Facebook is one of the world's most desirable places to work thanks to incredible perks, impressive salaries, and great corporate culture.

The Menlo Park, California-based tech giant, which has a current market cap of $435.11 billion, consistently earns top spots on "best places to work" and "hottest companies" rankings.

To see what all the fuss is about, Business Insider visited Facebook's Manhattan office in November ... and let's just say, we get it.

Here's what we saw and learned during our tour:

SEE ALSO: A look inside Twitter's New York office, where employees enjoy rosé on tap, a basement café, and a fully-stocked kitchen run by a top chef

DON'T MISS: A look inside Kickstarter's Brooklyn office, where employees enjoy perks like a secret rooftop garden, coffee on tap, and plenty of dogs

We arrived at Facebook's Greenwich Village office on a mild Friday afternoon in November. Once we checked in, we were greeted by engineering director Jeff Reynar and corporate communications manager Jamil Walker.

The first thing that jumped out at us on the tour was this physical embodiment of a Facebook "wall." Reynar told us New York City Mayor Bill DeBlasio and New Jersey Senator Cory Booker recently stopped by to sign it. “What’s kind of fun about this is that there’s a wall at most of our offices," Reynar said. "It’s kind of temporary. At some point, we’ll probably do some kind of construction and this will go away and we’ll start a fresh one with new signatures."

Across all of its 66 offices and data centers worldwide, Facebook — which has a market cap of $435.11 billion as of mid-May — employs almost 19,000 people. About 1,000 of them work in the Frank Gehry-designed Manhattan location, which also houses members of the company's Instagram team. Facebook occupies four floors of the building, which was once a Wanamaker's department store.

Source: Markets Insider

Can you improve on something that's already close to perfect?

That's what I wondered after Allbirds last month debuted a new shoe, the $95 loafer-style "Wool Loungers." 

When I reviewed the original $95 “Wool Runners,” last year, I was charmed by the New Zealand wool sneakers' look and feel. And I've continued to get tons of unsolicited compliments from strangers on them since.

I'm not the only one in their thrall. Over the last year, Silicon Valley startup founders and venture capitalists have developed a taste for Allbirds, which claims its shoes are the "most comfortable in the world." Indeed, the Valley has become "obsessed" with the shoe because of its low-key style and comfort, as my colleague Melia Robinson observed.

To see if the Loungers lived up to the standard set by the Runners, I decided to put them to the test for a few weeks.

Here are my impressions:

The Loungers retain a lot of what made the original Runners special. They are extremely comfortable, though the fit is a tad tighter than the original around the toe. They are breathable enough to be fine in most weather, but I wouldn't recommend slogging through water in them.

But it's in the style where they feel the most different from the Runners. From a comfort perspective, you can wear the Loungers either with or without socks. But from a stylistic perspective, they look much better without them.

SEE ALSO: Silicon Valley is obsessed with these wool sneakers that claim to be the 'most comfortable in the world'

Here's what they look like with socks. A tad goofy, right?

Now here are the Runners with the same sock. It just feels more natural.

As their name suggests, the Loungers are really perfect for lounging around the house. They're effortless to slip on and off, and look great without socks. But they aren't as versatile as the Runners.

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NOW WATCH: Investing legend Ray Dalio shares the simple formula at the heart of his success

Martin Casado is a legend in his own corner of the tech world for inventing a technology that radically alters the way computer networks are built.

He invented the tech while he was a PhD student at Stanford. He took that invention, and two of the professors advising him (legends in their own right) Nick McKeown from Stanford and Scott Shenker from University of California, Berkeley, and founded a startup back in 2012. It was called Nicira and it was backed by VCs like Andreessen Horowitz ("a16z").

"Nicira launched into the networking industry like a cannonball hitting placid water," a16z founder Marc Horowitz wrote of Nicira and of Casado. That's true.

The company was quietly founded in 2007, but didn't officially launch until early 2012. Five months later, it sold to VMware for a stunning $1.26 billion. And the network industry has never been the same.

After staying with VMware for a few years, Casado left in early 2016 to become a VC with a16z. But the interesting thing is, he doesn't think of himself as a runaway success. He thinks of himself as someone who "got good at failure."

Or so he told the 2017 graduating class at his first alma mater, Northern Arizona University, where he spoke after receiving an honorary PhD on May 13.

"When I was standing where you are, I wanted to be the world's best computational physicist," Casado confessed to the crowd. "And soon after I wanted to be the world's foremost cyber policy expert. But instead I went to grad school, and then I wanted to be the world's best academic. And I certainly didn't accomplish that."

"I only found computer science because I couldn't hack it as a physicist, and then I failed as a microbiology student. I made many, many missteps as the first time founder of a company," he said.

Casado's speech was short, sweet, funny, and profound.

I heard it because I was in the audience that day, proudly watching my own daughter graduate with a degree in astrophysics (notice how I slipped in that motherly brag?). While I'm insanely proud of my kid, I'm also biting my nails over what her degree will lead to.

She doesn't want to go to grad school right now. And although she knows forms of math that I didn't even know existed, what kind of career will she have? I don't know. And neither does she.

But Casado's speech flipped my view on it. He offered four solid bits of advice to students, which is good advice for anyone, at any age:

No. 1: "You're unlikely to achieve your goals."

Since no one can predict the future, while on the path to a goal, a better goal "is likely to smack you while you're looking the other way, and you'd be an idiot not to follow it," he said.

His advice is to "take some fraction of that effort and work on being open to change, and to opportunity," while working toward your goals.

If he hadn't been open to change in his career, he never would have invented an industry-changing technology.

No. 2: "You are going to fail. A lot. It's inevitable."

He suggests that it is really "failure," not "progress" that indicates whether you are living up to your potential.

If you are failing, you are truly pushing yourself, and "not stalling your own progress by hiding."

The true skill, then, is "to learn to embrace failure. Not only embrace failure, get good at it, and by that I mean get back up, apply what you've learned, and hit reset."

No. 3: "No one really knows what contributes to success."

Every person is unique, and that means what's right for others isn't always right for you. When it comes to advice, listen to the parts that ring true for you, and disregard the rest.

"You're going to take one path out of an infinite number of possibilities," Casado said. "And you're going to navigate it your way."

No. 4: "The universe is a messy place."

So, if there is a secret to life, happiness, and success, it's this: "The opportunity is hidden in the sloppiness. If you hold too hard to specific ideas of where you want to go, or what the landscape will look like, or what the world will provide you, I can guarantee you'll be disappointed."

Here is the full transcript of his speech with the video embedded below, if you'd rather listen than read:

CASADO: "Graduates, I am deeply honored to have a few minutes with you. So let me first thank you for the opportunity and your attention.

Right now. This moment. Is one of the most significant inflection points in your life. And perhaps not in the way you'd expect. So if you'll indulge me, I'd like to explain why.

Getting to this point. This space we're all sharing right now, has taken a tremendous amount of work and dedication. No doubt. And for that, I applaud you, and you have my deepest respect.

However, a university education, no matter how windy, is a path with a clear goal. It was challenging, sure. Yet generally the objective was pretty obvious: Work hard and get the hell out.

All of that is about to change.

Almost two decades ago I was standing where you are now. I was nervous. I was excited. And I was largely over it.

And so I took that proverbial step. And very quickly, I realized that where I landed was very, very different from where I left.

It was as if I stepped off of a narrow path and into a city. And unlike my university experience, there was no clear goal. There wasn't a defined string of classes or tests I had to pass. There was no notion of a start or finish.

Instead there was a vast, vast collection of opportunities and perils. Infinite routes, to infinite locations, and none of which I really understood. You could chose to stop or move at any time with equal chance of benefit or loss.

And I found that none of my experiences really prepared me to navigate such a wide open space. There were no platitudes, no cliches, no quippy one liners that provided clear and useful guidance. It wasn't just about working hard and setting goals. It wasn't just about perseverance or having a positive attitude. I knew how to do all those things. This new space required something far different.

So with that backdrop I'd like to offer you some advice. Lessons that no one would be able to put on a motivational poster and keep their job. Lessons to keep in mind as you take this next step into the chaos.

First: You're unlikely to achieve your goals. Really, it's very unlikely. When I was standing where you are, I wanted to be the world's best computational physicist. And soon after I wanted to be the world's foremost cyber policy expert. But instead I went to grad school and then I wanted to be the world's best academic. And I certainly didn't accomplish that.

You're unlikely to achieve your goals. The reason is that you probably don't realize how many amazing opportunities are out there, and how much you'll enjoy them. You are unlikely to achieve your goals, because a better one is likely to smack you while you're looking the other way, and you'd be an idiot not to follow it.

So my guidance to you is as much as you work towards your goals, take some fraction of that effort and work on being open to change, and to opportunity.

Second: You are going to fail. A lot. It's inevitable. I only found computer science because I couldn't hack it as a physicist, and then I failed as a microbiology student. I made many, many missteps as the first time founder of a company.

You are going to fail because you're going to be navigating a shifting landscape with a lot of things not under your control. You're going to fail because the goals are going to change or be unclear. You're going to fail because you'll start something, and realize it's not what you want to do.

And here's the key: Failing will be your only true measure of progress. It's inevitable. The system you're about to walk into is simply too dynamic and too poorly defined for you not to.

And so my guidance to you is to learn to embrace failure. Not only embrace failure, get good at it, and by that I mean get back up, apply what you've learned, and hit reset.

Third: No one really knows what contributes to success. Not me, not some business guru, or some pundit on the news. No one. And that's particularly true for your success. Yours. Here's the reality: Every one of you is a beautiful collection of amazing qualities and strengths. Unique in all the universe you. And you're going to take one path out of an infinite number of possibilities. And you're going to navigate it your way.

So right here, I grant you permission to summarily ignore the nonsense of others. Take advice as input, sure. But check it against your absolutely unique perspective and qualities to bring to a problem.

You do you, Boo.

For what it's worth, of all the advice I've given you, this last request will probably be the most difficult. I know you can work hard. I know you're all smart, and capable, and resourceful. But I don't know how well you know yourself. I certainly didn't when I graduated. And it took a lot of inquiry, and a lot of failure, and a lot of false starts to begin to figure it out.

In the words of Dr. Seuss, that he actually didn't write and I totally made up, “You can't do you, Boo, if you don't know you"

OK, let me take a step back. Here's where all of this is leading.

The universe is a messy place. And the real trick going forward is to acknowledge that, and to embrace it. The opportunity is hidden in the sloppiness. If you hold too hard to specific ideas of where you want to go, or what the landscape will look like, or what the world will provide you, I can guarantee you'll be disappointed.

And it's exactly because the beauty is in the chaos. What have I asked of you?

One, focus on being open to change because although you're all beautiful and bright and creative individuals, the opportunities are for more wondrous than you can possible conceive.

Two, fail. It's the only way you know that you're riding the chaos and are not stalling your own progress by hiding.

Three, no one knows what's best for you. Because really, it's unknowable. So ignore the pundits and do it your way.

And to do that, know yourself. Because really, this journey is for you. And your priorities. And for those you care about. With that, I'll leave you with a quote. And this one I didn't make up.

It's from the Ashtavakra Gita:

'Let the waves of the universe
rise and fall as they will.
You have nothing to gain or lose.
You are the ocean.'

Thank you very much, and again many congratulations."

Here's the video. Skip to 48:37 to see Casado:

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Join the conversation about this story »

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The big stars are in the South of France looking their most glamorous for this year's Cannes Film Festival and getting their photos shared across the world.

Following her eye-catching red dress at last year's Cannes, model Bella Hadid returned to the festival to grace the legendary red carpet. But fellow model Emily Ratajkowski also showed up and was turning everyone's head. Then there are the movie stars like Robin Wright, Susan Sarandon, Michelle Williams, and Uma Thurman. 

And Rihanna then put everyone to shame.

But the person having the best time has to be festival jury member Will Smith. When he's not arguing about Netflix with jury president Pedro Almodóvar, he's having an incredible time walking the carpet and waving to the fans.

Here are photos of all the stars looking fabulous at this year's Cannes:

SEE ALSO: RANKED: The 11 best movies of the year so far

Let's just take a second to appreciate the star power and fashion of Rihanna...

She completely shut down the red carpet for the premiere of Netflix's "Okja."

"Okja" star Tilda Swinton also did not disappoint.

Next to housing, transportation is one of the largest recurring expenses people face. In a major metropolis, that likely means a fair amount of time packed into the subway, trolley, or bus getting a little too acquainted with your fellow city dwellers.

The good news: It's better for the environment, and, depending on where you live, it may be cheaper than owning a car. 

The bad news: It can still be really expensive. 

In London, the most expensive city in the world for public transportation, you'll need to shell out nearly $175 for a month of riding the Tube. In New York City, a monthly transit pass costs about $120. 

That's according to a recent report by Deutsche Bank, which analyzes the cost of living and compares prices among the largest cities around the world. 

The report sources prices from Expatistan, a site that tracks cost-of-living expenses in over 200 countries, for a "monthly ticket public transport" in nearly 50 cities. 

Here are the 16 most expensive cities in the world for commuting via public transportation each month.

All prices are in US dollars.

SEE ALSO: The 24 most expensive cities in the world to grab a beer at the local bar

16. San Francisco, United States — $86.10

15. Berlin, Germany — $87.20

14. Frankfurt, Germany — $88.50

Entrepreneur Billy McFarland and rapper Ja Rule have been the targets of severallawsuits since the Fyre Festival, the weekend-long luxury music event they had planned in the Bahamas for late April, fell into chaos before it could begin.

According to a New York Times report published Sunday, Fyre Media, which put on the event and was founded by McFarland and Ja Rule, is facing a criminal investigation by the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York and the FBI. Investigators are looking into allegations of mail, wire, and securities fraud, according to the report.

"I cannot emphasize enough how sorry I am that we fell short of our goal," McFarland said in a statement to The Times. "I'm committed to, and working actively to, find a way to make this right, not just for investors but for those who planned to attend."

Pending lawsuits include one from the festival's investors, who say they're missing millions, as well as several from attendees who have claimed breach of contract, breach of a covenant of good faith, and negligent misrepresentation on the part of the organizers and the PR firms that represented them.

One suit, filed by the celebrity trial lawyer Mark Geragos, is seeking $100 million in damages, alleging that the "festival's lack of adequate food, water, shelter, and medical care created a dangerous and panicked situation among attendees — suddenly finding themselves stranded on a remote island without basic provisions — that was closer to 'The Hunger Games' or 'Lord of the Flies' than Coachella."

According to a leaked tape reported by Vice, McFarland told Fyre Media employees on May 5 that they would no longer be paid but could stay at the company and work without pay if they wished. Employees have said that they were paid via wire transfer or in cash.

A host of supermodels had promoted the festival on social media, including Kendall Jenner, Hailey Baldwin, Emily Ratajkowski, and Bella Hadid. Blink-182, Major Lazer, Migos, Tyga, and Disclosure were among the artists scheduled to perform, according to the festival's promotions. According to The Times' most recent report, Blink-182's equipment is still stuck in "customs limbo," and Fyre Media owes more than $330,000 in customs fees.

Tickets started at $1,200, but reports have said some attendees paid close to or over $100,000 for the weekend.

SEE ALSO: The organizer of the disastrous Fyre Festival told employees they would no longer be paid but were welcome to stay and 'help out'

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NOW WATCH: Fyre Festival expectations vs. reality — here's what attendees thought they were getting when they bought $12,000 tickets

Fyre Festival organizers Billy McFarland and Ja Rule are already facing several major lawsuits after attempting to put on a music festival in the Bahamas, only to have it collapse before it began.

According to a new report in The New York Times, the cofounders of Fyre Media, who put on the event, are now facing a criminal investigation by the US attorney's office for the Southern District of New York and the FBI. Investigators are reportedly looking into allegations of possible mail, wire, and securities fraud. 

"I cannot emphasize enough how sorry I am that we fell short of our goal," cofounder Billy McFarland said in a statement to the Times. "I'm committed to, and working actively to, find a way to make this right, not just for investors but for those who planned to attend."

The founders are also facing several lawsuits, including one from the festival's investors, who allege they're missing millions, as well as several from attendees who claim breach of contract, breach of covenant of good faith, and negligent misrepresentation on the part of the organizers and the PR firms who represented them. 

Here's the full Fyre Festival promo video:

Several of the pending suits outline what the expectations were for this supposedly "luxury" festival vs. what actually happened. Take a look at the pictures below:

SEE ALSO: Lawyers for the Fyre Festival sent cease-and-desist letters to people who tweeted about it, lawsuit claims

The three-day party was supposed to be on a private beach on the island of Great Exuma in the Bahamas.

It was supposed to be over two weekends: April 28-30 and May 5-7.

A host of supermodels had promoted it on social media, including Hailey Baldwin, Emily Ratajkowski, and Bella Hadid.

There's a trick to rolling up your sleeves. Most men just fold their cuffs over a couple of times until the desired length is achieved. 

That's wrong.

There are a few problems with that method. It both looks sloppy and has a tendency to come undone at inopportune times. It'll also rest at a weird place on your elbow. Bad form.

There's a better way. Instead, unbutton your sleeve and turn it inside out up your arm. Then resume folding it over itself a couple times, starting from the bottom. Stop when you reach the cuff of the shirt. Voilà. It won't come undone, and it'll hit at the right place on your arm for full movement.

Here's a full how-to:

SEE ALSO: The 9 biggest misconceptions everyone has about cologne and perfume

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NOW WATCH: A stylist reveals what many men get wrong about dress shirts

Dr. Mark Hyman, health adviser to Bill and Hillary Clinton, thinks we never should have told people to stop eating fat.

In his book, "Eat Fat: Get Thin," Hyman recommends incorporating high-fat foods like salmon and olive oil into a diet focused around vegetables.

The author and doctor led former president Bill Clinton away from strict veganism more than a decade ago by encouraging him to sprinkle the occasional serving of fish and lean meat into his diet, according to the New York Times.

Hyman tells the Times his plan is further informed by his own struggles with weight — after failing to trim down on several types of popular low-fat, carb-heavy diets of the 1990s, he was encouraged to find a better solution. Here's a look at what Hyman eats today.

SEE ALSO: I tried the science-backed 7-minute fitness routine that's going viral, and it actually works

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Keep as your cornerstone: Veggies, veggies, and more veggies

Hyman describes his current diet as "a cross between paleo and vegan diets." He doesn't eat much meat or dairy and he avoids foods that are high in sugar or refined carbs. 

"About 70 to 80% of your diet should be plant foods," like vegetables, whole grains, beans, and fruits, he tells the Times.

In its most report on the best eating plans, US News and World Report described plant-based diets as "good for the environment, your heart, your weight, and your overall health." If you're curious, there are several different types of plant-based diets to choose from, like the Mediterranean diet and the Flexitarian diet. 

Add to your bag: Nuts and seeds

When he's traveling, Hyman says he carries packets of high-fat, protein-rich nuts to snack on, which he says help him avoid making "bad choices" thanks to a last-minute craving.

"I basically have fat and protein as my snacks, and I have enough food in my bag to last an entire day," he said.

Since they're high in protein, nuts can help stabilize blood-sugar levels. Low blood sugar can make healthy people feel hangry (hungry plus angry) and is especially dangerous for people with diabetes.

Nuts are also a good source of fiber, a key nutrient that helps aid digestion and keeps us feeling full.

Swap for margarine: Olive oil

Most of the fat in olive oil comes from a special type of "healthy" or monounsaturated fat. Along with another form of unsaturated fat, polyunsaturated, this type of fat has been linked with several health benefits, from helping to reduce the risk of heart disease to keeping blood-sugar levels steady. Several studies have also found that fats like the type found in olive oil may actually help lower total cholesterol levels.

Still, like any oil, olive oil is rich in calories, so researchers suggest using it in place of other fats, like butter and margarine, rather than simply adding it to your daily diet.

Jonathan Newhouse, the chairman and chief executive of media giant Condé Nast, has just listed his penthouse apartment at 105 East 29th Street for $6.99 million, per city records.

According to the listing, with Noble Black and Michael Lorber of Douglas Elliman, the apartment was done by star designer Daniel Romualdez, and it certainly has unusual decorations. The 3,400-square-foot pad has three bedrooms, three and a half bathrooms, 11-foot ceilings and Gaggenau appliances. Our favorite feature, though, has got to be the antique iron staircase that leads to a lovely, glass-enclosed room and the 1,400-square-foot roof terrace.

Newhouse is the cousin of S.I. Newhouse, who controls Condé Nast’s parent company, Advance Publications. He is a dual citizen of the US and the UK, and under his leadership, the company has greatly expanded its international editions.

He paid $3.375 million for the apartment in 2005, with his wife Ronnie Cooke Newhouse, the owner and creative director of luxury advertising firm, House + Holme.

MORE FROM LUXURY LISTINGS NYC:

Son of composer Leonard Bernstein lists Chelsea townhouse

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Gloria Vanderbilt has just discovered the joys of Instagram

SEE ALSO: One of the most expensive homes in America just got a $30 million price chop

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On Monday, Airbus introduced the latest interior for its ACJ319neo private jet at the European Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition.

The new interior — called the Infinito — is a collaborate effort between Airbus Corporate Jets and supercar maker Automobili Pagani.

"In bringing together the best of the supercar and business jet worlds, we enable an elegant and seamless link for customers of both, while bringing a fresh approach to cabin design and satisfying very demanding standards," Airbus Corporate Jets Managing Director, Benoit Defforge, said in a statement.

The centerpiece of the Infinito interior is the innovative sky ceiling that displays a live view of the sky above the aircraft without the need for a massive glass roof. According to Airbus, the sky ceiling is meant to give the cabin a feeling of airiness and space.

The overall aesthetic feel of the cabin, which was shaped by Pagani's interior design team, mimics the feel of its multi-million dollar supercars. Leathers, woods, and carbon fiber live together in stylish harmony in the same way they do inside a Pagani Huayra.

The Infinito interior is split into multiple segments— including a cinema, a dining area, and a lounge —  that are separated by transparent dividers which can be made opaque at the touch of a button.

Based on the next-generation Airbus A319neo, the ACJ319neo can fly eight passengers up nearly 7,800 miles or 15 hours non-stop. 

The A319neo, which features updated aerodynamics and ultra-efficient turbofan engines, will specialize in flights into or out of airports with tough operating conditions such as high altitude, high heat, or short runways. The A319neo or new engine option flew for the first time in March.

The basic Airbus A319neo costs $99.5 million at list value excluding the cost of the Infinito interior.

SEE ALSO: The Airbus A380 superjumbo is the next big thing in private jets

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: This Airbus patent could fix the worst thing about flying coach

If your New Year's resolutions include building wealth, becoming more productive, or making the most of your career (or side hustle), there are hundreds of books willing to guide you, many of which debuted just last year.

Business Insider asked Chris Schluep, a senior Amazon Books editor, to compile a list of the best money books of 2016. Schluep's picks are packed with advice from experts, ranging from a billionaire's memoir to the story of the entertainment industry's most powerful agency. 

Whether you're aiming to grow richer or develop better money habits, get a head start on your 2017 goals with 12 of best money and productivity books from the past year. 

SEE ALSO: 12 books to read this year if you want to get rich

DON'T MISS: The 9 most interesting words I learned in 2016

'Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike' by Phil Knight

Release date: April 26, 2016

Schluep says: Phil Knight borrowed fifty dollars from his father after business school and launched an empire. But there's much more than just a business story in this surprisingly candid memoir.

Amazon says: In this candid and riveting memoir, for the first time ever, Nike founder and board chairman Phil Knight shares the inside story of the company's early days as an intrepid start-up and its evolution into one of the world's most iconic, game-changing, and profitable brands.

'Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance' by Angela Duckworth

Release date: May 3, 2016

Schluep says: We all want to have it. Angela Duckworth has been studying it for decades, and lays out how so much of success is a product of passion and perseverance.

Amazon says: In this instant New York Times bestseller, pioneering psychologist Angela Duckworth shows anyone striving to succeed — be it parents, students, educators, athletes, or business people — that the secret to outstanding achievement is not talent but a special blend of passion and persistence she calls "grit."

'Designing Your Life: How to Build a Well-Lived Joyful Life' by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans

Release date: September 20, 2016

Schluep says: Teachers of one of the most popular courses at Stanford (the course has the same name as the book), Burnett and Evans illustrate how you can use the same thinking that has gone into some of your favorite products to design a better life for yourself.

Amazon says: In this book, Bill Burnett and Dave Evans show us how design thinking can help us create a life that is both meaningful and fulfilling, regardless of who or where we are, what we do or have done for a living, or how young or old we are. The same design thinking responsible for amazing technology, products, and spaces can be used to design and build your career and your life, a life of fulfillment and joy, constantly creative and productive, one that always holds the possibility of surprise.

Adelanto, California, is what's known as a "drive-through town." It's a dusty plot of desert surrounded by Joshua trees and dilapidated factories. Few outsiders stay long.

Now, the sleepy city in San Bernardino County wants to establish itself as a hotbed for large-scale cultivation and innovation in weed.

There are 360 acres zoned for growing medical marijuana in Adelanto (recreational marijuna is newly legal and California has yet to give licenses for growing it). It's among the first struggling desert cities to turn to weed as a cure for its economic woes, the Los Angeles Times reports.

Aging factories and warehouses are being transformed into cultivation warehouses, cannabis-oil extraction facilities, and a host of other projects that support California's booming medical marijuana market. Frontier Enterprises, a major home developer in Southern California, broke ground in February on a 30-acre industrial park that will house 21 marijuana cultivators. It's big enough to fit nine Costo stores and may someday supply California's massive demand.

Californians spent $1.8 billion on medical pot in 2016 — about one-third of the legal market in North America last year, according to Arcview Market Research. The state's recreational market is expected to roll out in summer 2018, which could send industry revenue sky-high.

California will not start issuing licenses for recreational marijuana cultivation until early next year, but Adelanto wants to get a leg up on the competition — namely, other communities in the Salinas Valley that have experience in agriculture and the right climate for marijuana farming. The city has already approved ordinances allowing medical marijuana cultivation at an industrial scale.

Investors with backgrounds in real estate development and law are migrating to the town in the hopes of striking it rich in legal weed.

Adelanto has struggled to recover since a major employer, the George Air Force Base, closed in 1992. About 40% of the population lives below the poverty line. Many of the 32,000 residents work in an immigration detention center (the largest in the state), as well as nearby jails.

In 2014, Adelanto was in debt for $2.6 million. There were talks to disband the city and file for bankruptcy. A year later, the first large marijuana cultivation site sprung up. The deficit is now between $500,000 and $750,000. The major credits the recovery, in part, to revenue generated from taxes on marijuana cultivation, among other projects that create tax revenue.

In an interview with LA Weekly, Mayor Richard Kerr said he expects pot taxes to inject millions into the city coffers. Those funds may pay for new housing, shops, and a concrete plant.

It remains to be seen if Adelanto can make itself the Silicon Valley of medical marijuana, in spite of competition from neighors including Cathedral City and Desert Hot Springs, which have also attracted marijuana cultivators and developers in recent months.

Some residents of Adelanto worry that the new "green rush" will make the city too expensive for them to live in, as marijuana industry development drives up real estate prices.

Former mayor Cari Thomas told the LA Times that marijuana cultivation as a revenue stream for the city is "just not a way I would have chosen. It's kind of uncharted territory."

SEE ALSO: 5 towns saved from ruin by the booming legal weed industry

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A Washington, DC bar has removed its controversial drink, "Pill Cosby," from the menu after it caused a stir on Twitter.

Served at a new bar called "Diet Starts Monday," the drink not-so-subtly alluded to the accusations of sexual assault that have been levied against comedian Bill Cosby. The Pill Cosby was a hibiscus cocktail topped with empty pills. 

Cosby is facing allegations that he drugged and sexually assaulted Andrea Constand in 2004, and jury selection for the trial began Monday. 

"Diet Starts Monday" is part of an experimental fashion label set up by friends John Geiger and Davin Gentry. 

Gentry told Washingtonian that the drink should remind people to be more aware of the dangers of date rape in bars. But some Twitter users found the cocktail to be distasteful, and the bar has now removed it from their menu.

The bar announced the cocktail's removal with a tweet Monday afternoon. The owners did not immediately return Business Insider's request for comment.

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Podiatric surgeon Dr. Jacqueline Sutera explains all the ways that wearing high heels can destroy your feet. Following is a transcript of the video.

High heels are typically bad for you, even tough as women, we have a lot of social pressure to wear them for work, and for events, for parties, to go out on Saturday night. They're bad because any type of elevation causes your body weight to go forward towards the ball of your foot.

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Americans like standardized tests. We evaluate kids at multiple parts of their academic careers, and high-stakes tests, like the SAT and ACT, are a rite of passage for entrance into college. Still, many people believe IQ scores aren't the determining factor for success in life.

While researchers haven't definitively pinned down how much a person's IQ affects their success later in life, they have uncovered that many factors throughout our lives may affect our IQ scores — and conversely, our IQ scores can greatly affect the outcome of our lives.

Read on to see seven uncomfortable facts about how IQ may affect your life.

SEE ALSO: A 13-year-old home school student just won $20,000 in a math competition on ESPN — see if you can answer the winning question

Breastfeeding may be linked with better performance on cognitive tests

In a small 2016 study, researchers monitored daily breast milk and formula given to 180 babies for their first 28 days of life. At 7 years old, children who consumed breast milk performed better on cognitive tests they were given.

Source: The Journal of Pediatrics

Junk food diets for kids under three may be linked to lower scores on an intelligence test

Children who ate processed junk foods before the age of three were shown to have a lower score on the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children than their peers by the time they were eight years old. A diet rich in vitamins and minerals was shown to do the opposite.

Source:Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health

Poverty may be linked with poorer performance on cognitive tests

A small 2013 study at Princeton found that "a person's cognitive function is diminished by the constant and all-consuming effort of coping with the immediate effects of having little money, such as scrounging to pay bills and cut costs."

Source: Princeton University

It you want to sip the finest whiskey in the world, the name you'll need to know is WhistlePig.

The Vermont distillery's Boss Hog IV "The Black Prince" bottle was recently awarded the titles of "best in show whiskey" and "best rye whiskey" by the judges of the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. 

The fourth edition of WhistlePig's Boss Hog line — the brand's premier, top-of-the-line offering — the Black Prince is a 100% rye whiskey bottled at cask strength (124 proof) and finished in Armagnac barrels. It was aged 14 years.

WhistlePig isn't a distillery with a lot of history or pedigree. It was started in 2010 by former "Apprentice" contestant and failed congressional candidate Raj Bhakta, who opened the distillery at a 500-acre dairy farm in Vermont.

It has since become one of the most-awarded whiskey makers. Since WhistlePig is obviously not yet old enough to have 15- or 10-year aged whiskeys, it buys its spirits wholesale and finishes them with the help of oak cut from their Vermont farm.

The whiskey is not yet available for purchase, but when it is, it could be hard to come by because only 30 barrels are being produced. It will retail for $500 a bottle.

SEE ALSO: These 22 whiskeys just won the highest honor at an international spirits competition

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President Donald Trump is in Israel this week, the second stop on his first foreign trip since taking office. On Monday, Trump visited Yad Vashem, the Holocaust memorial, to commemorate the 6 million victims and take part in a wreath-laying ceremony at the Hall of Remembrance.

While there, Trump also left a note, following in the footsteps of past US leaders, including Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

"It is a great honor to be here with all of my friends — so amazing and will never forget!" Trump wrote in a note signed by him and first lady Melania Trump:

Obama visited the memorial in July 2008 while he was still a US senator who was campaigning for president.

"I am grateful to Yad Vashem and all of those responsible for this remarkable institution," Obama's note in the guest book said. "At a time of great peril and promise, war and strife, we are blessed to have such a powerful reminder of man's potential for great evil, but also our capacity to rise up from tragedy and remake our world."

It continued: "Let our children come here, and know this history, so that they can add their voices to proclaim 'never again.' And may we remember those who perished, not only as victims, but also as individuals who hoped and loved and dreamed like us, and who have become symbols of the human spirit."

Bush visited Yad Vashem in January 2008, shortly before his second term ended. He, too, was brief.

"God bless Israel," Bush wrote in his note.

According to the Associated Press, the memorial chairman said Bush had tears in his eyes as he toured the memorial, and he reportedly told Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice that the US should have bombed Auschwitz to stop the genocide.

When first lady Laura Bush visited the memorial in May 2005, she wrote a longer message:

"Each life is precious. Each memory calls us to action to honor those lost. We committ (sic) ourselves to reject hatred and to teach tolerance and live in peace."

Clinton went to the Holocaust memorial as secretary of state in March 2009, following an election in which she competed against Obama for the Democratic nomination for president. It was her first visit to the Middle East as the top US diplomat.

"Yad Vashem is a testament to the power of truth in the face of denial, the resilience of the human spirit in the face of despair, the triumph of the Jewish people over murder and destruction and a reminder to all people that the lessons of the Holocaust must never be forgotten," Clinton's note said. "God bless Israel and its future."

SEE ALSO: The holiest site in Judaism is becoming a point of conflict between Trump and Israel

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This 6,600-sq-ft apartment was converted from an old NYPD gymnasium. Located at 240 Centre St. in Manhattan, the building used to be NYPD headquarters from 1909-1973. It's now for up for sale for $18.5 million. 

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