Whether you're traveling for business or pleasure, you're going to need the right bag to get everything where you're going.

But before you even start packing, picking a suitcase is the crucial first decision.

We turned to the experts at FindTheBest to help us determine the best, most affordable luggage in three popular categories: hard-side, soft-side and carry-on. 

Travel product managers at FindTheBest picked the luggage based on price, size, warranty and durability.

The site provided descriptions of what made each bag a top choice in its category.

Carry-on Bags

Pacific Gear 20-Inch Carry-On Friendly Rolling Duffel: "Has a nice, compact duffel-bag feel, but the built-in wheels and retractable handle make transportation a breeze." [$40]

Delsey Helium Quantum Tote: "A business-like carry-on ideal for transporting laptops, tablets, books, and paperwork." [$60]

Samsonite Aspire Sport Upright 21 Expandable Bag: "A particularly large carry-on that will just squeeze by the TSA. Good for heavy packers." [$77]

Hardside Luggage

Delsey Helium Shadow 2.0 25 Trolley: "Great combination of light weight and durability." [$135]

Ricardo Beverly Hills Pasadena 2.0 24 Expandable Spinner Upright: "A simple looking piece of luggage with features that sneak up on you. Try the expandable compartments inside." [$138]

Travelpro Crew 9 25 Expandable Hardside Spinner: "Customers praise its reliable, flexible roller wheels, which provide fluid motion but also withstand years of use." [$170]

Softside Luggage

Samsonite Aspire Sport 29 Upright: "A little-bit-of-everything piece of luggage—lots of internal space, great extra compartments, expandable. Hard to find all these features at this price." [$90]

High Sierra Evolution 25 Upright: "Surprisingly light for its size and space." [$99]

Delsey Helium Quantum 29 Expandable Trolley: "Luggage tends to get a lot more expensive at this size, but the Delsey Helium Quantum 29 has a price tag you'd expect on a piece half the size." [$102]

SEE ALSO: 15 Ways Men Can Make Their Clothing Last Forever

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Despite substantial financial aid many students say they will never be able to keep up with the myriad costs of college life — as University of Pennsylvania students told The Daily Pennsylvanian for a recent feature on how students spend money

The student newspaper spoke to a range of students with financial concerns, including some who receive a large amount of aid from the university and some who are just budget conscious. "For most of these students, who generally did not come from cultures of wealth and privilege, arriving at Penn was a culture shock," according to The DP.

One student spoke candidly about how money has impacted her daily life on campus.

"I try to work 15 hours a week, which is 15 hours I'm not doing homework, or sleeping or whatever. I have to compete with people who have the luxury of not having to do that. It changes the way you see earning money," she said.

Many students told The DP that most of their monetary decisions involve aspects of campus life that other students don't have to think about — like living in an on-campus dorm or joining Penn's popular Greek system. They said they often need to strategize and budget in order to maintain a "normal" undergraduate experience:

"The kids in my frat go downtown every single week," Daniel says. "When you go downtown, it's $10 for cab, $10 back…every time you go downtown it's at least $100. I'm not really into that whole scene." On the occasions he does go, he drinks beforehand to avoid spending money on expensive drinks and bottle service. "You are able to do things wealthy people do, you just have to find a way to do it cheaply." But spring break—an institution in his house—complicated that. Finding the money for a $1,500 trip, he says, required planning nearly a year in advance. "I told my parents, don't get me anything for Christmas, no birthday presents."

Another student told The DP that she actively avoids going out for dinner with friends because she has prioritized spending her money elsewhere, such as towards her sorority dues and other Greek expenses. "Thus far this year, God, with big–little week it's over $1,000 that I’ve spent on a sorority ... It goes to show you that it's not like I don't have the means to do that, because if I truly was struggling in any way, I'd cut it out," she said.

Read the full story at The Daily Pennsylvanian's weekly magazine, 34th Street >>

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One of the biggest perks of owning a $60,000+ Tesla is that you get free access to their Supercharger stations. For life.

So, if you want to take your Tesla Model S on a road trip, you can pull into any Supercharger station and fully recharge the battery in just half an hour.

We wanted to find out what goes on at these Supercharger stations, and what there is to do while you wait for your Model S to charge. So we drove out of New York City to the nearest one, in Darien, Connecticut.

Produced by William Wei

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Doha, Qatar is one of the fastest-growing cities in the world.

Thanks to its oil and gas resources and international real estate holdings, Qatar’s tiny capital has rapidly expanded in recent decades. And it's not done growing— 47 new skyscrapers, huge malls, spa villages, and even artificial islands are currently in the works.

Doha is slated host the FIFA World Cup in its brand-new stadium in 2022.

Producer Hussam Maatouk and San Diego photographer Michael Shainblum created a beautiful time-lapse video called "Welcome to Doha" that shows the city's construction projects, factories, and downtown area (first spotted on PetaPixel).

See inside the gorgeous Middle Eastern city below.

SEE ALSO: Incredible Photos Show How Qatar Has Transformed Over 40 Years

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On the first day of President Barack Obama's trip to Asia, he and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe dined at a legendary sushi restaurant made famous by a 2011 documentary. 

The restaurant, Sukiyabashi Jiro, earned a rare three-star Michelin rating, which means it has "exceptional cuisine" and is "worth a special journey."

It is one of 13 three-star restaurants in Tokyo, and there are only 10 seats. That combination makes it especially hard to secure reservations. In early April the restaurant was already fully booked until the beginning of May.

Chef Jiro Ono, 87, is considered to be one of the top sushi chefs in the world. Ono prepares the sushi himself. His recommended special course — which features a rare, endangered species of bluefin tuna— starts at about $300. It includes more than a dozen courses served in about 20 minutes.

Obama and Abe's dinner lasted about an hour and a half.

"That's some good sushi right there," Obama told reporters as he left the restaurant.

Obama and Abe were joined at dinner by the U.S. ambassador to Japan, Caroline Kennedy, and White House national security adviser Susan Rice.

The dinner kicked off Obama's week in Asia, as he finally makes the trip he canceled last fall because of the federal government shutdown. Obama's trip is meant to reassure allies in Japan and South Korea amid rising tensions with China and, more unpredictability, North Korea. 

Here's the trailer for "Jiro Dreams of Sushi," the 2011 documentary that helped launch Ono to fame:

SEE ALSO: Obama Ate At Tokyo Restaurant That Serves Endangered Tuna Sushi

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Cold brew has become the go-to summertime drink for caffeine addicts. Making it yourself isn't complicated, but it does involve letting the brew steep overnight.

However, if you're looking for a quicker fix, try this simple recipe for Japanese-style cold brew.

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Unprecedented interest in income inequality has sent a complex book by economist Thomas Piketty to the top of the charts on Amazon.com.

"Capital in the Twenty-First Century" presents centuries of data on the accumulation and distribution of capital and chilling insights about the present and the future. Income inequality has been getting much worse for decades, and this could just be the start.

If Piketty is right, then global politics could get antagonistic, unstable, and potentially dangerous.

Rising inequality could also hurt the economy, as Wall Street is starting to notice. As noted by Société Générale strategist Albert Edwards, "you don't have to be a communist to conclude that high levels of inequality not only adversely affects long-term growth, but also increases the economy’s vulnerability to recession."

We've gathered charts from Piketty and others that show the scale of the problem.

The top 0.1% of Americans claim a near-record 9% of income, up from 2% at midcentury.

The top 0.1% holds a near-record 22% of the wealth.

The top 0.1% are leaving behind the rest of the 1% — and the top 0.01% are even more out of control.

President Barack Obama had dinner with  Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at legendary Tokyo sushi restaurant Sukiyabashi Jiro Wednesday. The Michelin-starred restaurant gained fame after being featured in the 2011 documentary "Jiro Dreams of Sushi" and its chef, Jiro Ono, is widely regarded as one of the world's finest sushi masters. However, the restaurant serves endangered bluefin tuna as part of its signature "special course."

The White House did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider about whether Obama ate bluefin while he was at the restaurant, but the fish is included in the only item on the menu, the 30,000 Yen "Chef's Recommended Special Course."

Though Sukiyabashi Jiro's site doesn't go into detail about what is included in the special course, Japanese site Rocket News 24 published a detailed rundown of the meal that notes it includes "top loin of bluefin tuna." Pictures of the "special course" on the Sukiyabashi Jiro webpage also show tuna along with the meal. The "special course" only lasts about 19 minutes, which means diners consume about $15 of fish each minute they are in the restaurant.

Its not clear what type of bluefin tuna is served at Sukiyabashi Jiro, but all varieties of the fish are threatened. Two of the three main varieties of the fish, Atlantic and Southern Bluefin Tuna, are officially recognized as endangered. The third variety, Pacific Bluefin, has not yet received that designation. However, a new assessment published by the International Scientific Committee For Tuna and Tuna-like Species in the North Pacific Ocean Monday found overfishing has brought the number of Pacific Bluefin tuna down 96 percent to "historically low" levels.

Ono addressed overfishing in "Jiro Dreams of Sushi." The famed chef said restaurants might need to find substitutes "for certain fish," but he claimed it would not be possible to replace tuna on sushi menus.

"Is there a substitute for tuna? I don’t think so," Ono said.

Obama and Abe were joined at the restaurant by US Ambassador to Japan Caroline Kennedy and national security adviser Susan Rice. According to the press pool report, after leaving the restaurant, Obama praised the food

"That's some good sushi right there," he said.

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President Obama and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe just finished a meal at Tokyo's Sukiyabashi Jiro, one of the best sushi restaurants in the world.

Sukiyabashi Jiro is headed up by 89-year-old master chef Jiro Ono. In addition to his restaurant's three-star Michelin rating, Jiro is widely regarded as the world’s top sushi chef and was featured in the 2011 documentary "Jiro Dreams of Sushi."

His 20-course sushi meal is expensive — 30,000 Japanese yen (just under $300) — and lasts just 15 to 20 minutes as courses are served in rapid succession. 

Obama and Abe's dinner at the 10-seat restaurant, which is located in a subway station, lasted a leisurely hour and a half.

"That's some good sushi right there," Obama told reporters as he left the restaurant.

A food blogger who goes by Little Meg dined at Sukiyabashi Jiro in Tokyo at the end of last year. Her Instagram pictures show what it’s like to dine on some of the world's best sushi.

Hirame is a light flatfish that cleanses the palate and prepares diners for the fishier bites to come. It sits atop Jiro's famous rice which is slightly acidic (it has hints of vinegar) to complement the fish flavors.

It's followed by Sumi Ika, or squid, which has a slightly rubbery texture, but fresh taste. 

The Buri or adult Yellowtail Tuna is next. It's brushed lightly with soy sauce.

Then it's time for the Tuna trifecta made with tuna nigiri, which is aged up to 10 days. The sequence goes from lean to extra-fatty tuna. The chef starts with Akami or lean tuna.

Next is Chu-toro, or medium-fatty tuna.

And then Oo-toro, or premium fatty tuna. This one melts on your tongue and has a hint of wasabi between the fish and the rice.

The Holy Grail of tuna is followed by Kohada or Gizzard Shad, a type of herring.

And then Akagai (Ark Shell) and Saba (Mackerel). 

Aji (or Jack Mackerel) follows with a light fish flavor balanced by the rice.

The tiger shrimp (or Kuruma Ebi) is cut into two pieces — one the head, the other the tail.

The chewy Hamaguri (clam) is lightly brushed with a sweet glaze and is rich in flavor.

The Iwashi (sardine) is exceptional. It has a hint of fish brine while still tasting fresh.

A crunchy seaweed outer layer surrounds the Uni (sea urchin). As creamy as ice cream, this is another standout for diners.

It's followed by both Ikura (Salmon Roes) and Kobashira (baby scallops). 

The Anago, a type of sea eel, melts in your mouth. It almost tastes sweet, and the chefs encourage everyone to eat it without soy sauce.

Last comes the Tamago or the moist egg sponge cake. It has a distinct sweet flavor and a fluffy texture.

Guests are then taken away from the sushi bar and to a table in the back where they're served melon and tea.  

SEE ALSO: 22 Mouthwatering Pictures Of Sushi At New York's Newest 4-Star Restaurant

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Soon, you'll be able to stay on Marlon Brando's private island.

A new insanely luxurious resort, aptly-named The Brando, will open in July on the atoll of Tetiaroa in French Polynesia. Tetiaroa is made up of 12 smaller islands (called motus), with the resort located on Onetahi, the island historically known as a retreat for Tahitian royalty.

Legendary actor Marlon Brando, who bought the island in 1967, was dedicated to its welfare for over 30 years. 

Today, the resort states, "Our mission is to provide one of the most luxurious, authentic and enriching travel experiences available anywhere in the world in an environmentally sensitive, sustainable and culturally rich manner."

Following in its namesake's sustainability efforts, The Brando plans to uselocal materials in its construction and renewable energies such as solar energy and coconut oil. They're even  implementing a deep seawater air-conditioning system.

But the eco-friendly resort doesn't come cheap. Its "soft opening" rate from July to September for a one-bedroom villa is close to $2,500 per night per person. After those beginning months, the price jumps up to $4,142 per person. That means that a three-night minimum stay in their three-bedroom villa would cost a mind boggling $37,279. For one person.

But maybe Marlon can convince you it's worth it: "My mind is always soothed when I imagine myself sitting on my South Sea island at night." There you have it.

The resort sits on a motus surrounding a three-mile wide lagoon. The whole property is privately owned and available exclusively to the resort’s guests and visiting researchers. The only access is by a 20-minute private flight from Tahiti.

One of the key missions of the resort is protecting and preserving the habitat and local wildlife. They even established a scientific research station dedicated to preservation issues.

The atoll also has a rich history. It served as a summer residence for the former Tahitian royalty, where the young chiefs competed in archery tournaments while the princesses would pamper themselves under the shade of the coconut trees.

Saudi Arabia is expected to begin work on the Kingdom Tower next week. 

The building in Jeddah is expected to cost $1.23 billion and stand 3,280 feet tall, according to the Saudi Gazette.

That's 568 feet taller than Dubai’s Burj Khalifa.

Construction is also underway on Sky City in China, projected to be 2,749 feet tall. Sky City is expected to finish before the Kingdom Tower and will, for a very brief period, hold the title of the world's tallest building.

Two years ago, Barclays introduced its Skyscraper Index, which suggests that construction booms, highlighted by record-breaking skyscrapers, coincide with the beginning of economic  downturns.

In his 2012 report, Barclays' Andrew Lawrence and his team wrote that this is because "the world’s tallest buildings are simply the edifice of a broader skyscraper building boom, reflecting a widespread misallocation of capital and an impending economic correction."

But it isn't just the world's tallest building we should be looking at. Lawrence said it's also important to look at the number of skyscrapers being built and their geographic profile. This is because the tallest buildings "rarely stand alone."

With this in mind, investors should watch the building booms in China, India, and Saudi Arabia.

Here's a look at the Skyscraper Index from Barclays (click the image to enlarge). Basically, what you see is a series of famous skyscrapers associated with subsequent busts. The most recent one is Dubai's Burg Khalifa. Another notable recent one is Malaysia's Petronas Towers, which presaged the Asian economic crisis of the late '90s.

Drawing on Barclays' Skyscraper Index, we pulled 10 skyscrapers whose constructions coincided with the financial crises of their times.

Equitable Life Building (1873)

The Long Depression, 1873–1878

The pervasive U.S. economic recession with bank failures that came to be known as the Long Depression coincided with the construction of the Equitable Life Building in New York City in 1873. At the time the building was the first skyscraper at a height of 142 feet.

Source: Barclays

Auditorium (1889) and New York World (1890)

British Banking Crisis, 1890

Chicago's 269-foot-tall Auditorium building, completed in 1889, and the 309-foot-tall New York World building, completed in 1890, coincided with the British banking crisis of 1890 and a world recession.

Source: Barclays

Masonic Temple, Manhattan Life Building, and Milwaukee City Hall (1893)

U.S. panic marked by the collapse of railroad overbuilding, 1893

Chicago's 302-foot-tall Masonic Temple, the 348-foot-tall Manhattan Life Building, and the 353-foot-tall Milwaukee City Hall coincided with the U.S. panic of 1893 marked by the collapse of railroad overbuilding. It also coincided with a string of bank failures and a run on gold.

Source: Barclays

Florida became a state in 1845. Here are 7 incredible facts relating to its outsized influence across the U.S.

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A group of weight lifters, snowboarders, and rock climbers in Nevada who were frustrated with their inability to find jeans that fit have started their own company. 

Barbell denim jeans are "made to fit comfortably over muscular legs by accommodating your quads and butt without forcing you to buy larger sizes for the small waist you work so hard for," the company writes on its Kickstarter page. 

The Kickstarter campaign was launched Monday and has raised more than $184,000 so far. 

The jeans are different because they have a cut that allows for more 'flexibility and freedom of movement," co-owner Hunter Molzen told Fast Company. 

"They began by taking the average measurements of their athletic friends and families and even from strangers who agreed to participate," according to Fast Company. "After crunching the averages, they found that for these types of people, the ratio between waist, thigh, and butt measurements was much different from that found in the typical denim cut."

After months of testing, they settled upon cuts that were comfortable and flexible. 

Molzen tells Fast Company that the jeans can accommodate bulky, athletic types as well as more standard body types. 

Here are some features the company highlights on its Kickstarter page: 

Jeans can be pre-ordered for $109. 

SEE ALSO: The Best Fast Food In America

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Shaving your head is a great style choice for men, and you don't have to be intimidated when you go under the razor.

Business Insider's entertainment reporter, Frank Pallotta, was in need of a fresh cut, so we stopped by Fellow Barber in SoHo. Clark Walker showed us the proper way for a head shave whether at home or with a barber.

Be sure to check out Fellow Barber's other New York locations in the West Village and Williamsburg, as well as their San Francisco shop. 

Produced by Sam Rega. Additional camera by Graham Flanagan.

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Your early 20s are a strange time in your life. It's usually the first time you're figuring out what it means to be an adult.

Whether you're still in school or recently graduated, on your own or still living with your parents, you could benefit from some advice from those who've already figured out how to survive in the real world.

In a recent Quora thread, users addressed the question: "What can I do in my 20s that will benefit my future self?"

We've summarized some of the best responses, beginning with several insights from Shikhar Agarwal, a young computer engineer living in Palo Alto, Calif., whose insights led the discussion.

If you're in your early 20s, Agarwal says you should...

1. Learn to manage and balance your time.

Without the structure of school, it's up to you to figure how to organize your day. Since you'll be busy laying the foundation for your career, investing in your romantic life, and trying to have time left over for yourself, you'll need to figure out how to prioritize and juggle competing demands. Agarwal recommends experimenting with different approaches until you've mastered the art of time management. 

2. Put down your smartphone.

This generation grew up with social media, and many are probably too attached to their smartphones. Realize that someone liking your photo on Facebook or upvoting your post on Reddit isn't as important as what's going on around you. If you're living in the moment, you can actually learn something, listen better, and contribute to the conversation.

3. Travel as much as you can.

As Agarwal puts it, when you're in your early 20s, "you are mature enough to go out on your own and immature enough to learn from others." Take trips that introduce you to new cultures and open your mind to new ways of thinking. In addition to gaining confidence and social skills, you'll make memories that will last the rest of your life.

4. Pursue passion, not money.

At this stage, you likely do not have a spouse, kids, and a mortgage to take care of. Use this freedom to follow your heart rather than a big paycheck. Agarwal referenced a Steve Jobs' quote: "If you don't love something, you're not going to go the extra mile, work the extra weekend, challenge the status quo as much."

5. Figure out who you really are.

Use this period in your life to figure out what truly drives you, what scares you, what your strengths and weaknesses are, and who truly cares about you. Understanding who you are and what you'd like to achieve in life will give you peace of mind and set you up for success.

6. Remember that a larger world exists beyond your doorstep.

As you become more successful, give back to society's less fortunate. Whether it's by volunteering or donating to charity, plenty of evidence shows that those who pay it forward lead much happier lives than those who don't.

Other Quora users weighed in as well, saying you should...

7. Learn to ignore the voice that tells you to give up.

Fight the voice in your head urging you take the easy route. If you don't learn to ignore it, that same voice will plague you throughout your life, whether you're trying to be healthier or gunning for a promotion. If you can overcome it, "you can push yourself to heights never imagined, and it will help you during hard times." —Sang Young Noh

8. Start saving.

Even if you're paying off student loans, you should start a habit of setting aside a portion of every paycheck in an emergency fund. Set a goal of having enough money to cover at least six months of expenses, in case of an injury or job loss. Make sure to also take advantage of a retirement plan offered by your employer, because you'll appreciate the accrued interest years from now. —Drew Eckhardt

9. Take care of your body.

You're in the prime of your life. Now's the time to establish healthy exercise and eating habits, because it won't be as easy to change once you grow older. And take good care of your skin to avoid the onset of wrinkles. —Mo Seetubtim

10. Get as much education as possible, be it in the classroom or not.

If you want to get a graduate degree, go for it. But even if you don't spend any additional time in the classroom, read as much as possible, about as many things as possible. Learn a new language; get some writing published. You'll never have as much free time and energy as you do now, so gain as much knowledge as you can. —Bill Welsh

11. Accept your mistakes and learn from them.

As you establish yourself in the world, you're going to make mistakes in all aspects of your life. Don't react too emotionally to any of them, and make sure that you learn how to avoid repeating them. "If you understand this, it will make you patient with other people who make mistakes, and you will learn forgiveness. It's a very short hop from there to kindness, the greatest virtue a human being can have." —Bill Welsh

SEE ALSO: 10 Lessons That Will Help You Excel In Your 30s

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A small team of Russian photographers have quietly been creating some of the most detailed panoramas in the world

AirPano is made of eight team members, who have wide-ranging backgrounds (civil engineering and medical cybernetics, among others). The amateur photographers are currently traveling around the world, shooting major cities and other sites of interest. 

The group mainly shoots from helicopters, using a specialized rig that holds 3-4 cameras, arranged circularly. They also sometimes shoot from rooftops or use light jets, dirigibles, hot air balloons and radio-controlled helicopters. 

Sergey Semonov, who created a panorama of Manhattan that won first prize at the Epson International Photographic Pano Awards, told The Atlantic why he finds panoramic photography so interesting.

"I like new, progressive and unique things,” Semonov said.

The group has created over 700 panoramas already, which you can check out on their website. We’ve put together a selection of our favorites.

This is the shot of Central Park that won first prize at the Epson International Photographic Pano Awards. It became a mini-sensation earlier this year when it was first published.

All of the Russian photographers are amateurs and run AirPano for fun. For this one, they traveled to Churun-meru (Dragon) fall in Venezuela.

For this panorama of Mount Everest, photographer Ivan Roslyakov traveled to a record height above Everest at 23294 feet.

It's common knowledge that Ernest Hemingway enjoyed his liquor, but he wasn't alone.

Truman Capote called screwdrivers his "orange drink," J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis would often grab beers together at a local pub and talk about their books, and Jane Austen would write letters to her sister about the luxury of drinking a fine French wine.

We put together a list of 14 authors and their favorite drinks, from absinthe to a gin and tonic, even throwing in one writer who was quite possibly the biggest coffee addict of all time.

SEE ALSO: The 5 Classic Cocktails That Everyone Should Know How To Make

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Scrabble combines the best aspects of language, strategy, and board gamery. 

But scoring well (and winning) doesn't happen easily. Certain actions can help you on the board though. 

We combined the seven hacks below from "Everything Scrabble," by John Edley and John D. Williams, Jr. as well as experts at Hasbro, the maker of the game.

1. Learn two- and three-letter words.

Played properly, two-letter and three-letter words can boost your score by up to 50 points a game.

2. Create two words at once using the letter "s."

You can add an "s" to the end of an already existing word on the board to pluralize it, while also creating an entirely new word. But use your "s" wisely. The game only contains four "s" tiles, so the move should earn at least 10 points to make it worthwhile. 

3. Place tiles that create common endings or beginnings on the appropriate sides of your rack.

Many words end in "-er," "-ed," or "-ing," so putting those on the left right side of your rack will help you visualize future options. You can also add these endings to existing words to make completely new ones.

The same applies to word-beginnings, like "un-," "in-," or "re-." But place those on the left side of your rack.

4. Look for "hooks."

Hooks are single letters you can add to existing words to make completely new ones. For example: "Lush" turns into "blush," "host" into "ghost," and "come" into "comet." 

Stay especially aware of words that could include "y," "e," "r," and "d" on the end (like handy, plane, and tamer/tamed). 

5. Head for the "hot spots."

Plan your game from the beginning to move toward "hot spots," better known as bonus squares, on the board. A well-executed triple word square can send your score into the triple digits.

6. Save some combination of the letters, AEILNRST.

While you can only have seven letters on your rack, some combination of the above letters will give you the best options for play. Hint: You can created "starline." 

Try to save the same number of vowels or one more consonant.

7. Learn "Q-without-U" words. 

The letter "q," the highest scoring scrabble tile along with "z," almost always precedes a "u." But again, the game only contains four "u" tiles, likely used in other words. 

The official Scrabble Dictionary lists 17 instances of "q-without-u" words: qabala, qabalah, qadi, qat, qaid, qi, qoph, faqir, mbaqanga, qanat, tranq, qindar, qintar, qwerty, sheqel, qindarka, and sheqalm. 

Adding "s" will pluralize all of those, except for the last two.

SEE ALSO: 13 Old English Words We Should Still Be Using Today

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Jim Koch, the co-founder and chairman of Boston Beer Company, the maker of Samuel Adams, recently did an interview with Esquire magazine.

In it, he revealed his secret to binge drinking without getting totally wasted — which seems like a useful tip for the executive of a beer company who might have to do a lot of taste testing. Or if you want to keep your head on at a work function. 

The secret, Koch told the magazine, is to take active dry yeast (which you can get at the grocery store) before drinking. He suggests taking one teaspoon per drink. Koch mixes it with yogurt to make the powder go down smoother, but you can eat it any way you want. 

How This Is Supposed To Work

The yeasts make an enzyme, called alcohol dehydrogenases (ADHs), that works to break down the alcohol before it hits our system. This supplements the natural breakdown of alcohol (about one to two drinks per hour) that our body normally does. The combined effect means that less alcohol reaches your blood and your brain — you don't get as drunk. 

If this works, there could be some downfalls.

Toxic byproducts are created when the ADHs break down the alcohol. This is what causes a hangover the morning after a night of heavy drinking. Since the yeasts add extra ADH into the body, thus creating more toxic byproducts, we are guessing this little trick could make your hangover worse, even if you managed to stay sober.

There's also a risk of getting too much yeast into your system. Since these organisms naturally produce alcohol, overdoing it on the yogurt-yeast concoction could have the opposite effect and make you drunker. In one case, a home brewer turned himself into a alcohol-creating machine whenever he ate too much sugar.

Doubts Are Surfacing

There are already some questions about the effectiveness of Koch's drink-without-getting-drunk method. Our stomachs are a tough place. They secrete all kinds of acidic compounds to break down food. And they naturally push food through our systems, so the yeast wouldn't stay in one place for long. 

Would the yeast even survive in your stomach long enough to keep you sober through an all-night binge?

On a skeptics forum, some people expressed their doubts. "The proposed mechanism of the higher alcohol tolerance is highly implausible," according to commenter Fabian. He cites two papers that have studied how these enzymes act in acidic (low pH) situations.

He explains: 

Inside the stomach the pH is around 1-2, the activity of enzymes is typically strongly dependent on the pH. Outside of their optimal pH range enzymes generally work much slower or not at all.

Yeast ADH has a pH optimum in the neutral to alkaline range, at low pH values it is not active at all. The following two papers looked at the effect of pH on ADH and both observed that ADH was unstable at low pH values

The yogurt may play a role in neutralizing some of the acid in the stomach, enabling the yeast to live on, even in the harsh environment, though even if the pH rises, it's likely a short window during which the alcohol-breakdown enzymes could work. 

Commenter Streblo says: "It takes about 45 minutes for your stomach to drop in pH after eating/drinking. Hence, I would argue there is a short, but plausible window for ADH to be active. Additionally, the ADH may be active in the small intestine rather than the stomach, per se."

Who volunteers to test it out?

SEE ALSO: Asparagus As A Hangover Cure?

THE MORE YOU KNOW: What Alcohol Does To Your Body And Mind

WHY WE LIKE ALCOHOL: An Evolutionary Explanation For Why We're Hard-Wired To Drink

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