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The sneaker resale market is worth a massive $1 billion and these are the sneakerheads driving it

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Sneakers are a $55 billion global industry. According to sneakerhead data website StockX, the secondary market for rare and limited-release sneakers is estimated to be worth over $1 billion. This is fueled by Nike and its long standing Jordan brandPeople wait in lines for hours and spend tens of thousands of dollars just to get their hands on the latest pair of sneakers.

To understand the world of sneaker collectors — better known as "sneakerheads" — we spoke with those who know it best, including collector Lex Sadler and dealer Jae Tips, top New York City resellers Flight Club and Stadium Goods, as well as SOLEcial Studies teacher Fresco Wilson

Produced by Josh Wolff and Sam Rega. Hosted and edited by Josh Wolff.

Executive produced by Diane Galligan.

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Want to achieve better work-life balance? Don't check email on weekends, says world champ

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Lizzie Armitstead world champion interview

In this 24/7 hyperconnected world, it can be hard to maintain a work-life balance.

Lizzie Armitstead, the world champion of women's road cycling who's been torching the competition, tells Business Insider that she has a simple rule for keeping her work life from creeping into her personal life.

"I don't look at my emails on the weekend or after 6 o'clock in the day," the Englishwoman says. "I'm old-fashioned. I think it's really important to have that down time.

"It was just the way I was brought up as a kid," she adds. "I remember if the telephone rang after 9 o'clock in the house, my mother would say, 'Who's ringing at this time?' We just wouldn't answer the phone."

Armitstead is in good company.

Earlier this week, for example, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said we all need to focus less on our phones and more on the real world. That means not thinking about the last email you got from work.

Armitstead, 27, who rides for the Boels-Dolmans Cycling Team, has been on a fearsome tear lately. On Sunday she won one of the biggest one-day races on the calendar, the Tour of Flanders, in an all-out drag race to the line. Earlier this year she dominated the prestigious Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Strade Bianche.

As we reported in September, Armitstead won cycling's crown jewel, the road world championships, in Richmond, Virginia, one of her greatest victories to date.

Lizzie Armitstead is world champion of cycling road

Since becoming world champion, there has been greater pressure to perform well, Armitstead says, and that has made preserving her work-life balance even more important.

Just say no

"I think I'm managing it quite well," she says. "There were times in the off-season where the balance would kind of run away from me, when I've been a little too busy off the bike, and that affected my performance.

"It's about having the ability to say no, and accepting the fact that there is that responsibility, to take [the job] seriously, especially as a female athlete. I think women's cycling is growing, so I'm constantly asked about how we can improve women's cycling, and it can be quite taxing, but I understand that I have to do it, too.

"I love being world champion," Armitstead says. "I love wearing the jersey every day, and I feel pride every time I put it on, so I'm enjoying it."

For Armitstead, friends and family come first.

"I try to make sure that I don't miss really important family occasions," she says. "I'm aware that cycling's not going to last forever, and I need those people around me when I finish cycling. They're the real supporters. I mean, fans will soon disappear once I finish cycling, I'm sure."

She adds: "Things like social media, it's become part of our jobs now as cyclists. Our profile is important to sponsors and everything else. But I try to keep my social media professional rather than personal."

Lizzie Armitstead world no. 1 bike racer

Olympics in the crosshairs

Armitstead's main goal now is to win the Olympic road race on August 7 in Rio.

"That's the biggest challenge I face, I think. The course isn't ideally suited to me," she admits. "It's a climber's course, and it's pretty savage. So it's going to take all the motivation, all the energy, and all the training I've got."

You can watch Armitstead winning the world title in Virginia below:

SEE ALSO: A 35-year-old ditched the rat race for a cabin in the woods and now lives off the grid debt-free

DON'T MISS: 35-year-old American who thinks modern life is too stressful works 6 months a year, then lives on $10 a day adventuring around the world on a bicycle

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NOW WATCH: How to stop checking your email all the time AND feel good about it

The startup that's looking to disrupt 'convenience food' just landed a deal with Whole Foods

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hungryroot foundersHungryroot cofounder Ben McKean says his mission is to "make indulgence healthy" by serving up counterintuitive, ready-to-cook products like carrot noodles and chickpea cookie dough (which actually tastes good).

And now Hungryroot is looking to supersize its customer base through a nationwide launch and a deal with Whole Foods that will gets its products into retail stores. The Whole Foods launch, in particular, is a huge deal, McKean tells Business Insider.

“Whole Foods is the holy grail of grocery,” McKean explains. When Hungryroot launched in 2015, the initial plan was actually to go for Whole Foods, like “99%” of other food companies, he says. But instead, Hungryroot decided to start with a direct-to-consumer strategy, which has allowed the team to collect detailed data and debut 40 products (for reference, Whole Foods will carry its four most popular). Ramping up production to reach a Whole-Foods level of demand is risky, he says, especially for new products.

A few years ago, that type of direct-to-consumer launch wouldn’t have been possible, McKean says. But he credits meal delivery startups for breaking open that possibility, and getting people used to the idea. Hungryroot is now shipping over 50,000 units per month this way.

hungryroot_beetingredients_300dpiBut Hungryroot isn’t going after meal-kit companies like Blue Apron, or meal-delivery ones like Munchery. Instead, the company is going after “convenience food” like canned soup. McKean wants Hungryroot’s health options to replace that sort of "crap," and Whole Foods will be an important part of getting people familiar with the brand.

McKean says that he expects 10% to 20% of the company’s business to be Whole Foods, and to settle into a 30% retail split eventually (similar to Jessica Alba’s Honest Co., which Hungryroot shares an investor with). Hungryroot hopes to be in 40 stores by end of summer and 100 by the end of the year. McKean says the economics of retail versus shipping direct are roughly comparable.

In March, Hungryroot raised $3.7 million from the likes of Lightspeed Venture Partners and Lerer Hippeau Ventures, in a round which brought its total funding to $6 million.

What these investors (and McKean) are betting on is the idea of turning guilty pleasures into something you don’t have to feel bad about. “Our best-performing products are in formats people associate with indulgence,” McKean explains: cookies, brownies, pasta, and so on. 

And the team is always looking for new ones. Right now, Hungryroot is tinkering to try and craft a healthy birthday cake, "funfetti" batter, McKean says.Hungryroot cookie dough

SEE ALSO: A former Groupon exec and a Top Chef contestant are selling cookie dough that's made from chickpeas and sweet potatoes

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NOW WATCH: Sorry Apple fans — the iPhone 7 is going to be boring

14 stunning aerial photos of beaches around the world

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Navy_Umbrellas_Santa _Monica

Every beach has something that sets it apart.

Photographer Gray Malin knows this firsthand. For his latest book, "Beaches", Malin spent hours hanging out of helicopters to take awe-inspiring photos of beach scenes all around the world.

"I have always loved geometry and am attracted to repetition, shape, and form," Malin told Business Insider. "For me, the beach is a blank canvas made of interesting objects that, with careful eye, can be framed to make beautiful art." 

Malin ended up traveling to 10 different countries, including Brazil, Australia, Spain, and South Africa. Ahead, see some of the stunning aerial photos he captured for his new book. 

SEE ALSO: 15 stunning photos of the world's most interesting cities

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Malin traveled to ​20 cities, 10 countries, and six continents to capture these gorgeous images.



Malin's passion for aerial photography was born in 2011, when he was struck by inspiration while overlooking a huge swimming pool from a hotel balcony. He was instantly inspired by the colorful scenes, splashing swimmers, and geometric patterns that he saw.



Rather than taking these interesting shots using a drone, Malin photographed each one from a doorless helicopter.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

10 bizarre historical events that would break the internet if they happened now

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phonebooth stuffing

The Harlem Shake. The Dress. Damn Daniel.

We like to think viral stories are a product of the internet age, but people have been doing weird stuff forever. Before teenagers slipped on banana peels on purpose, they stuffed themselves into phone booths and swallowed goldfish for fun. The only difference is that they couldn't share those shenanigans with the rest of the world at the time.

Here are some of our favorite historical events that would totally break the internet if they happened today.

Mao Zedong jokingly offers to give America 10 million Chinese women in 1973.

In the 1970s, Chairman Mao was somewhat chummy with Henry Kissinger, the national security advisor to President Nixon at the time.

Near the end of the Cold War, Mao was having a chat with Kissinger about possible trade agreements when he brought up the idea that China could give the US 10 million of its female citizens as a gift. Kissinger replied by calling the idea a "novel proposition" and adding, "We will have to study it."

Neither man was serious, but imagine the Twittersphere's backlash if Kim Jong-Un and Obama's national security advisor, Thomas E. Donilon, were found laughing it up about that proposition today.



The Straw Hat Riot of 1922 rejects the obligation to wear felt.

At the end of each summer during the early 20th century (generally around September 15th), men would swap their straw Panama hats for a more distinguished, though less breathable, felt hat.

If you didn't make the switch, you were reportedly ridiculed and even risked having your straw hat stolen and stomped on. (A bit harsher than the no-white-after-Labor-Day rule, no?)

In 1922, people finally revolted against the fashion policy. Riots broke out for days, and thousands of people fought — many to great injury — over the right to wear the hat of their choosing.



Goldfish swallowing takes over college campuses in the 1930s.

After one enterprising Harvard freshman named Lothrop Withington Jr. swallowed a live fish as a publicity stunt while running for class president, a goldfish-swallowing trend spread among college campuses in the late 1930s.

"Last week Joe College was busy gulping goldfish," TIME magazine wrote in 1939. "He garnished it with salt, with mayonnaise or with ketchup, and he chased it with milk, orange juice or soda pop, but one routine did not vary. Each goldfish was gulped alive."

I'm only guessing, but Withington would probably have enjoyed icing his bros if he'd gone to college in 2010.



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4 big mistakes guys make with their business attire, according to a menswear expert

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men in suits

Menswear expert G. Bryce Boyer has some advice for men who wear business attire every day.

And that advice might be hard to hear in some cases. 

The menswear expert included in his book "True Style: The History and Principles of Classic Menswear" what he calls the "big mistakes" that men make when dressing for work. 

Basically, he writes, it's important to strike a balance between being too boring and too loud.

SEE ALSO: 5 of the biggest style mistakes guys make in the warm weather — and how to avoid them

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Being too studied.

Take care not to make everything too perfect, Boyer writes. Wearing an identical suit to the same event can emphasize the fact that business dress is a uniform.

"Everything all matched up makes the uniform obvious, overly fastidious, and blatantly narcissistic," Boyer writes.

Think Patrick Bateman in "American Psycho" — now head towards the opposite of that.



Adding too many accessories.

Be careful not to overdo it, however, with the individuality. Too many accessories can be both distracting and a detriment to the image you're trying to portray.

"Like putting all the China on the table at the same time, it's too busy and signals insecurity," Boyer writes.

The key to style is refusal, and what you put on is just as important as what you don't. Most men should be seen with only three main accessories decorating their appendages: a nice watch, a good pair of cuff links, and, if they're married, a simple wedding band.



Wearing too many patterns at once.

Patterns are great. Too many patterns: not so much.

"Like an overloaded electrical circuit, the outfit quickly burns out and calls attention to itself," Boyer writes.

Too many patterns can confuse a viewer, and it might elicit compliments people don't mean to give when you catch them staring at the garishness. Beyond that, combining patterns at all is absurdly difficult to do in the first place. Just keep it simple.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Help! My coworker's perfume is making me sick

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ashley lutz ask the insider

Ask the Insider columnist Ashley Lutz answers all of your work-related questions, including the awkward, sensitive, and real-world ones. Have a question? Email asktheinsider@businessinsider.com.

Dear Insider, 

My colleague's perfume is driving me crazy. Even though I generally like her as a person, I dread her arrival every morning because her perfume is overpowering. We all sit very close together, making her impossible to avoid. Within a few minutes of her sitting down I begin to get a headache and feel sick to my stomach. 

We work in the same level in the same department, meaning she (and her scent) follow me to every meeting and conference room. I often feel distracted on the job because of it. The smell wafts around and everyone complains about it behind her back.

How do I say something without offending her?

Sincerely,

Tired Of My Coworker's Perfume

 ***

Dear Tired,

If only office perfume and cologne could be regulated like dress code! 

I think you should gently tell your coworker that her perfume is bothersome. It's very possible she can feel the resentment building and has no idea why. If I were in her shoes, I would rather know than be kept in the dark.

Pull her aside and say something like: "Erica, I'm very sensitive to scents, and your perfume is starting to distract me at work. I love working together otherwise and would rather let you know before I start to get resentful." I'm guessing she has no idea and will lay off the perfume at work going forward. 

If she is dismissive of your request, enlist another coworker to talk to her. Get your manager involved if that doesn't work — it's possible he or she could move your desk away from the cloud of perfume. 

***

Ashley Lutz is a senior editor at Business Insider answering all of your questions about the workplace. Send your queries to asktheinsider@businessinsider.com for publication on Business Insider. Requests for anonymity will be granted, and questions may be edited.

SEE ALSO: Help! My coworkers' eating habits are driving me insane

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NOW WATCH: Arianna Huffington’s advice to Hillary Clinton

This is the most important rule to follow if you want to avoid buying a fake luxury watch

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Fake Patek

Picture this: You're browsing online, looking for a luxury watch. You stumble upon an amazing deal for the watch of your dreams — half off the price it is normally. The website looks legit, but...

Stop what you're doing. You're about to buy a fake watch. The most important thing to remember when buying a luxury watch is this: In timepieces, as in life, if it seems too good to be true, it probably is.

"Let's say that you're being offered a watch, and the price is way below what those auctioneers are getting," Timothy Gordon, a generalist appraiser and a consulting expert for the global online marketplace Lofty, told Business Insider back in 2014. "Ask yourself, 'Why is it so low?' If a beautiful Cartier sold at an auction house for $100,000 and you're being told $50,000, question why you're getting such a good deal."

Of course, a high price isn't a guarantee of authenticity. Counterfeit watches are a $1 billion industry. Fakes have become increasingly sophisticated, and some watches you can only tell are fake by taking it to a watch expert and having them look at the movement inside. Some even use real gold, like the models they replicate.

Some other tips that a watch is obviously fake:

  • Missing numbers.
  • Logos that are misaligned.
  • Loud ticking sounds coming from the watch.
  • Any sign of poor craftsmanship.
  • The watch is noticeably heavier or lighter than it should be.

Many of these can only be tested in person, which is by far the recommended method of buying a high-end watch. If that's not possible, the next-best thing is an online store authorized by the brand of watch it sells.

The good news is that if you go to the right place, a fake might not be that easy to come by. Most fakes are sold with a wink and a nod to people who are actually looking for fake watches at substantially cheaper prices than a real one might cost.

"Pretty much the only chance you have of accidentally buying a fake watch these days is via a transaction with some private seller who claim 'not to know whether a watch is real or not,'" Ariel Adams writes in Forbes. "Fakes are mostly on the wrists of people who know they are wearing fakes."

They want these replica models for the status these expensive watches provide, without the hassle and financial sacrifice of getting the timepiece for real. 

Shop at a reputable watch dealer, and you'll likely have no issues with fake watches. Stray in search of a better deal, and you may just get burned.

SEE ALSO: Why luxury watches cost so much money

DON'T FORGET: Follow Business Insider's lifestyle page on Facebook!

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NOW WATCH: These are the watches worn by the smartest and most powerful men in the world


Striking infrared photos make Central Park look like a futuristic dreamscape

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InfraredNYC4

Every year, millions of visitors flock to New York’s Central Park to enjoy an oasis of greenery in the middle of the city. An Italian photographer is looking at the park from a different perspective.

"Infrared NYC," a photo series by 24-year-old Paolo Pettigiani, uses aerochrome infrared film to show Central Park and its surroundings in vibrant, unexpected colors. Trees and grass become bubble-gum pink, while the city’s skyscrapers appear in shades of turquoise. 

The photo series, which Pettigiani released this month, is the second infrared project he has undertaken — his first showcased winter landscapes in his hometown of Aviglinana, Italy.

Pettigiani says his goal for the new project is to "highlight the majesty and the contrast of nature" in New York City. See his photos below.

To achieve the striking colors in his work, Pettigiani uses film that’s sensitive to infrared radiation (the portion of the electromagnetic spectrum with longer wavelengths than visible light).



He uses a filter to block out most of the visual light spectrum.



The chlorophyll in leaves and foliage causes them to reflect near-infrared radiation — the part of the spectrum just beyond what we can see.



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The best way to make pasta is inside a gigantic hunk of cheese

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Cacio e pepe, which means "cheese and pepper" in Italian, is traditionally made inside a giant hunk of cheese. Chester White, a restaurant in Australia, takes it to the next level by adding black truffles and parsley, and mixing that in a wheel of truffled pecorino cheese.

Written by Jacob Shamsian and produced by Stephen Parkhurst

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Why George Clooney still dominates the red carpet, and what every guy can learn from him

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George Clooney

There's something to be said for a man who knows what he likes and sticks to it.

In this instance, that man is George Clooney, and that thing is black clothing. Those who are paying attention have probably noticed that Clooney almost always dresses in black.

It was most recently obvious at his appearances in Cannes, France, in support of his new movie "Money Monster", which was showing at the Cannes Film Festival.

He wore two different mostly black outfits: a casual all-black outfit, and a red carpet black tie ensemble. He nailed both in his trademark style. No need for a fancy stylist here.

How can Clooney get away with this? Well first, he's a noted handsome man and sex symbol, and what he wears matters less than who he is (also who he has on his arm doesn't hurt at all).

But more importantly, he's cultivated this personal style, found what works, and stuck with it over the years. He isn't into trying new things — mostly because he doesn't need to. His style is simple, makes him look confident and put-together, and has become a signature.

Why would he change? He already has something that lands him on magazine covers around the world.

George Clooney

That doesn't mean Clooney never errs. He's known to wear the odd dad jean, and sometimes it's just too much black all at once.

But when he nails it, he reaches the apex of men's style and exemplifies what all men should aim to be: cool, confident, and in control of their image. 

SEE ALSO: 2 things every guy can learn from the best-dressed man at the Met Gala

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NOW WATCH: This behavior could kill your chances in a Goldman Sachs interview

15 of the most beautiful travel photos from around the world

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Havana, Ciudad de La Habana, Cuba

This year's National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year Contest is currently in its final week of submissions, and the photos that have already been turned in for consideration are pretty jaw-dropping. 

Between three categories (nature, cities, and people), both amateur and professional photographers have been throwing their best work into the ring. The grand prize is a seven-day Polar Bear Safari for two at Churchill Wild: Seal River Heritage Lodge in Manitoba, Canada. 

Ahead, see 15 of our favorite photos in the running for this year's contest, all of which will be judged based on their creativity, photographic quality, and composition.  

SEE ALSO: Fascinating stories of people who don't meet the Silicon Valley stereotype

DON'T FORGET: Follow Business Insider's lifestyle page on Facebook!

South Iceland



Bangladesh



Bangkok, Thailand



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The 10 best US cities for the class of 2016 to start their lives

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madison wisconsin

What comes after you receive the diploma and toss the graduation cap?

To help the class of 2016 with that decision, real-estate marketplace Zumper analyzed and ranked the 260 largest metro regions in the US across six main factors: millennial population, young professional income, access to amenities and nightlife, employment rate, population of unmarried inhabitants, and rent prices.

Madison, Wisconsin — with its vibrant economy and moderate rent prices — topped Zumper's list of best US cities for recent grads.

Read on to see what other spots cracked the top 10. We also included the percentage of millennials in each metro area (from the US Census Bureau), the gross income of those between age 20 and 29 (from the US Census Bureau), and the median rent of a one-bedroom apartment (from Zumper).

Still unsure where to move? The American Institute for Economic Research (AIER) put out a similar report that may help students make the call.

SEE ALSO: Here's the income you need to comfortably pay rent on a 2-bedroom apartment in 15 of the largest US cities

10. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Percentage of millennials: 15.5%

Median income (20 to 29 years old): $44,677 

Median rent (1-bedroom): $641 per month



9. Washington, DC

Percentage of millennials: 14.3%

Median income (20 to 29 years old): $72,737

Median rent (1-bedroom): $2,203 per month



8. Omaha, Nebraska

Percentage of millennials: 14.2%

Median income (20 to 29 years old): $50,102

Median rent (1-bedroom): $769 per month



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7 things to consider before buying one of those kits that lets you 'test your genes'

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all packed up

Ever considered getting a peek inside your genes?

Today, it seems easy. Find a personalized gene-testing service — there are more than a dozen companies in the US alone — spit in one of the tubes the company sends you, pop it in the mail, and check out your results online.

But how much can the average person learn from one of these tests?

We chatted with Columbia University professor Dr. Robert Klitzman, a bioethicist and psychology professor and the author of the recent book "Am I My Genes?" to find out:

SEE ALSO: Scientists have discovered 5 personality traits linked with a long life

NEXT: I sequenced my DNA at a community lab in Brooklyn — and what I learned surprised me

They can't predict the future.

No evidence-based process for assessing personal genetic tests yet exists. Nevertheless, according to EGAPP, an CDC-backed initiative launched in 2004 to come up one such system, more than 1,000 genetics tests are available today.

So what can the average person find out from one of these tests? Not a whole lot, it turns out.

"For the vast majority of people who take personalized genetics tests, their results will have no predictive value," said Klitzman. In other words, while some rare diseases like Tay-Sachs or Huntington's have been linked with mutations on a few specific and identifiable genes, many illnesses and traits are much more complex. For most of these, scientists haven't come close to identifying all the genes the conditions might involve.



Some diseases are linked with just one or two specific genes.

Some diseases are directly caused by specific mutations.

Tay-Sachs, a fatal disorder that destroys the nervous system, for example, is caused by a mutation in a gene that's responsible for making a special protein that blocks that gene from doing its job.

People who inherit just one defective copy of this gene are healthy (their other healthy copy can do the work of the mutated one), but they can still pass on the defective gene to their children, raising their chances of developing the disease. To develop Tay-Sachs, you have to inherit two defective copies of the gene. So, if a genetic test tells you you're carrying the Tay-Sachs gene, it means you could pass it on to your kids.

Other diseases like Huntington's. can develop with only one copy of a faulty gene.



With other diseases, the connection is looser. For instance, having a gene "for" breast cancer does not mean you will get breast cancer.

Saying you have the gene "for" an illness typically means that one or both copies of a gene (you have two copies of each gene, one from each parent) has a mutation that's been linked with that illness. But having a mutated gene does not necessarily mean you'll develop that illness.

In 2013, Angelina Jolie wrote an article in the New York Times about her decision to have her breasts removed after she'd discovered she had a genetic mutation that dramatically raised her risk of developing breast cancer (she also had a family history of breast cancer). About 10% of all breast cancers in the US are linked to the mutation Jolie had. About 90% of all breast cancers are not.

In other words, having the mutation doesn't necessarily mean you'll get breast cancer, but it does mean that you're significantly more likely to get it — especially if you also have a family history of it. And not having the mutation doesn't mean you're risk-free. In other words, "you could have the mutation and not get it, or you could not have the mutation and get it," said Klitzman.



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These will be the up-and-coming neighborhoods in 30 major US cities in 2016

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seattle washington

In the market for a home?

If yes, then you may want to consider looking in the hottest neighborhoods out there, where your home value could continue to grow over the next several decades.

Real-estate site Redfin released its annual list of the 10 hottest neighborhoods nationwide, a prediction based on the most recent growth in page views and favorites per home on their site.

Their experts also chose three neighborhoods in 30 of the largest US cities that are expected to break through as the most desirable places to buy a home in 2016.

Here, we've highlighted the top neighborhood for each city, along with the median number of days a home is on the market in that neighborhood and the median sale price, from Redfin. We also included the median sale price of homes in the metro area for the month of December, also from Redfin, to give you a price comparison.

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

Atlanta, Georgia: West End

Median days on the market: 48

Median sale price, West End: $122,000

Median sale price, Atlanta: $195,000

See more West End real-estate trends.



Austin, Texas: Hyde Park

Median days on the market: 29

Median sale price, Hyde Park: $449,000

Median sale price, Austin: $273,000

See more Hyde Park real-estate trends.



Baltimore, Maryland: Hampden

Median days on the market: 32

Median sale price, Hampden: $198,000

Median sale price, Baltimore: $235,000

See more Hampden real-estate trends.



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The most iconic landmark in 11 major European countries

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Church of Our Savior on Spilled Blood

It's impossible to see everything when you're visiting a city for the first time.

That's why we've compiled a list of the one must-see landmark in 11 popular European countries, combining data for Europe's top-rated sites recently released by TripAdvisor's 2016 Travellers' Choice Landmark Awards with our own research on the best attractions in other nations.

From UNESCO World Heritage sites with ancient ruins to gothic bridges embellished with Baroque sculptures, the selected sites below offer visitors incredible architecture, artwork, and history.

FRANCE: This 1,063-foot-tall iron tower opened in 1889, and has since become one of the most recognisable buildings in the world. While it offers tourists scenic views of Paris, the Eiffel Tower is also a remarkable piece of architecture in its own right. Few people know that its architect Gustave Eiffel built a tiny apartment on the tower's third level, which visitors can glimpse inside today.

Read more about the Eiffel Tower on TripAdvisor.



UK: Perhaps the world's most famous timekeeper, London's Big Ben is the UK's top-rated attraction. Locals know it as Elizabeth Tower (Big Ben is the name given to the bell within the structure). Located at the north end of the Houses of Parliament in Westminster, The Big Ben building is comprised of 11 floors inside.

Read more about Big Ben on TripAdvisor.



GREECE: A visit to the Acropolis should be on every traveller's bucket list in Greece. The world-famous site in Athens is not only a great place to look at ruins of ancient buildings like the Parthenon, but also as a viewpoint, with a sprawling panorama of the Greek capital.

Read more about the Acropolis on TripAdvisor.



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Incredible photos give a totally unexpected perspective into how the 1% lives

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The 1%

It's no secret that today the top 1% of the world's population holds 50% of the global wealth, while the bottom 50% holds a mere 1% of the wealth.

Top CEOs in America earn around 350 times as much as the average worker, and in 2015 the 25 highest-paid hedge fund managers were collectively paid $13 billion, which works out to an average of more than $500 million each.

In his book and touring gallery show, "1% Privilege in a Time of Global Inequality," curator and photo editor Myles Little explores this complex issue by showing a collection of work from various photographers. 

"I want people to start a conversation about economic fairness, about our priorities, and about our values as a society," he told Business Insider. "Are we celebrating the right heroes? Are we treating the right people well? Or are our sympathies misguided?" These are the questions he hopes viewers of this show contemplate as they get an exclusive look into the lives of the super rich.

We spoke to Little about the project and how it came together.

SEE ALSO: Here's where the world's ultra-rich are moving — and where they are coming from

Little conceived the idea for the show while on vacation in Oaxaca, Mexico, where he and a fellow curator discussed photography, wealth, and inequality. Little left inspired to begin curating a selection where the three intersected. This image, "Varvara in Her Home Cinema," explores what it's like to grow up as a privileged child in Russia. Little said Skladmann described this image as "a butterfly trying to escape.”

 Varvara in Her Home Cinema, Moscow2010, from Anna Skladmann's series "Little Adults"



This image is from the series "Removing Mountains", which examines the coal-mining industry's effects on the culture and landscape of Appalachia. Little chose this photo for its ominous tone. It speaks to "the environmental costs of consumption and privilege," he said. "The costs that might be hidden behind a nice tall row of trees, but will, in fact, affect other people down-wind."

 Cheshire, Ohio2009, from Daniel Shea's series "Removing Mountains"



"This photograph comes from a diamond mine in Tanzania. Within this series [photographer David] Chancellor also documents impoverished locals who happen to live close to the mine, and who are scrambling all over the rocks to try to get traces of diamond dust or rock," Little said. "I just love this perfect distillation into one frame of high luxury, the environmental costs of mining, and the high-powered violence that can be brought to bear when privilege is questioned.”

Untitled # IV, Mine Security, North Mara Mine, Tanzania, 2011, David Chancellor — kiosk



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This beauty startup has become so popular that it has 10,000 people on a waitlist for lipstick

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emily weiss glossier

Emily Weiss didn't set out to start a beauty company when she launched her career in editorial years ago.

Today, though, Weiss is the CEO and founder of Glossier, a cult-status beauty brand that has had 10,000-person waiting lists for two of its products.  

The former art student and Vogue staffer was always interested, first and foremost, in storytelling and content. But she was bothered by her experience with beauty brands, which she felt were talking "at" her. Beauty shopping, she felt, lacked the context of real women and real experiences.

"There's this yearning to connect with other women," she said to Business Insider. So she started a blog in 2010, called Into the Gloss, where she candidly interviewed women — from celebrities like Kim Kardashian to makeup moguls like Bobbi Brown and models like Karlie Kloss — and highlighted their bathroom "top shelves" and daily routines.

The blog quickly became a popular site for beauty mavens. Even major women's magazines, Weiss noted, did not have the same level of commenting, which would reach well into the hundreds as women shared their experience of different skincare and makeup products, and swapped suggestions and support.

Today, the site has 1.5 million unique views each month. From there, it only made sense to pivot into the product world — to use the collected knowledge of her community to craft the products women were actually seeking.

glossier phase two productsGlossier (pronounced gloss-ee-ay) was born in 2014, with initial backing from Forerunner Capital, a women-led venture capital firm.

Thrive Capital, previous investors in Warby Parker and Instagram, led the company's $8.4 million Series A funding round in November 2014. With only four products in the initial launch, it was a small-scale step into a big game. The global beauty market, after all, is worth upwards of $250 billion.

Two main things set Glossier apart.

The first is the brand identity. From the get-go, Weiss has been meticulous about maintaining a unified look and feel for all products, messaging, and marketing.

"Brand is really, really important. It's kind of everything," Weiss said. As a creative — not a technical — founder, it's her zone. There's a signature shade of Glossier pink; there's a focus on images of diverse women with dewy skin and minimal makeup; there's a cheeky, millennial-facing voice. Packages come with playful Glossier stickers. 

The second thing is the preeminence of the digital community and the customer feedback loop. 

"There are a handful of beauty conglomerates, and it's difficult for them to innovate," Weiss said, given their size and their distance from consumers.

On the other hand, Glossier is a "two-way conversation," with the product team depending on the user community. In fact, Glossier invited about 100 of its top customers to be part of a group Slack channel. They exchange over 1,100 messages every week, Weiss said. Glossier's marketing, meanwhile, has been motivated by user-generated content, which Weiss said does "more than we ever could," as users post Instagrams and hashtag their beauty habits.

"Beauty has really gone online, because that's where the customer is," Weiss said. She's on her smartphone and on social media all day long; she's not spending time browsing through stores, but instead checking out YouTube beauty tutorials and Instagram snaps.

glossier showroomThe result has been favorable reviews and beauty awards for products ranging from concealer to lip balm and moisturizer. Weiss referenced a minimal 1% return rate on products (they do not sell through any third parties currently, and do not plan on doing so any time soon).

Her biggest frustration? Not being able to keep up with demand. From those 10,000-person waitlists to the huge international demand that the company is not yet able to satisfy, delivering at scale has been the primary stumbling block.

Financially, Weiss said, Glossier is doing just fine; they re-forecasted their revenue goals twice already this year, based on month-over-month growth.

Weiss said they are trying to help women feel more comfortable in their own skins, instead of using makeup as a "mask." It's all about celebrating difference and individuality, not celebrating, well, celebrity. If that idea can take root, Weiss said, then Glossier is positioned to be as big a beauty brand as any of the major global players.

"I hope that takes off, because that will mean something bigger than Glossier," she said. 

SEE ALSO: Meet the 'Man Repeller', the 27-year-old who turned her fashion hobby into a serious business

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A gorgeous, 328-foot arch in Malta might soon be destroyed

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Set against a backdrop of stunningly blue sea, the near-perfect arch of the Azure Window is a popular tourist destination and diving spot. Unfortunately, natural and human forces threaten to destroy the arch, possibly in a few short years — meaning now is the time to go.

Written by Chloe Miller and produced by Jeremy Dreyfuss

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Tesla is opening a risky new store in the Hamptons (TSLA)

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Tesla Model S

Last year, Tesla took aim at one of its key markets: the affluent Hamptons, a strip of town stretched out across the coast of Long Island's South Fork, long a vacation destination for New York City's moneyed elites.

The 2015 edition was a "pop-up" store. Adorned with Tesla branding and built from shipping containers, it welcomed potential customers in Southampton for five weeks.

The concept was so successful that Tesla is opening a fully blown store in 2016, located in East Hampton (Tesla is also opening a vacationer-oriented store in Massachusetts' Cape Cod).

But opening in this location comes with inherent risk because many people leave after the summer months.

Automotive New reported that the new store would experience a major slackening off in business during the non-summer months, but that Tesla assumes interest from Memorial Day to Labor Day will be strong enough to make the effort pay off.

Last year, Tesla offered test drives in the Model S sedan, but wasn't able to sell anyone a car. In New York, Tesla can sell cars to consumers on only a limited basis, using its direct-sales model. Interested buyers can go online after sampling a vehicle and arrange to buy, taking delivery at a later date.

The electric-car maker now has an additional vehicle to sell. Last fall, after the Hamptons pop-up location closed, Tesla launched its Model X SUV.

SUVs are extremely popular in the Hamptons, where wealthy families journey from New York City to their summer homes. A trip on the Long Island Expressway or around 120 miles one-way would consumer about half the Model S or Model X's battery range. 

There are currently no Supercharger locations in the Hamptons, so a complete Tesla store will be a welcome addition to owners who don't have access to fast charging. (The Supercharger network is Tesla own system of fast-charging station, where a vehicle can be fully rejuiced in about an hour, rather than overnight as is the case with slower systems.)

Tesla is under pressure to deliver substantially more cars in 2016 than 2015, when moved just over 50,000 vehicles. The company is guiding to 80-90,000 deliveries in 2016, and CEO Elon Musk has set an ambitious, accelerated 2018 target of 500,000 vehicle deliveries.

The Tesla store in the Hamptons will join a new location in Brooklyn's Red Hook neighborhood that opening earlier this year.

SEE ALSO: Check out 'Trump Force One' — Donald Trump's personal Boeing airliner

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NOW WATCH: Here’s Tesla’s massive plan to meet the demand for 375,000 Model 3 preorders

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