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Here's how Walgreens' Nice! brand cookies compare to their Girl Scout counterparts


Here's what it was like to send an email back in 1984

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It can be easy to take things like modern email for granted, and nothing highlights that more than this clip from "Database," an old tech show that aired in the 80s.

In the segment above, you can see what sending and receiving an email was like in 1984, back when you were greeted with prompts like "phone computer" and literally had to dial in using a rotary phone. These were the days when webpages were numbered and email was such a luxury that people would excitedly sign off on messages with phrases like "electronically yours."

The network shown here is Micronet, an internet portal that Gizmodo points out was a lot like an early version of AOL. Micronet featured online games, a magazine, rudimentary message boards, news, downloadable software, and yes, even email.

The video makes one thing very clear: A lot can change in 30 years.

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The definitive, scientific answers to 14 of your biggest questions about wine

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cheers with wine glasses

We've all been there.

You're in a liquor or grocery store, trying to pick out wine with a group of friends when, inevitably, some unexpected member offers up their expert opinion.

Truth be told, there's a whole lot of science behind wine. Genetics, chemistry, microbiology, and even psychology all play a role in everything from how it's produced to which ones we buy and when.

To get a better sense of what goes into making that glass of red or white, we chatted with James Harbertson, a Washington State University professor of enology — that's the study of wine.

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Is cheap wine bad for you?

No way. Last year, rumors of a lawsuit that claimed that cheap wines had high levels of arsenic in it began circulating. One small detail the rumors left out: The lawsuit compared the levels of arsenic in wine to that of drinking water. To have any kind of negative experience as a result of this, you'd most likely have to drink about 2 liters of wine — a little more than 13 servings' worth.

That's an awful lot of wine.



What's the difference between a wine that costs $50 and a wine that costs $500?

The short answer? Not a lot — so long as you're just drinking it.

The price comes from a number of different factors — the maker, the type of grape, how long it's aged, etc. But if you're just looking for a solid bottle of wine, an inexpensive bottle could taste just as good if not better than a thousand-dollar bottle.

If anything, there's a bigger psychological component at play. A study that conducted a blind taste test in which people were given samples of wine found that they did not get any more enjoyment from a more expensive wine compared to a less expensive version. In another study, researchers found that untrained wine tasters actually liked the more expensive wines less than the cheaper ones.

If you're collecting, on the other hand, of course the price tag will make a difference.

"In the end, it's just wine," said Harbertson.



What are tannins and what are they doing in my wine?

You know that dry feeling you get in your mouth after a sip of red wine? You can thank tannins, naturally occurring chemicals that are found in wine and other beverages, like black tea.

Tannins give wine its weight — what makes it more milky than watery — so they're integral to all red wines, Harbertson said. They bind to proteins like the ones in saliva, which is what makes your mouth dry out. It's not as simple an experience as tasting something that's bitter, he said. The interaction of red wine in your mouth ends up feeling more like a texture than just a taste, something known as a "mouthfeel."



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The 20 best places to live in America if you want to make a lot of money

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nyc skyline

Finding a great job that comes with a significant salary boost is one of the top reasons to move to a new city.

In its recently released ranking of the best places to live in America, U.S. News & World Report gathered data on the 100 most populous US cities. Among the factors it considered were affordable housing, a low cost of living, good schools, quality healthcare, and access to well-paying jobs. You can read U.S. News' full methodology here.

Business Insider reranked these cities based on median annual salary to find the 20 where residents earn the most. They don't all rank highly on U.S. News' overall list, given higher costs of living and other factors, so we've included each city's overall ranking for comparison's sake. For instance, Chicago ranks at No. 20 in terms of salary, but it came in only at No. 90 on the list of 100.

Of the 100 best places to live in the US, here are 20 where you can land the highest-paying jobs:

SEE ALSO: The 20 cities where Americans work the hardest

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20. Santa Rosa, California

Population: 491,790

Median annual salary: $49,800

Overall rank on best places to live list: 62

Just 55 miles north of San Francisco sits Santa Rosa, one of Sonoma County's premier wine-country towns. According to US News' local expert, Santa Rosa is an originator of the farm-to-table movement and "a haven for bicyclists, who train on its rural western roads and visit en masse for two major cycling events: the Amgen Tour of California and the Levi's GranFondo."

The job market in Santa Rosa is powered by tourism: 9% of residents work in the industry, mainly at local farms, wineries, and brewpubs.



19. Chicago, Illinois

Population: 9,516,448

Median annual salary: $50,410

Overall rank on best places to live list: 90

The Midwest's largest city may have a couple of drawbacks, including frigid winters and a high cost of living, but Chicago is also host to a bevy of corporations — 31 in the Fortune 500 — that can set residents up with a high-paying salary, including Boeing, United Airlines, Kraft, and Allstate.

Chicago also has a dynamic restaurant scene — far more than just the deep-dish pizza the city is famous for — as well as world-class museums, the Shedd Aquarium, and the Lollapalooza music festival.  



18. Portland, Oregon

Population: 2,288,796

Median annual salary: $50,710

Overall rank on best places to live list:20

Portland isn't for everybody — its slogan is "Keep Portland Weird," after all. But one local expert asserts that it's a "well-rounded city with more than just the offbeat shops and events" and a population that has "more academic degrees than the national average." An annual job-growth rate of 2.9% per year is attributed to roots in the technology sector, including major employer Intel Corp., as well as the 6,000-employee headquarters for Nike, about 7 miles outside Portland.



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The 'best' pizza in NYC costs $30 for a regular pie — and it's SO worth it

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Over 50 years ago, in 1965, Italian immigrant Domenico DeMarco opened Di Fara Pizza in the Midwood section of Brooklyn.

To this day, it's considered by critics and locals alike to be "the best of the best" (as former chef Anthony Bourdain reportedly put it back in 2007).

Just look at this:

Di Fara Pizza

There's a lot of pizza in New York City. It's a cliché maybe, but Di Fara Pizza is considered by many to be New York City's best pizza. It's notoriously expensive ($30 for a regular cheese pizza), and has a notoriously long wait (over an hour, easy). It's also dangerously delicious. And I should know — I ventured deep into Brooklyn on Sunday evening to try Di Fara's legendary pizza for myself. This is what it was like!

SEE ALSO: I've lived in New York City for 22 years, and here are my favorite places to eat for less than $20

The first thing you need to do is get to a part of Brooklyn that isn't well-serviced by New York's world famous subway system. My wife and I took the B68 bus!



One of the best parts of going to Di Fara's is visiting the Midwood section of Brooklyn.

Midwood is a predominantly Orthodox Jewish neighborhood, Eastern European in origin, though plenty of other religious groups and ethnicities live in the area. Famous names, from Adam "MCA" Yauch (of the Beastie Boys) to Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, hail from the Midwood section of Brooklyn. The neighborhood has largely resisted the forces of gentrification sweeping Brooklyn's western coast (the side facing Manhattan).



But you're here for the pizza. I get it. Di Fara Pizza is located at the corner of Avenue J and East 15th Street. I went at night, but this is what it looks like during the day from the outside:



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The 11 most expensive cities in America

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times square

Out of 133 global cities ranked in the Economist Intelligence Unit's (EIU) recent "Worldwide Cost of Living" report — which highlights the most expensive and cheapest cities to live in — 16 US cities were represented. Eleven of those cracked the top 50 most expensive cities in the world.

The bi-annual report compares over 400 individual prices across 160 products and services, including food, drink, clothing, household supplies, utility bills, private schools, and recreational costs. All cities are compared with a base city of New York, which has a cost of living index set at 100.

One factor the EIU chooses not to use when creating the cost of living index for each city is accommodation. Roxana Slavcheva, a Cities Economist at EIU, explained to Business Insider: "We supply prices of rented accommodation for reference, but consider that to be a separate and relatively subjective item to price since choice in apartments and houses is dictated by taste, income, and family size."

Here, we've highlighted the 11 US cities that broke into the top 50 and the cost of living index for each. For reference, the average cost of living index of all the cities surveyed is 71.5 — the most expensive city in the world, Singapore, has an index of 116 and the cheapest city, Lusaka, has an index of 41.

The report also notes that the strength of the US dollar caused a few major shifts in this year's rankings and propelled more US cities into the top 50 — to give you an idea of the changes, we included each city's world ranking in 2015, as well as their world ranking this year.

SEE ALSO: Here's the salary you need to be in the top 50% of earners in 19 major US cities

11. Miami, Florida

49th most expensive city in the world.

Ranked 66th most expensive in 2015.

World Cost of Living Index: 77



9. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (TIE)

46th most expensive city in the world.

Ranked 61st most expensive in 2015.

World Cost of Living Index: 79



9. Honolulu, Hawaii (TIE)

46th most expensive city in the world.

Ranked 61st most expensive in 2015.

World Cost of Living Index: 79



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New York's hottest public elementary school is harder to get into than Harvard

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Preschool Brooklyn

The elementary admissions process in New York City is utterly grueling, as evidenced by new kindergarten admissions workshops that have popped up around town.

But among exemplary schools, one stands out as the gold-standard of top public elementary schools: Hunter College Elementary School.

The irony that Hunter has the word "college" in its name shouldn't escape you. Hunter's level of exclusivity tops even that of Harvard University — but Hunter evaluates 4-year-olds instead of high school seniors. 

Hunter College Elementary is a K-6 school that is publicly funded and serves intellectually gifted students. It is administered by Hunter College, a college of the City University of New York.

The only entry point for Hunter is kindergarten. This means that if you get rejected the first time, you can't apply to the elementary school again. At Harvard there is always the option to transfer.

Each year, Hunter chooses 25 girls and 25 boys from all of Manhattan to be admitted to its incoming kindergarten class, according to its website. They're hand-selected from a pool of about 2,500 applicants, according to the website Inside Schools. To put that into perspective, that makes the acceptance rate for Hunter 2%. Harvard's undergraduate acceptance rate for 2015 was 6.2%.

Prospective Hunter students must first take a Stanford–Binet IQ test administered in a formal setting. The school informs parents that they should not prep their children for testing and that they'll be disqualified if there's evidence they prepared a child for the exam.

The pool of students is then whittled down to 250 of the children with the highest scores.

The remaining applicants are brought in for an evaluation round where they are observed individually interacting with peers and one-on-one with teachers. The Admissions Selections Committee chooses kids without knowing their names or other identifying factors.  

For comparison's sake, here is the side-by-side application requirements of Hunter Elementary and Harvard University.

Harvard v. Hunter Elementary Stats

Hunter is unbelievably difficult to get into for a reason. It has a reputation for providing an amazing learning experience to gifted students — all free of tuition charges. And Hunter College High School has an impressive list of notable alumni including Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan.

SEE ALSO: An 11-year-old genius just graduated from college with 3 different degrees

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Hike the 2,000-mile trail that most people never finish

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Appalachian Trail

The Appalachian Trail, or AT, stretches more than 2,000 miles along the US East Coast.

The longest marked trail in the country runs from Georgia to Maine. It connects 14 states and passes through ridges and valleys of the Appalachian mountain range.

Parts of the AT are within a couple hours of driving for millions of Americans, but few have walked its full length.

Each year, thousands of people attempt to hike the entire AT. Only one in four succeeds. 

National Geographic explored the wooded footpath, traveling south to north, in a 50-minute documentary. You can take the adventure in our slideshow or watch the movie on Netflix.

The Appalachian Trail, better known as the AT, stretches about 2,175 miles along the eastern US.



It runs from Georgia to Maine, making it the longest marked trail in the country, and one of the longest in the world.



The trail cuts through 14 states along the way, including New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut.



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8 astounding facts about a great scientific mystery that affects only 10% of the population

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olsen twins sunglasses

There's a minority that not many people think about and has stumped scientists for decades: lefties.

About 10% of the human population is left-handed, yet no one knows for sure why lefties are so rare.

It's probably due to a mix of factors, including genetics, evolution, and even prenatal hormones. Or it might be the result of something else.

Here are some of the most interesting facts researchers have reported as they attempt to unlock the keys to left-handedness:

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Twins are more likely to be left-handed, but no one knows why.

Source: Behavior Genetics, 1996



Two left-handed parents have a 26.1% chance of having a left-handed child, whereas two right-handed parents only have a 9.5% chance.

Source: Handbook of Neuropsychology, 1992



Most animals show no bias for handedness, meaning that half of the population are righties and half are lefties. Humans and our closest relatives, chimps, are an exception. About 90% of humans and 70% of chimps are right-handed.

Source: Monitor on Psychology, 2009



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The 50 best private high schools in America

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Phillips Academy Andover

Attending a top private high school provides a solid academic foundation, helps students gain entrance into first-rate colleges, and prepares them for the challenges of the real world.

Niche, a company that researches and compiles information on schools, just released its 2016 rankings of the best private high schools in the country.

The ranking looked at over 8,000 private schools across the US, rating each on its composite SAT and ACT scores, four-year matriculation rate, and student-teacher ratio, as well as the caliber of colleges that graduates attend and survey responses from students and parents. You can read the full breakdown of the methodology here.

Read on to learn more about what makes these 50 schools the best in America:

SEE ALSO: The 25 best public high schools in America

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50. Emma Willard School

Location: Troy, New York

Overall rating: 94.57

Average SAT score: 2030

"Emma Willard is a great school that prepares their students for college and beyond," one senior said. "The academics are serious and fast-paced, but if do your work and ask for help when you need it, you will succeed."



49. St. Andrew's School

Location: Middletown, Delaware

Overall rating: 94.58

Average SAT score: 1980

"I have had the greatest four years of my life here at SAS," a senior commented. "Both the students and the faculty are the nicest people that I have ever met. I cannot imagine a better environment to take advantage of a great education, as well as make tons of lifelong friends along the way."



48. Lick-Wilmerding High School

Location: San Francisco, California

Overall rating: 94.60

Average SAT score: 2090

"I can't say enough great things about this school," one parent said. "Everything they do is thoughtful and deliberate. Not only does L-W have excellent academics but they also develop the entire person, socially and emotionally. Students are kind, tolerant, diverse, respectful, and very happy!"



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13 stunning photos that were taken from incredibly dangerous heights

This is the best product for hiding a hangover

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de puffer

Puffy eyes, dehydration, headache, dark circles, and general sluggishness — you know the symptoms. It's a hangover.

But just because you had a little too much fun last night doesn't mean you should look like it all day.

The dead giveaway for a hangover is in the eyes. When you wake up after not getting a lot of sleep, and your body is processing a lot of alcohol, the skin under your eyes has a puffy appearance, and the dark circles under your eyes are more pronounced.

But luckily there's an easy way to beat that. And don't worry — it doesn't involve any late-night wizardry.

Eye de-puffers, like Kiehl's Facial Fuel De-Puffer ($20), are specially formulated to reduce the bags underneath your eyes after a late night. A roll-on like this works perfectly as a quick morning eye pick-me-up.

It works by giving your under-eye skin an injection of caffeine, constricting blood vessels and reducing the appearance of swelling, according to dermatologist Cheryl Karche. The effects of caffeine will likely be temporary, but hopefully the bags under your eyes will be, too.

kiehls

For extra bag-busting power, many recommend storing the stick in the fridge while you're not using it, as cold can also help get rid of puffiness. (Another product-less solution recommends sticking a cold compress on your eyes for five minutes in the morning, but we can't comment on how effective it is.)

Oh, and also don't forget your eye drops and to drink plenty of water.

So there you have it — an easy way to look like a million bucks even when you're not quite feeling like it.

SEE ALSO: How to get the best haircut for your face shape

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World-famous chef Anthony Bourdain won't eat restaurant fish on Mondays, and there's a good reason why

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cedar plank salmon

After more than 30 years of experience in the cooking industry, world-famous chef and best-selling author Anthony Bourdain has learned the ins and outs of how food gets from the kitchen to your plate.

And on certain days, some restaurant foods are better than others. For example, if Bourdain is eating out:

"I never order fish on Monday," he wrote in his book, "Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly."

He's talking about restaurants in New York City that don't necessarily specialize in fish, where the "main thrust of their business" isn't seafood, Bourdain wrote in his more recent book, "Medium Raw."

The reason has nothing to do with religion, superstition, or the like. Instead, he says, it has everything to do with quality. Unless you're dining at a restaurant on the coast or an upscale place known for seafood, there's a chance that your Monday fish special at the dive bar down the road could include fillets that are four days old.

Disturbingly, fresh fish lasts only about three days, and that's only if you refrigerate it properly, according to New York city expert fishmongers interviewed by The Huffington Post.

It all starts at the fish market

FultonfishmarketBourdain spent most of his cooking career at different restaurants in New York City, where most restaurant seafood is bought at the Fulton Street fish market in the Bronx — the second-largest seafood market in the world.

During each weekday, buyers and sellers handle millions of pounds of seafood, which equates to over $1 billion in daily sales.

But the market is closed on the weekend, and it's open only from 1:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m. on Friday mornings. Chefs usually order the bulk of their fish on Thursdays in preparation for the busy weekend.

By the time Monday comes around, if the fish doesn't smell too fishy, then it might end up on your plate — depending on whether your chef actually cares about what he's doing — an attitude that is increasingly common in the cooking business nowadays, Bourdain wrote in "Medium Raw."

Come Tuesday, the fish is likely too spoiled to sell, and as the old fish is thrown out, a new order comes in.

Your best days for ordering fish in New York City at a restaurant, then? Tuesdays and Thursdays, wrote Bourdain.

SEE ALSO: 15 healthy eating habits that work, according to scientists

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How a gorgeous old movie set in Malta became a tourist destination where couples get married

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Popeye 1 final

In 1980, Paramount released the live-action feature film version of “Popeye,” directed by Robert Altman.

Starring Robin Williams as the comic character in his first film role, the movie/musical was a critical disaster and many involved found it to be a disappointment — though it was one of Altman's highest-grossing movies, making $49 million

But the unique set of the town of Sweethaven that was built from scratch for the film in Anchor Bay, the northwest corner of the Mediterranean island of Malta, was a highlight. Created by production designer Wolf Kroeger, its slanted, ramshackle structures made it look like it was pulled right from the comics.

After production wrapped, the set was never demolished, and following some refurbishing, the "town" was turned into a tourist attraction called Popeye Village, which is still open to this day.

Business Insider talked to Kroeger about building the set, and we look at how decades later, the location has become one of the top destinations on the Maltese Islands for family vacations and weddings.

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Construction of the village happened in June 1979 and took seven months to complete. "There were a few little fishing houses there, that was it," Kroeger told BI of what stood when the crew showed up.



"We had to bring in materials from outside [Malta]," he said. Lumber came from the Netherlands and shingles for the roofs came from Canada.



Though the film was a bust, Kroeger said the people of Malta loved the set and it was decided that it would not be torn down.



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