How much fat you eat matters to your health. What sort of fat matters less.

Those who micromanage their diets instead of following Michael Pollan's sensible rule of thumb--eat food, not too much, mostly plants--may be thrown into confusion by a paper just published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

It describes a meta-analysis (a technique which uses entire studies as single data points in an overarching statistical analysis) of 72 pieces of research involving more than 600,000 people.

Some of these were of what those people ate, or said they ate. Some were of the levels of various fats circulating in their bloodstreams. Some were of both. All had looked for relations between these facts and a person's subsequent cardiac health. And the meta-analysis comes to what will, to many, be counterintuitive conclusions.

Rajiv Chowdhury of Cambridge University and his colleagues found that one bugbear, trans-fats, are indeed associated with heart disease--though they caution that only five of the studies they looked at had pertinent data on these. Other common beliefs, however, were not supported.

They found no evidence that eating saturated fats or having high levels of circulating saturated fatty acids (the digested products of such fats) had any effect on cardiac disease. Nor did they find that omega-3 fatty acids, the current poster-boys of healthy eating, protect against heart disease.

Omega-3 fats are widely sold in capsule form as food supplements. This makes them easier than other fats to incorporate into experiments of the sort that administer something to one group while denying it to another. In their case, therefore, Dr Chowdhury's meta-analysis was based on such experiments. Indeed two big, new trials of omega-3 supplements are going on at the moment. But such trials are hard to do on other sorts of fat, since these are simply part of people's diets.

Many people do not mind being asked either to pop a capsule regularly, or to refrain from doing so. It is understandably harder to persuade them to let someone else decide their entire food consumption for the several years needed to conduct trials like these.

This sort of unwillingness is, indeed, one reason heart disease is a problem. Most people do not have the willpower to stick to a diet, any diet, prescribed by someone else--even the simple one offered by Mr Pollan, who is the author of "Food Rules: An Eater's Manual".

But eating a reasonably Spartan, mixed-ingredient diet, along with a regimen of moderate exercise, still seems the best route to a long and healthy life. Dr Chowdhury and his colleagues are not suggesting that the amount of fat you eat has no bearing on your risk of having a heart attack. What their research does suggest is that, trans-fats aside, the type of fat may not matter.

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Most of us know what we should be doing with our money. But saving and investing and filling out paperwork is hard, so we tend to make excuses to avoid it.

By the time you hit 40, rationalizing away your bad money management habits starts to have a serious impact on your financial future (not to mention age you). 

Here are some of the top money lies that you should stop telling yourself by age 40: 

1. Debt collectors will stop chasing me once I'm in retirement, so why worry about it?

Think again. Even student loan debt can chase you into retirement. The Treasury Department has been withholding as much as 15% of Social Security benefits from a rapidly growing number of retirees who have fallen behind on federal student loans — five times as many as in 2001. 

2. I can definitely get by in retirement with less income than I'm making now.

Leaving the workforce might help you cut costs in some areas — for example, your pricey commute to the office — but you can never underestimate the cost of aging. "Many studies show that some retirees even spend more in retirement than they did when they were working," says Susan Garland, editor of Kiplinger’s Retirement Report. As the years go by, your health-care costs, house-related maintenance costs, insurance, and property taxes are sure to be on the rise.

3. I can always save more by postponing retirement until my late 60s or early 70s.

"More and more Americans say they plan to pay for retirement by working longer, but in reality many retirees end up quitting sooner than planned," says Greg Burrows, senior vice president for retirement and investor services at The Principal.

One third of American workers said they plan on working past age 65 in a survey by the Employee Benefit Research Institute, but more than 70% of retirees said they actually quit before that milestone.

4. I can always rely on Medicare for my long-term health care needs.

Medicare is an excellent resource for retirees needing health-care support, but here's a wake up call: It doesn't cover all long-term care. Medicare coverage excludes extended nursing home stays, custodial care, or an in-home nurse to help out if you're unable to dress, feed, or bathe yourself.

"Medicare pays for limited nursing-home and home-health care for short periods to provide continuing care after a hospital stay," Garland says. "For example, skilled care in a facility is limited to 100 days. It may be wise to consider long-term care insurance to cover those costs."

5. My nest egg will be safe in a bank account.

Never underestimate the crippling power inflation has over your retirement savings.

"Too many people have the illusion that money is safe as long as the balance doesn't go down, but the reality is that inflation will eat into your purchasing power unless you learn how to properly manage and invest your wealth," writes David Ning of MoneyNing.com.

6. I'll never learn enough about investing to make a difference in my savings.

Contrary to popular belief, investing savvy isn't something only the rich have. But if you want to invest wisely, do yourself a favor and leave the stock picking and day trading to the professionals.

"Stick to the boring but effective strategy of saving early and often, watch investing fees, and picking an asset allocation plan where you can stay the course when the market inevitably takes a dive," says Ning.

7. Banks and bill collectors will get their way no matter what I do.

At some time, you may find yourself on the wrong side of your bank or, worse, a debt collector. Stand your ground, and watch them like a hawk.

Sometimes all it takes is a phone call and a little math work to figure out you could be getting a better deal elsewhere. Kenny Golde, a 40-something producer we spoke with, managed to negotiate $220,000 worth of debt down to $70,000 on his own.

8. If I start dipping into my savings now, I'll have plenty of time to make up for it later.

It turns out one in four workers resorts to taking out 401(k) loans each year, to the tune of $70 billion nationally.

"You might be cheating your future self," says Catherine Golladay, VP of 401(k) Participant Services at Charles Schwab. "While paying back a 401(k) loan, many people stop saving in their 401(k) plan, which can really derail retirement savings." 

9. I want to convert my 401(k) to a Roth, but I can't take the tax hit.

We'll never tire of the Roth vs. traditional 401(k) debate. With a Roth 401(k) or IRA, all of your contributions are taxed immediately according to whatever tax bracket you fall into today. Traditional IRAs are tax-deferred until retirement.

The general consensus is that it's better to convert to or start a Roth now, since it's likely that you could wind up retiring a in higher tax bracket, thus risking the chance of paying way more in taxes later than you would today.

But investors who've already built a substantial IRA or 401(k) can't stomach the thought of paying taxes on everything at once if they make the switch. "Sometimes it just takes a lot of handholding because investors don't like to write that check," says Janet Briaud, chief investment officer of Briaud Financial Advisors. "There is sticker shock, but in the long-term, our clients really get it. They’re really happy." 

10. I'll figure out how much money I need for retirement when I get there.

Nickel, the anonymous blogger behind Five Cent Nickel, takes a slightly different approach than basing future needs on your current income:

"Start by estimating your post-retirement expenses. Average it out across a year. From there, estimate what sort of investment returns you’ll be able to generate — yes, you’ll need a crystal ball for this."

"From there, divide that rate (as a decimal) into one to find your multiplier. So, for example, if you think you can generate 4% real returns (i.e., 4% returns after accounts for inflation, so more like 7% nominal returns) then you’ll need 25x your annual expenses (1 / 0.04 = 25). If you think you’ll only be able to generate 3% real returns, then you’ll need 33x your expenses. And so on."

11. Once I get my kids through college, I'll finally start saving for retirement.

The benefit of saving for your children's college education early (ideally via a 529 plan) is that you limit your saving burden by spreading it out over time. But even if you come up short of tuition costs, don't immediately dip into your retirement savings to make up the difference. 

"You can always fall back on financial aid. Grants, scholarships, and student loans can help pay your child’s way," writes Learnvest's Laura Shin. "When it comes to your retirement, however, there are no loans."

12. I'd rather kill myself working now so I can rest easy later. 

Of course, few people have the benefit of unlimited cash flow without putting in a little leg work first. But there are higher priorities in life than working overtime and depriving yourself of a few pleasures today just to save a buck or two. 

"People spend most of their time planning their finances for old age, but not their fulfillment" along the way, says Ken Budd, executive editor of AARP The Magazine. Don't forget about the here and now because you're focused on the future.

13. I have all the time in the world to plan my will.

Without a plan in place, you could leave your estate's future in the hands of squabbling family members or your state, which would appoint an administrator to handle everything. 

"(A will) enables you to start thinking about issues like whether you have the right insurance coverage, life insurance, and ways of replacing your lost income," RocketLawyer founder Charley Moore says.

This is doubly important for gay spouses, as states that don't recognize gay marriages would pass over spouses in favor of next of kin. 

SEE ALSO: Here's The Best Way To Manage Money In Your 20s, 30s, And 40s

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China's economic boom in recent decades is hard to fathom. Since Deng Xiaoping began market reforms in 1978, GDP growth reached around 10% annually — with recent slowdown — lifting more than 500 million people out of poverty. With a population of 1.3 billion, the country recently became the world's second largest economy.

On the way, Chinese cities have grown at an unprecedented speed. Some have even expanded faster than population growth can keep up, leading to talk of ghost cities, possibly a natural part of China's future.

But the massive shift is no illusion: China is trying to use urbanization to drive growth, and analysts expect China to add more city-dwellers between 2009 and 2030 than the entire population of the U.S.

We've picked out some of the fastest growing cities, shown via satellite images recorded over time by Google's Earth Engine, and turned them into GIFs.

Take a look at the expansion in action.

Changsha

Changsha, capital of the central Hunan province, has expanded incredibly fast in the past decade, with some areas of apparently unoccupied residential developments labeled as ghost cities.

Between 2001 and 2005, Changsha's economy grew an average of 14% per year, compared to the national average of 9% during that period. From 2000 to 2010, the city population grew from around 6 million to 7 million, according to the China National Bureau of Statistics.

In 2012, this central Chinese city unveiled a $130 billion investment plan for airports, subways, and other expansion, Bloomberg reported. Changsha also plans to build the world's largest skyscraper, appropriately named Sky City, at about 2,750 feet tall. 

Chongqing

From 1998 to 2008, Chongqing's economy increased from approximately $23 billion to about $83 billion, according to East Asia Institute. Between 2007 and 2012, Chongqing became the fastest growing city in China with growth averaging over 15% every year, according to Meg Rithmire at the Harvard Business School. 

Most credit the Chongqing Model, a radical deviation from China's usual social and fiscal policies, for the city's successes. Implemented by controversial politician Bo Xilai, the policy improved public security, rebuilt infrastructure, pulled in foreign direct investment, and innovated urbanization.

By some measures, Chongqing takes the unofficial title as China's most populous municipality with a total population of about 29 million in 2010, according to the China National Bureau of Statistics.

Fuyang

As the largest city in the Anhui province, Fuyang's population rose from 142,000 in 1990 to 874,000 in 2010, according to the UN Habitat's State of the World's Cities in 2012/2013. The study also estimated the 2025 population at 1,119,000, a potential increase of 688% from 1990. 

Known as a paper and textile industry city, Fuyang's economy increased by 11.7% from the previous year, according to Fuyang Economic and Social Development Report in 2012.

Haikou

The capital and most populous city in the Hainan province, Haikou's population has risen from 331,000 in 1990 to 1,586,000 in 2010, according to the UN Habitat's State of the World's Cities 2012/2013. The population is expected to grow to 2,065,000 in 2025, a 524% increase from 1990. 

The word "Haikou" roughly translates as "seaport," and the water to the north also contributes to the growing population and economy. The automobile industry accounted for about 22% of the city's total economy in 2009.

Jiangmen

In the south of China's Guangdong province, Jiangmen sits only a few hours Hong Kong. From 1990 to 2010, the city's population grew from 190,000 to 1,103,000, according to the UN Habitat's State of the World's Cities 2012/2013. By 2025, another 340,000 people are expected to appear, putting potential growth at 504% since 1990. 

One of China's electric energy bases, Jiangmen's government supports proactive foreign investment and encourages sustainable and innovative manufacturing. The region hosts 19 national-level industrial bases, ranging from bathroom hardware, electric energy, auto parts, and more.

In 2011, the city's economy hit $29 billion.

Linyi

Linyi is the largest and most populous city in the Shandong province. From 1990 to 2010, the population increased from 260,000 to 1,427,000, and the population is expected to hit 1,827,000 by 2025, according to the UN Habitat's State of the World's Cities 2012/2013. 

As one of the biggest wholesale markets in China, Linyi brings in $8.15 billion annually in economy and recently, Dubai has focused trade efforts in the area, totaling about $5 billion in projects there.

Nanjing

As the capital of China at various points, Nanjing holds a deep cultural history, with "five pillars of  industry" including electronics, cars, petrochemicals, iron, steel, and power.

In 2012, the city's economy stood at about $160 billion, the 16th largest in the country, up about 23% from 1993, according to the Brookings Institute and JPMorgan, which also listed the city as one of globe's most diverse and connected metro areas. 

The city's urban area population went from nearly two million in 1980 to nearly six million in 2012.

Nanyang

Located in the Henan province, the city's population has grown from 228,000 in 1990 to 867,000 in 2010. By 2025, the population is expected to hit 1,135,000, a potential increase of 398% since 1990, according to the UN Habitat's State of the World's Cities 2012/2013.

Nanyang's economy hit a record high of 38.5 billion in 2012, representing steady growth — 10.2% over the previous year.

Ordos

China's most famous ghost city, Ordos remains mostly empty. The city helped drive China's economy through construction and coal mining, but population increase didn't seem to follow. In fact, most initial migrants fled the city after underground lending collapsed. 

Many analysts predict the "Ordos bubble" will soon burst, following years of annual economic growth as high as 18.5%.

Shanghai

According to Wendell Cox's latest Demographia, Shanghai is the world's sixth largest "mega-city" — an urban area with a population over 500,000. Shanghai's population is approximately 23 million. From just 2008 to 2010, the city gained nearly another two million people.

Population density is also astonishingly high here, at 16,200 people per square mile — compared with a little over 4,000 in New York City.

Shanghai also faces worrying sustainability and environmental impacts, especially the smog.

Shaoxing

Located in China's Zhejiang province only a few hours from Shanghai, Shaoxing's population has grown from 181,000 in 1990 to 853,000 from 2010. By 2025, the population is expected to hit 1,066,000, a 547%  increase since 1990, according to the UN Habitat's State of the World's Cities 2012/2013.

In 2012, the economy of Shaoxing increased 9.7% from a year earlier to $58 billion. The manufacturing industry, the largest contributor to the city’s economy, composed 53.8% of the city’s economy, according to the Hong Kong Trade Development Council. 

Thailand-based Lotus and Japan-based Panasonic have also established businesses in the city, along with two major airports.

Taizhou

Located in the Zhejiang province, Taizhou's population has increased from 158,000 in 1990 to 795,000 in 2010. By 2025, the population is expected to hit 1,101,000, a potential 597% increase from 1990, according to UN Habitat's State of the World's Cities 2012/2013

In 2012, the economy of Taizhou was about $47 billion. The city houses car manufacturer, Geely, which acquired Volvo in 2010. It's also a big producer of foods products, like canola oil and wild rice.

Xiamen

Located in the Fujian province, Xiamen's population has grown from 639,000 in 1990 to 2,207,00 in 2010. The projected population by 2025 is 3,112,000, a potential 387% increase since 1990, according to the UN Habitat's State of the World's Cities 2012/2013. 

As one of the nation's five special economic zones, the city's economy amounted to about $46 billion, showing growth of 12% over the previous year. Its main industries are electronics and machinery.

SEE ALSO: China's economy is heading for tough times

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In the late 1990s, New York-based photographer Frédéric Lagrange became obsessed with traveling to Afghanistan’s Wakhan Corridor after reading "A Short Walk In The Hindu Kush," English writer Eric Newby’s travelogue of his adventures in the area.

He made plans to visit, but then 9/11 happened, and the American invasion quashed any plans. The trip was too dangerous.

In 2012, with the war cooling down, Lagrange finally made the trip he had been dreaming about.

The Wakhan Corridor is a narrow strip of land in the far northeast of Afghanistan, bordering Tajikistan, Pakistan, and Western China. The harsh, beautiful landscape, bounded by the Hindu Kush mountains on the south, was once used as a major trading route for those traveling the Silk Road to China.

For three weeks, Lagrange and a team of locals made their way up the Hindu Kush mountains to the shores of Lake Chaqmaqtin. Along the way, Lagrange photographed the local peoples, who survive on the edge of civilization by raising and herding cattle.

He shared some photos from his journey with us, but you can check out the rest at his website. 

Lagrange began by flying into Dushanbe, Tajikistan, crossing into the Wakhan Corridor by Afghanistan's northeast border. If he traveled from Kabul, he would have had to pass through numerous Taliban-controlled areas.

After three days of driving with a guide, Lagrange reached the border. The army officer at the border told him that he was the first foreigner to cross that year.

He was greeted by his guide Adab (left, with Lagrange), a 23-year-old Afghani boy. Adab warned him of the dangerous reality of his life, saying that "If the Taliban ever comes to power [in Wakhan], I will probably be one of the first to be executed, having been around Westerners."

If you can't spend a summer night outside without slapping your ankles — and you still end up with dozens of mosquito bites — then it might be true that the flying pests really do love you.

And those lucky people who say they don't get bitten? They exist too.

But it's not because one person's blood tastes better to the small hovering bloodsuckers — or at least, not just that. In a TED 2014 talk on Wednesday in Vancouver, microbial ecologist Rob Knight explained that the bacteria, or microbes, on skin produce different chemicals, some of which smell more attractive to mosquitoes.

The trillion or so microbes that live on skin are a small percentage of the 100 trillion bacteria that live on and inside the body, but they play a huge role in body odor. Without those bacteria, human sweat wouldn't smell like anything.

However, those different bacteria vary greatly from person to person. Knight explained that while we share 99.9% of DNA with other humans, most people only share about 10% of their microbes.

A siren song for mosquitoes

To demonstrate that mosquitoes are overwhelmingly attracted to certain types of skin microbes, researchers asked 48 adult male volunteers to refrain from alcohol, garlic, spicy food, and showers for two days. The men wore nylon socks for 24 hours to build up a collection of their unique skin microbes.

Researchers then used glass beads that they had rubbed against the underside of the men's feet to pick up their scent as mosquito bait.

Nine men out of the 48 proved to be especially attractive to mosquitoes, while the scents of seven lucky volunteers were largely ignored. The "highly attractive" group had 2.62 times as high a concentration of one common skin microbe, and 3.11 times higher concentration of another common microbe, compared to the "poorly attractive group." That poorly attractive group had a more diverse bacterial colony on their skin as a whole.

Researchers say that it's possible that some people's smell acts a natural deterrent.

But there's an equalizer for those that naturally draw swarms of mosquitoes. The same pests are attracted to beer drinkers.

The study was published in the journal PLOS ONE.

NOW WATCH: The Simple Science Behind Weight Loss

SEE ALSO: This Small Patch Could Make You Invisible To Mosquitoes

DON'T MISS: These 40 Science Experts Will Completely Revamp Your Social Media Feed

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All year round American tourists flocks to European cities and towns to sample regional delicacies and experience the local culture. 

While navigating the unfamiliar cobble stone streets and botching the local language, another strange element of street life that stands out is fashion.

For men in particular, the striking contrast between the tailored European versus the casual, laid-back American attire is immediately apparent. 

Here's our roundup of some of the most popular, and sometimes strange, fashion trends of European men.

Produced by Alana Kakoyiannis and Kamelia Angelova. Originally published in July 2013.

SEE ALSO: 3 Hardcore Exercises To Build Muscle Fast

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After a long and difficult winter — including at least two polar vortexes and extreme California drought — we have been reassured that warmth will come again. For some of us.  

Today is the first day of spring and the National Oceanic And Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) just released its spring weather outlook. It's not all wildflowers and sunny days, though.

The outlook shows persistent drought for states in the southwest, moderate flood warnings for the Midwest, and continued chill from the Northern Rockies to the Great Lakes.

Flood and drought

Brutal winters in much of the U.S. mean more snow pack and still-frozen streams. This results in more water during spring melt runoff and higher flood risks. While no area is at great flood risk this year, minor to moderate warnings were issued to several parts of the U.S. in the map below.

Elevated flood risks have been predicted for the Northern Plains and Midwest.

"The continuation of winter weather," will delay spring flooding until April in New England and the upper Midwest. The intensity will depend on the rate of snow melt and upcoming rainfall.

California, experienced one of its warmest and driest winters in the last 120 years. Much of the state, as well as northeastern Nevada, is in the highest category levels of drought. With the unremarkable rainy season behind, drought is expected to continue.

While not as extreme, drought conditions are also in play in the Southwest, lower Pacific Northwest, and areas of the Great Plains. Drought will continue in most of those areas and is predicted to spread into Texas.

In the upper Pacific Northwest and parts of the Midwest drought is predicted to ease over the spring.

Temperatures

As seen in the map below, a greater chance of warmer than usual temperatures will radiate out of California, into the southwest and the northwest. The Northern Rockies to the Great Lakes are likely to see a prolonging of this winter's chilly temperatures.

Unfortunately for the East coast, we'll just have to wait.  The white means that there are equal chances of the temperature being above, below, or near normal. 

Precipitation

Indicators of precipitation for most of the U.S. were weak, so we don't really know what to expect. However, NOAA was able to say that the western states are likely to see below average precipitation and that Hawaii will experience slightly greater than average.

Check out the NOAA Spring Outlook video for more details:

SEE ALSO: These 40 Science Experts Will Completely Revamp Your Social Media Feed

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People jokingly describe things like lines at Starbucks as first-world problems.

Actually, first-world problems are serious, involving things like elevated risk of death related to high blood pressure, tobacco, high blood sugar, obesity, and more.

Although low-income countries face so-called modern risks as well, wealthy countries are more at risk given greater opportunity for indolence and consumption of too much food, notably junk food, as well as cigarettes and alcohol.

The World Health Organization described this as a risk transition in a 2009 report:

Modern risks, which are nearly as deadly as traditional risks used to be, include high blood pressure (responsible for 13% of deaths globally), tobacco use (9%), high blood glucose (6%), physical inactivity (6%), overweight and obesity (5%), and more.

The following chart shows how high-income countries (15% of the global population at the time) face disproportionately high mortality rates associated with these risks.

And some more detail on how first-world problems compare to third-world problems:

SEE ALSO: 13 nutrition lies that made the world fat and sick

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In 2011, hedge fund titan David Tepper famously bought a $43.5 million oceanfront mansion in Sagaponack — and promptly tore it down so he could build one twice the size.

Now, three years later, construction on the project is nearly finished. At this rate, Tepper could be in his new home by the start of the Hamptons summer season.

Aerial photographer Jeff Cully at EEFAS recently flew by the beachfront estate on Gibson Lane and took some great photos of the construction site, which he shared with Business Insider. In addition to a massive pool, it looks like the home will have two hot tubs, a backyard fountain, gazebo, and tennis court.It appears that Tepper also benefitted from Southampton's $26 million beach nourishment project, a major effort to protect the waterfront and the homes located along it. Note the three zig-zagging fences on the beach in front of the home, which are part of the plan to redevelop dunes in the area.Construction of the estate has been a massive undertaking. Here's what it looked like in January 2013: And this is what the construction pit looked like in March 2012, a year after Tepper tore down the home that once stood there:
This was the 6,000-square-foot home Tepper tore down. It wasn't too shabby:

SEE ALSO: The Best Hamptons Mansions At Every Price Point

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Forget what kind of alcohol is in your cocktail, a new bar in Austin, Texas, wants you to care about your ice.

Half Step, which just opened in Austin, specializes in artisanal ice making. They cut each cube by hand in a specially outfitted shed where humongous blocks of ice are stored.

If you're rolling your eyes, just remember, the monocle is making its comeback, so it's a great time to romanticize the ridiculous, like one-eyed glasses and frozen water.

In a video produced by Zagat, Half Step's Chris Bostick demonstrates how these perfect ice cubes are created.

Ice is first created in huge blocks. Bostick boasts that the water in Austin is "not hard water like other cities." 

Then the ice has to be cut.

There are two kinds of shapes the ice is cut into. 

There are "Collins Spears."

 They fit into a glass perfectly.

Then there are cubes. Bostick points out that in the Texas summer heat, ice can be very "refreshing and rewarding."

Here are the cubes:

And remember, every single piece of ice is cut by hand.

This is called "hand-cracking."

Then it's time to drink.

Bostick says the right kind of ice is what makes a 3-ingredient cocktail memorable.

You can learn more about Half Step and their artisanal ice making process here. 

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When looking for a home, there are a lot of factors to consider. And if you're looking to rent one while raising a family — well that's a whole different story. 

Rent.com has compiled a list of the best cities to rent if it's you plus two, or three, or eight.

Some of the factors the website looked at were average household income, average rent, crime rate, test scores at schools, population of other families, and the amount of properties to rent.

Here are the top 15 cities for renters raising a family:

1. Livingston, NJ

Median Household Income: $134,358

2BR Median Rent: $2,338

Total Crime Risk: 4

Great School Rate: 9

2. Ladera Ranch, CA

Median Household Income: $135, 147

2BR Median Rent: $1,793

Total Crime Risk: 13

Great School Rate: 9.3

3. Tenafly, NJ

Median Household Income: $133,401

2BR Median Rent: $1,855

Total Crime Risk: 18

Great School Rate: 9.5

4. Milburn, NJ

Median Household Income: $171, 968

2BR Median Rent: $1,800

Total Crime Risk: 4

Great School Rate: 9

5. Yorba Linda, CA

Median Household Income: $116,806

2BR Median Rent: $1,574

Total Crime Risk: 27

Great School Rate: 8.8

6. Darien, CT

Median Household Income: $183, 743

2BR Median Rent: $3,590

Total Crime Risk:

Great School Rate: 

7. El Dorado Hills, CA

Median Household Income: $118, 148

2BR Median Rent: $1,339

Total Crime Risk: 27

Great School Rate: 9.5

8. Evans, GA

Median Household Income: $95,454

2BR Median Rent: $2,251

Total Crime Risk: 22

Great School Rate: 9.2

9. Ridgewood, NJ

Median Household Income: $146,748

2BR Median Rent: $2,015

Total Crime Risk: 21

Great School Rate: 8.8

10. Mt. Juliet, TN

Median Household Income: $71,999

2BR Median Rent: $981

Total Crime Risk: 16

Great School Rate: 9.5

11. Westfield, NJ

Median Household Income: $130,615

2BR Median Rent: $1,743

Total Crime Risk: 28

Great School Rate: 9

12. Wilton, CT

Median Household Income: $161,088

2BR Median Rent: $3,383

Total Crime Risk: 4

Great School Rate: 9.5

13. Rancho Palos Verdes, CA

Median Household Income: $101,010

2BR Median Rent: $2,357

Total Crime Risk: 25

Great School Rate: 9

14. Los Altos, CA

Median Household Income: $132,933

2BR Median Rent: $2,813

Total Crime Risk: 26

Great School Rate: 9.7

15. New Providence, NJ

Median Household Income: $103,562

2BR Median Rent: $1,688

Total Crime Risk: 16

Great School Rate: 9

SEE ALSO: Here's How Much Real Estate A Million Dollars Buys You In Every Major US City

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Opening a new restaurant can be a huge gamble, as it can be close to impossible to predict what food concepts will catch on with consumers. 

Dinner Lab, a startup that hosts dinner parties for an exclusive group of paying members, claims that it can reduce the restaurant business down to a science. Over the next several weeks, it will be taking data from a series of events across the U.S. to create what it says will be the very first crowdsourced restaurant.

"We believe we can normalize data from thousands of people across the U.S. and get a restaurant to maximize their meals in the market," Dinner Lab co-founder and CEO Brian Bordainick said to Business Insider. 

Dinner Lab has been hosting pop-up food events for a year and a half. According to Bordainick, the idea surfaced when he and his co-founders were living in New Orleans and becoming frustrated at how difficult it was to get a quality dining experience after 9 p.m. Their original business plan was to host dinner parties that started at midnight, but that plan flopped when they realized their guests had become too inebriated by that time of the night.

Even though their initial concept failed, in the process they had became acquainted with many New Orleans-based chefs who were looking to do something beyond their usual routine. 

"These chefs wanted to cook things they actually cared about, and they wanted feedback," Bordainick said. "That really became the backbone of our brand." 

To join Dinner Lab, members pay annual dues between $100 and $175, depending on their home market. Members become eligible to purchase tickets for specific events, which range in price from $50 to $95 and include at least five courses and alcohol pairings. 

Each event is different, with a different chef setting a menu each night. The location also constantly changes, with dinners taking place in some pretty unconventional spots: helipads, factories, and piers are among some of the more interesting locations.  

After dinner, attendees fill out a comment card, where they're asked to rate the meal based on its creativity, taste, portion size, and temperature. They're also asked to comment on whether they think certain items belong on a restaurant menu. 

 "The data we're collecting is unlike anything else in the industry," Bordainick said. "We hit about 97% of our diners filling out the feedback card."

According to Bordainick, that direct feedback can be tailored many different ways to get some very specific — and very valuable — data.

"You can begin to pinpoint, for example, that 35-year-old males in New York are reacting to tuna tartare this way and in Nashville this way. Asian cuisine is a huge hole in Nashville, while in L.A. it's Indian. That way, the chef can be a little more informed on that market," he said. "If this system works, we can continue this process over and over again. It can become more of a marketplace where emerging talent can come to us, and we help them open up a concept that works."

Dinner Lab has already grown rapidly, expanding to 10 markets and bringing on 55 full-time employees in just over a year of business. 

"A year ago we were in our first office, which was a ground-floor apartment in New Orleans where we were washing dishes in the bath tub," Bordainick said. "It's pretty serious growth in a short amount of time." 

Starting in two weeks, the company will amplify its effort to crowdsource diners' desires. Dinner Lab will embark on a 10-week tour around the country, visiting all 10 of its markets — New York City, New Orleans, Austin, Chicago, Washington, D.C., Miami, Nashville, Atlanta, Los Angeles, and San Francisco — cycling its best chefs through each one, and collecting a ton of data.

The company hopes it can use its findings to create a restaurant that's perfect for a particular market. 

"Some big-name chefs may say it can't be scientific, and we agree with them to a certain extent. It's so hard to predict consumer behavior," Bordainick said. "But it doesn't make sense to me that people wouldn't want to have as informed a decision as possible."

Those interested in participating in the trial process can purchase tickets on Dinner Lab's website starting this Wednesday. 

Check out this video from the New Yorker to get a closer look at a typical Dinner Lab event.

SEE ALSO: Why Two Top Chefs Left The Restaurant World To Cook Lunch At A New York Startup

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People often think they only need to stop eating and wearing animals to go vegan.

But many surprising foods and items contain byproducts you'd never imagine.

We listed 13 of the most shocking ones below.

1. Beer

Guinness contains Isinglass, a chemical found in fish bladders. Isinglass gathers stray yeast cells during the fermenting process and solidifies them into a mass which settles on the bottom of the barrel for removal.

2. Perfume

Some scents, especially those that smell like vanilla, list castoreum as an ingredient. Castoreum comes from beavers' castor sacs — a gland located between the animal's pelvis and the base of its tail.

Also used as a flavor, "Fernelli's Handbook of Flavor Ingredients" lists the byproduct as an ingredient in frozen dairy, gelatins, puddings, and nonalcoholic beverages.

3. Plastic bags

Many plastics, like commercial shopping bags, contain chemicals often referred to as "slip agents," which are derived from the stearic acid in animal fat. They essentially prevent the polymers from sticking to metals during manufacturing and clinging to each other afterward. Some bike tires also contain these elements.

4. Downy

Downy, the detergent endorsed by the snuggly child, contains dihydrogenated tallow dimethyl ammonium chloride— or a derivative of rendered cattle, sheep, and horse fat mixed with ammonium. This process creates a quaternary ammonium compound, or a quat, which basically coats your clothes in lipids, making them feel soft.

5. Sugar

The refining processes for both white and brown sugar often use bone char, a granular material from animal ashes. It gives sugar its white color.

6. Condoms

Traditionally, condom production has included the addition of casein, a protein found in animal milk, which acts as a lubricant. Some brands, like GLYDE, however, have gone vegan.

7. Nail polish

Shimmery cosmetics, like nail polish or lipstick, contain guanine (sometimes listed as "pearl essence"), one of the four base components of RNA and DNA. Companies obtain it from fish (notably, herring) scales.

8. Crayons

As part of the rendering industry, which disposes of otherwise unused animal waste, the creation of crayons often includes animal fat, according to a 2004 Congressional report.

Paraffin is the main ingredient in the most popular crayons, but not many would expect mammalian byproducts in children's art supplies.

9. Cake mixes

Cake mixes sometimes contain beef fat, according to Ann Byrn's book, "The Cake Mix Doctor." Many call for oil or shortening while others just add dehydrated versions of these to minimize the additional ingredients required. Hostess, a confectionery company which recently went under new management, also puts beef fat in their famous cupcakes.

10. Red candy

Red cochineal beetles, when dried and crushed, produce a powder called carmine, which is used as an all-encompassing dye in red foods like candy, ice cream, and yogurt. Though it previously slipped under the radar as "artificial coloring," the FDA has required manufacturers to explicitly list carmine on food labels since early 2011.

Edible shellac, also known as confectioner's glaze, coats most hard, shiny candy, with the notable exception of M&Ms. It's made from the excretions of female lac bugs (Kerria lacca).

11. Some orange juice

Many companies now supplement orange juice with Omega-3 fatty acids, found in fish. Such ingredients are broadly defined as "neutraceuticals," or food-derived additives that are meant to increase consumer health.

12. Bagels

L-cysteine, a chemical in bread products, is made mostly from bird feathers with some human and hog hair mixed in. While companies can make synthetic L-cys (for short), it's an expensive process. Most of the industrially used chemical is extracted from animals and used in products like bagels and Lunchables, according to Mother Jones.

13. Cigarettes

Hemoglobin derived from pig's blood is — or at least once was— included in some cigarette filters.

SEE ALSO: 7 Foods We Should Be Eating But Aren't

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Tiger Woods, Lebron James, Maria Sharapova and David Beckham. These are superstar athletes making a fortune from multi-million dollar endorsement deals.

We've compiled the largest individual endorsement deals among professional athletes.

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