advisors (RAs) that said they could not wear clothing revealing any part of their stomachs, chests, or backsides during training. Via Feministing [emphasis ours]:

Dress appropriately for training. While we want you to be comfortable, this is a work environment. In the words of from [sic] our friends in Admissions, ‘No belly, no butts, no bras,’ meaning that none of these should be showing in the clothing you choose to wear. We ask that you come dressed as you did for Group Process. Those dressed inappropriately will be asked by their HD to go home and change.

The rule was a part of the “Training Expectations” contract that Barnard RAs were asked to sign after returning to the institution two weeks ago for orientation. According to Feministing, which spoke with some of the RAs, the students were made to sign the contract and the rules were “not discussed or negotiated before their signing.”

Let’s be clear. A resident advisor sets an example in the college community and will most likely be the first resource for incoming students. They must apply, interview, and train for the position, agreeing to uphold and adhere to personal and professional conduct as outlined by the school.

But none of the Barnard RAs were aware of any dress code rules when they accepted their positions and then were asked to sign a document dictating their clothing choices.

The message Barnard’s RAs are being given is clear: to be deemed professional and acceptable, women must wear clothing that covers them — even if those women are still college students working in the summer heat, and especially if those women have butts, boobs, and bellies (you know, all of them).

One RA also made the salient point that the rule promoted body shaming and was obviously biased against curvier body types. “I’d just like to highlight the racial aspects of it,” she said to Feministing, “certain bodies are policed and deemed as not welcome.”

Another agreed, saying that the image Barnard wanted to showcase was of a “White corporate feminist.”

In an age where young women are frequently shamed for their choice of clothing and school dress codes unfairly target young women, one would expect a women’s college — fierce advocates of feminism and liberal thought — would be exempt from this. 

Business Insider has reached out to Barnard College for comment, and will update if we hear back.

SEE ALSO: The 50 Most Expensive Boarding Schools In America

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The world fully expects to catch a glimpse of Apple's newest product next week, a smartwatch commonly called the iWatch. Apple may just tease the new device and it won't be available for immediate sale. But as Apple continues exploring wearable tech, we now have a better idea how future gadget designs will be influenced.

Apple hired world-famous designer Marc Newson on Friday. Newson is a design genius who has worked on everything including bathroom products, interiors, and furniture. He once even designed a personal jet, the Kelvin40, commissioned by the Foundation Cartier in Paris in 2003.

That said, he also famously founded a watch company, Ikepod, credited for starting the "big watch" men's fashion revolution, though he officially severed design ties with the company in 2012.

Here are a few example's of Newson's watch designs.

Maybe the most classic Ikepod watch was known as the Horizon collection.

This watch was a revision of the Horizon, designed in collaboration with graffiti artist turned painter/sculptor/designer known as Kaws.

Newson isn't stuck on the idea of round watches. Here's one he calls Solaris, the last design he did for Ikepod.

The above watch also came in gold.

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An unbelievable story out of Spokane, Washington is showing us just how amazing new technology can be when used for good.

As local TV station KXLY reports, it began at a store called Empire Dance Shop. A clerk was alerted about a baby "turning blue." She is actually a former lifeguard so she lept into action and started doing rescue breathing on the baby after calling 911.

That's when the magic happened.

A mechanic named Jeff Olson was working at a tire store 2 blocks away when all the sudden, his phone sent him probably the most important push notification of his life.

Olson is a volunteer EMT and has a smartphone app on his phone called "Pulse Point."

The app knew he was right around the corner and sent him a notification that an emergency was going on at the dance shop.

Olson ran over, was told a baby was going blue, and saved the baby's life.

Here's KXLY's original video story as posted on YouTube by the station:

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With a net worth of $51.3 billion, Oracle founder and CEO Larry Ellison is the fifth wealthiest person in the world. 

Even as Ellison scoops up mansions and entire Hawaiian islands, he has transferred much of his wealth to his children, David and Megan, who have inherited some 3 million shares of Netsuite stock and 900,000 shares of Oracle stock each. According to Forbes, they could each be worth some $306 million from Netsuite assets alone.

And Megan, especially, seems to be doing well for herself. With Annapurna Pictures, the film production company she founded in 2011, she's produced some of the most critically acclaimed films of the last few years, including "Zero Dark Thirty" and "American Hustle." She gets to travel the world with celebrities and leads a life of insane luxury.

She's also become a real estate mogul in her own right, buying up mansions in a way that's reminiscent of her father's land grabs.

Megan Ellison was born on Jan. 31, 1986, in Santa Clara County, California. Her mother is Barbara Boothe, Larry Ellison's third wife. The couple was married in 1983 and split in 1986, when Megan was only 4 months old. Like her father, Megan was rebellious and tough from a young age. She posted this photo of herself to her Twitter account with the caption, "You have to learn the rules of the game. And then you have to play better than anyone else."

Source: Vanity Fair, Twitter

Though Larry lives the flashy life you'd expect of a multibillionaire, his ex-wife Barbara leads a quieter existence as the owner of Wild Turkey Farm in Wilsonville, Oregon. She started raising horses in Woodside, California, while her children were still young and now takes care of more than 100 of them on the 215-acre farm.

Source: Vanity Fair, Wild Turkey Farm

When Megan was young, she began to develop an interest in horses during visits to her mother's Woodside spread. She started competing in some of the top riding competitions in the country, including the Young Rider Championships. She's seen here on a stallion named LioCalyon, competing in a High Juniors competition in Los Angeles.

Source: Vanity Fair, Wild Turkey Farm

A French-inspired mansion has just hit the market for an astronomical $139 million, making it the most expensive home for sale in the U.S.

The 60,000-square-foot estate, called "Le Palais Royal," sits on over 4 acres and 465 feet of beachfront on Millionaires Mile in Hillsboro Beach, Florida.

The "palace" features 11 bedrooms, 17 bathrooms, and the first-ever private IMAX Theater with seating for 18, a bar, and a lounge. It also has a 492-foot private dock for a megayacht, an underground garage with space for 30 cars, a putting green, and 4,500-square-foot infinity pool.

"This grand palace will be a landmark that rivals Europe’s greatest palaces. A true masterpiece, it is adorned with custom detailing exclusive to its design and incomparable finishes," said listing agent William P.D. Pierce of Coldwell Banker Previews International.

While the home is currently under construction, the property is owned by a trust connected to construction magnate Robert Pereira, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The house is currently in its final phase of construction and slated for completion before the end of 2015.

Welcome to Le Palais Royal, the new most-expensive home for sale in the country.

It's expected to be completed by the end of 2015, so this exterior shot is just a rendering of the $139 million "palace."

When you pull up to the estate, there will be a 13-foot, 22-carat gold-leaf gate, and conveniently, a water fountain right next to the garage.

Sergey Brin isn’t one to shy away from a challenge.

When he and Larry Page created Google in 1998, they would forever change how we use the Internet.

"When Larry and I started the company, we had to get some hard drives to, you know, store the entire Web," Brin told Wired of Google's early days. "We ended up in a back alley in San Jose, dealing with some shady guy. We spent $10,000 or $20,000, all our life savings. We got these giant stacks of hard drives that we had to fit in our cars and get home."

But Brin doesn’t just like to challenge his mind. In his spare time, he likes to push his body to the limits in any way he can think of, from roller hockey and ultimate frisbee to gymnastics, springboard diving, and even high-flying trapeze.  "I like to do a variety of acrobatic things," he has said. 

It turns out that athletics have long been a priority for Brin.

Born in Moscow in 1973, he and his family emigrated from Soviet Russia after anti-Semitism made it difficult for his mathematician father to get a job. 

After receiving his bachelor's degree in math and computer science at the University of Maryland, Sergey went on to pursue his Ph.D. in computer science at Stanford, where he would meet his future best friend and Google cofounder, Larry Page.

While at Stanford, he tried out a variety of different sports, including in-line skating, skiing, gymnastics, and trapeze. He spent so much time on his various physical activities that his father once asked him if he had chosen any advanced courses of study.

"Yes, advanced swimming," was Brin’s famous response.

Even in the search engine's early days, Brin brought an element of fun and activity to the Googleplex.

There have been plenty of stories of him arriving to meetings in rollerblades, and his go-to outfit appears to be workout clothes and Vibram FiveFingers barefoot shoes. He sometimes walks around on his hands, just for fun. 

In "I'm Feeling Lucky," 59th Google employee Doug Edwards describes the beginnings of Google, observing even the tiniest quirks of the famous cofounders.

According to Edwards, at a 1999 company holiday event, Brin tried to address party guests from the top of a giant red rubber ball. 

But, according to Edwards' account, Brin "couldn’t maintain his balance despite the trapeze classes he was taking at a local circus."

That local circus was Circus Center, a training facility in San Francisco's Inner Sunset neighborhood, where Brin would bring Googlers for team bonding events in the company's early days. 

In 2009, he was spotted in an advanced class at Circus Warehouse, a training facility near the border of Queens and Brooklyn in New York City. Greg Roberts, a San Francisco native who had flown out to New York to participate in an immersive Cirque du Soleil-style acrobatic yoga program at the facility, recognized Brin on the second day of class. 

"He was the only other person there who was interested in talking about technology," Roberts told Business Insider. Roberts is an avid acrobat and a serial entrepreneur who is currently working on a 3D-printing company called dSky9. "Though we were both there to kind of get away from tech and work on our bodies."

He was impressed with what he saw from Brin.

"People fly out from all over the world to take this class and learn from some of the masters. I'd say [Brin] was in the top 20% of the class," he said. "He was definitely giving his all." 

George Salah, who spent more than a decade as Google's director of facilities before leaving for a startup in 2013, initially joined the company after a roller hockey game with Larry and Sergey. 

"They were much better than I expected for a bunch of engineers," he told Edwards.

Brin’s athleticism is especially obvious in comparison to his sometimes awkward cofounder. 

As opposed to Page, whom Edwards describes as having "awkward moves and self-conscious grins," Brin is "more fluid, athletic, acrobatic. Bouncy even. He laughed easily and seemed to always have an eye out for a railing he could vault or a rafter beam he could pull himself up on."

But there's an important motivation behind Brin's ongoing enthusiasm for exercise.

In 2008, he learned that he had a mutation on his LRRK2 gene, a defect that would substantially increase his risk of developing Parkinson's disease. Brin's mother, Eugenia, was diagnosed with Parkinson's in 1999. Not everyone with an LRRK2 mutation will get Parkinson's, but it does raise the odds of developing the disease from around 1% for the average American to between 35% and 70% for a carrier. 

Brin discovered he carried a defective gene after participating in a program run with 23AndMe, the genetic testing company founded by his wife Anne Wojcicki, from whom he has since separated. 

But rather than resign himself to his fate, Brin has decided to take steps to reduce his risk. He estimates that with increased exercise and a healthy diet, he could potentially cut his risk in half, to about 25%. 

"I know early in my life something I am substantially predisposed to. I now have the opportunity to adjust my life to reduce those odds," he wrote in his blog. "I feel fortunate to be in this position. Until the fountain of youth is discovered, all of us will have some conditions in our old age, only we don't know what they will be. I have a better guess than almost anyone else for what ills may be mine — and I have decades to prepare for it." 

As a multi-billionaire, Brin also has the means to support research into finding a cure for the disease he might develop some day. As of February 2014, he and Wojcicki had donated nearly $95 million to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, including a $32 million gift in 2013. 

"If I felt it was guaranteed to cure Parkinson’s disease, a check for a billion dollars would be the easiest one I have written," Brin told Bloomberg. "Pretty much everybody in the world has or will have some serious condition. How much is it worth to you to have that condition be potentially curable?"

NOW WATCH: I Tried Out One Of Sergey Brin's High-Flying Hobbies

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I am not very brave. When it comes to daredevil activities, the farthest I'll go is zip-lining and the occasional roller coaster. I don't even like heights.

But I do like adventure! And, as we have reported, Google cofounder Sergey Brin likes to push his body to the limits. He counts the flying trapeze as one if his favorite hobbies, having taken advanced classes in his college days and bringing groups of Google employees to try it as a team.

How would it feel to soar through the air? What would it feel like to push myself to do something I would normally never try? 

I spent an afternoon at the Trapeze School New York, and it was just as scary — and even more exhilarating — than I ever imagined.  

Produced by Sam Rega.

SEE ALSO: SERGEY BRIN: Why The Google Cofounder Likes To Push His Body To The Limits

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While people generally like to think they're in touch with reality, the truth is that many of us shield ourselves from certain unpleasant facts to make us happier and more productive.

Users on Quora recently discussed the question: "What is an example of something true that nobody generally wants to admit?"

From unpleasant insights about love to the truth about meritocracy, here are seven uncomfortable truths people don't like to admit:

1. Looks matter.

It's nice to believe in karmic justice where good things happen to good people, but Quora user Dania Faruqui points out that actually, good things tend to happen to good-looking people.

"We keep denying it all the time, but an attractive person has an upper hand over a not-so-attractive person most of the time. Ugly truth," Faruqui writes.

Indeed, research suggests that attractive people make more money and are seen as smarter and more trustworthy than people who aren't as alluring.

2. No one is truly altruistic.

Suraj Agarwal writes that "we are all self-centric; it's just the radius that varies," meaning that the only difference between selfish and unselfish people is how intensely they pursue their self-interest.

Ramachandra Bhakta takes this notion even further by sharing a quote from the Indian philosopher Chanakya to point out that even our most intimate relationships are created to serve our own needs: "There is some self-interest behind every friendship. There is no friendship without self-interests. This is a bitter truth."

3. There is no such thing as a soulmate.

Quora user Soumadeep Mazumdar says that despite our personal delusions of grandeur, nobody is actually unique.

"No matter how ahead of the curve you think yourself to be, there will be thousands like you walking the same curve," Mazumdar writes. "You will think that you are the only one who has those odd fetishes or you are the only one awake at that particular hour of the night. But the truth is, there are hundreds, perhaps thousands who are exactly like you."

As a result, Mazumdar says that searching for your "one, true love" is a silly pursuit.

"There are millions who would satisfy your criteria of Ms. Right and Mr. Perfect. It is just coincidence that you found one of them and were acquainted to him or her and now consider them your soulmate."

4. Life is precious.

One of the most popular responses in the thread pointed out that everyone eventually dies, and it could happen at any moment.

While we all know we'll die one day, the suddenness with which death could come is something most of us try to forget.

As Quora user Mohit Sharma put it: "It's not like they don't believe it; they just ignore the fragility of life."

5. Nobody has any idea what to do.

If you are confused about what you want to do with your life, take solace in the knowledge that most, if not all, of us are also still figuring things out.

Quora user Josh Vogel writes: "It's drilled into our heads that we have to speak with certainty and confidence about things, especially if we are 'expert' in these things, but the truth is that we don't know."

Sri Teja adds that this uncertainty extends even to successful people who seem to have everything under control.

"The people you look up to are just as nervous as you are," Teja writes. "Succeeding gets a lot easier when you realize that everyone who has ever succeeded has doubted that things will work, has failed terribly, and has generally been where the rest of are: worrying and certain that they aren't good enough."

6. Success doesn't happen over night.

Quora user Samyadeep Basu writes, "Most successes happen in small steps and take a long time."

While many people search constantly for a quick fix to turn their lives around, the truth is that the hard work you put in today will most likely only begin to pay off months, if not years, down the road.

Even then, Samantha Deakin writes, our hard work doesn't necessarily guarantee future returns.

"There are so many confounding variables in the equation, that often the most successful people have been incredibly lucky in ways that you can only really see when you look back on their lives," Deakin says.

7. The world is full of suffering.

While it is certainly worth trying to make things better, no individual's work will put a real dent in the pain and suffering people experience around the world.

In a particularly depressing post, Ishan Rana writes: "Somewhere at this very point in time, someone is being tortured, hostages are being held captive, someone is being raped, girls are being punished for studying, and maybe, just maybe, the homeless guy and his little kid you pass every day hasn't had lunch for days."

Quora user Andy Lim adds that this knowledge makes it difficult for him to enjoy his life of relative ease. "I choose to not believe this fact, at least while I'm indulging my self."

SEE ALSO: 7 Things People Pretend To Like But Actually Hate

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Binge drinking is typically thought of as a college activity, but in some states, it's popular with older adults as well.

A map created by Ramiro Gomez and posted on Reddit shows the states where binge drinking among people age 26 and above is most common (the data comes from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and Bloomberg):

As the map shows, more than 30% of adults in North Dakota and South Dakota admitted to binge drinking during the previous month. Those in surrounding states had high rates of binge drinking, as well.

Utah — which has a high population of Mormons compared to the rest of the U.S. — ranked low, as did North Caroline and Tennessee.

North Dakota is also one of the biggest consumers of beer in the U.S., and Utah usually ranks low when it comes to alcohol consumption.

Binge drinking is commonly defined as drinking five or more drinks on the same occasion.

SEE ALSO: Here Are The Drunkest Countries In The World [MAP]

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BI Answers: Why does stale bread become hard, but stale potato chips become soft?

It may sound like a riddle, but it's not: Your bread gets hard when it gets old and stale, while chips get softer. Ever wonder why?

Bread and chips are actually very similar chemically and structurally. They are both made of a type of carbohydrate made of sugar molecules linked together called starches. Individual grains of starch absorb water, particularly in the presence of heat.

While both foods have starch, the starches interact differently with the water in its environment during the cooking process, changing its state when freshly cooked, according to Matthew Hartings, a researcher at American University in Washington, D.C. who teaches a course on the chemistry of cooking.

A freshly cooked bread, for instance, has been baked. This addition of heat and water weakens the attraction between the molecules in the starch, allowing it to absorb more water — a process called gelatinization, which is essentially what happens when a sponge fills up with water.

As bread goes stale, the water in the starch moves to other parts of the bread, such as the crust, so that the starch returns to a dense, hard state, like it was in uncooked flour form. This gives stale bread its crunchy texture.

On the other hand, when you fry potato chips, any water clinging to the potato starch evaporates, resulting in that satisfying crunch. As the chips are exposed to air, however, the water in the air binds to the starch in the chips, making the chips pliable again. The solution for this one is simple: invest in some chip clips to keep air away from your chips to keep them crunchy.

"In both cases, the water is finding a balance within its environment," says Hartings.

So the next time your chips go stale, take heart: they've finally found harmony with their surroundings.

h/t to Daniel Engber for raising this question.

SEE ALSO: Here's The Terrible Thing That Happens When You Pour Grease Down The Drain

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This post is sponsored by FlexPath by Capella University.

Success looks different for everyone. For one person, it could mean getting a promotion or creating a better work-life balance. Someone else may want to improve their relationships or learn new skills.

But while making changes in your life can seem overwhelming, it doesn't have to be. You can do small things that have a huge impact on your quality of life, whether that's switching up your daily routine, setting aside time for yourself, or reconnecting with old coworkers.

Check out seven things you can do that will empower you to be more successful – on your own terms.

1. Set weekly and monthly goals.

Setting regular goals for yourself can keep you from getting stagnant in both your professional and personal life. The best way to keep track of your goals is to write them down. Jot them on a whiteboard, a notepad on your desk, or an online calendar — anywhere you can see them regularly. ("Exercise three times this week," for example, or "Finish big presentation.") By having a constant visual reminder, you’ll be able to keep yourself accountable and measure your progress better.

2. Turn off all your devices one hour before going to bed.

Having trouble falling asleep at night? Your electronic devices may be to blame. Scientific data has shown that staring at a device (phone, TV, tablet, computer, e-reader) moments before going to bed can throw off your natural sleep-wake cycle. It’s best to power down your devices at least an hour before you hit the sack to ensure you sleep soundly.

3. Never stop learning.

Whether it’s taking a photography class to figure out how to use that fancy camera of yours or going back to school to advance your career, you should never stop striving to learn new things — regardless of where you are in life. If the idea of sitting in a classroom again gives you anxiety, though, you may want to consider a new approach to education such as Capella University’s innovative FlexPath program, which allows students to take classes on their own time and at their own pace. It's a great option for anyone balancing a busy career and a hectic life. 

4. Change the way you network.

Emailing strangers or going to conferences to "network" can be intimidating. A simpler way to strengthen your professional connections is by reaching out to the people you already know. Maybe it’s an old coworker you haven’t spoken to in a year, or someone you met at a conference a while back. Every month, commit to contacting at least one person that you haven’t seen in the past six months. Who knows, a cup of coffee with a past acquaintance could lead to an amazing job lead. 

5. Set aside time for yourself every day.

Too often, the workday speeds by in a nonstop blur of meetings, email, and deadlines. It's important to stop, take a breath, and have some time just for yourself. Set up calendar alerts or block out “busy” time in your daily calendar that makes you unavailable to others. During this time, you could go out for a real lunch away from your desk, take a walk, work on a side project, or even read a book. Whatever it is, be sure to use this time to recharge your batteries.  

6. Expand your horizons.

It’s easy to spend all your downtime binge-watching shows on Netflix or obsessing over social media. But when was the last time you tried something new that put you out of your element? In order to avoid getting bored, it's important to break out of your comfort zone by finding fresh activities and passions. Fortunately, there are a number ways to do this — from volunteering to joining a sports league to learning a new language. Pick one thing that you've always wanted to do, or something that you liked when you were a kid and never pursued. Then start researching ways you can make it happen. By opening yourself up to different experiences, you’re bound to learn something new about yourself.

7. Change the scenery.

If you find yourself in a rut, then you may be in need of a change of scenery. Start thinking about options that will alter your environment, whether that's moving to a new place, renovating your current one, or applying for a more challenging job. Or you may need to call a babysitter and escape the city for a calm retreat and a much needed vacation. You’ll be amazed how much it can reenergize your outlook on life.

Learn more about Capella's new FlexPath self-paced learning program.

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