Many people believe that cutting out gluten, the protein found in wheat, is helping them feel like their healthiest selves.

But while research suggests the vast majority of people don't need to avoid gluten, for people with celiac disease, an autoimmune disorder in which gluten damages the small intestine, a gluten-free diet is necessary to avoid some very nasty symptoms.

Going gluten-free means, yes, avoiding breads and other wheat-based products, but there are a number of other foods one wouldn't expect to contain gluten that could have it.

Here are 13 foods you should avoid if you have celiac:

SEE ALSO: 5 reasons NOT to jump on the gluten-free bandwagon

DON'T MISS: How fear of gluten is changing the food industry

Ice cream

Many brands and flavors of ice cream are already gluten-free, but some may contain wheat ingredients like wheat starch, malt, and some artificial colors and flavors.

Check the ingredients carefully before you buy, and absolutely avoid flavors like chocolate chip cookie dough, cookies and cream, and cake batter.

Oats/oatmeal

Not all oats are created equal, and not all oats are gluten-free. The biggest problem when it comes to oats, or oatmeal, is contamination, which can happen in the field (if oats and wheat are grown side-by-side) or during processing (if the oats are processed on equipment that also processes wheat).

Look for oats with a certified gluten-free label, and beware of molasses- and brown sugar-flavored varieties, which can sometimes contain wheat-bearing caramel coloring.

Soy sauce

As the name implies, soy sauce is made with soybeans that are steamed, fermented and aged, often with the addition of wheat for aroma and a bit of sweetness.

When shopping for soy sauce, opt for labels that specifically say gluten-free.

When starting college, dining-hall food is rarely something students look forward to.

But at some schools, it has become a gourmet experience.

To determine which schools are stepping up their food game, we looked at noteworthy rankings from outlets with expertise in colleges and food: The Daily Meal, The Princeton Review, and Niche.

Each school earned a numerical rating based on how many of the lists it appeared on and how high it appeared on those lists. Colleges that appeared on multiple rankings scored higher on ours, while those that ranked on only one of these lists ended up closer to the bottom.

From lobster bakes to waffle bars to steak dinners, these schools serve up dishes so good they make students forget they're in a dining hall.

SEE ALSO: The 30 colleges with the best dorms

DON'T MISS: The 50 best colleges in America

20. Saint Anselm College

With fewer than 2,000 students, Saint Anselm may be a small college, but it provides big flavor. The Manchester, New Hampshire-based school's main dining hall features an "action station" where chefs prepare paninis, Asian noodle bowls, burritos, and sautéed pasta on the spot. There's also a deli, grill, and salad bar, so students can always find something to suit their cravings.

Students can also satisfy their sweet tooth with a trip to the bulk candy bar, a self-serve milkshake made from real Hershey's ice cream, or a slice of apple pie from the in-house bake shop.

19. High Point University

The multitude of options at High Point University in North Carolina make food the last thing busy students have to worry about. A single meal plan swipe gets students access to all-you-can-eat buffets at three locations, which feature amenities such as a trail-mix bar, omelet station, and baked-potato bar.

Students can also class things up at 1924 Prime, an on-campus steakhouse that takes meal swipes. Menu options include cast-iron seared duck breast and filet mignon.

18. University of Scranton

In addition to a wide selection of enticing dishes— think grilled barbecue pork chops, cod bruschetta, and creamy parmesan penne — the University of Scranton's food services focus on health as well. In the all-you-can-eat dining hall, students can choose options that are low in fat or sodium, under 500 calories, vegetarian, baked instead of fried, or high in calcium.

The Scranton, Pennsylvania-based school also has a food court full of favorite spots like Chick-fil-a and Starbucks.

We often hear about the best colleges in the US, but there are dozens more outstanding schools that don't always get the recognition they deserve.

To discover the most underrated colleges in America, we compared US News and World Report's rankings of the best universities and the best liberal-arts colleges in the country with PayScale's 2015-16 College Salary Report, which ranked more than 1,000 colleges and universities based on their graduates' mid-career salaries.

We considered two factors: reputation and future earnings, specifically looking for schools that had relatively low rankings on the US News list but high mid-career salaries. You can read the full methodology here.

Pace University topped the list, with the Missouri University of Science and Technology and the New Jersey Institute of Technology rounding out the top three.

Scroll to learn more about the 50 most underrated colleges in America.

Additional reporting by Melissa Stanger.

SEE ALSO: The 50 best colleges in America

DON'T MISS: The 24 best liberal-arts colleges in America

50. University of Dayton

Location: Dayton, Ohio

Median mid-career salary: $88,700

The Catholic institution in Dayton, Ohio, encourages its nearly 9,000 students to actively practice their faith through liturgies, spiritual retreats, and special programs such as PORCH (People of Respect, Compassion, and Hope). UD's website says it is also committed to making the school "greener, more global, and more diverse."

49. Oklahoma State University

Location: Stillwater, Oklahoma

Median mid-career salary: $86,700

The Stillwater campus is the flagship of the Oklahoma State University System, and the school is in the top 25% of universities by return on investment. While athletes and sports enthusiasts flock to OSU for its championship-winning teams, the school is also a prominent research university and offers 200 undergraduate majors through its six colleges.

48. University of St. Thomas

Location: St. Paul, Minnesota

Median mid-career salary: $91,300

There are plenty of opportunities available on St. Thomas' main campus in St. Paul, Minnesota, where students take advantage of the school's 90 undergraduate degrees or work toward a self-designed specialty degree. St. Thomas encourages students to get off campus, too — the school offers 150 study-abroad programs in 50 countries.

Cars may be machines, but they can still touch the heart and provoke strong emotions.

Curving lines, powerful engines, and outrageous luxury can draw people in just as much as a pretty face.

People have been falling in love with their cars for 100 years.

That's why we've assembled this list of the 50 sexiest cars of the past century.

We've got American muscle, Italian speed, and British luxury. We even have Swedish power.

Some of these cars were lemons, some were total flops. Others were wildly successful and are still on the market today. But every last one is packed with sex appeal.

[An earlier version of this story was written by Alex Davies.]

50. A rather hefty ride, the Hummer H2 has none of the sleek characteristics that often make for a sexy car. Its appealing, brawny look marked the heyday of the big American SUV.

49. A product of the late 1960s and early 1970s, the Miura was one of the first cars Lamborghini built to rival Ferrari (Ferruccio Lamborghini founded the car company after making his money in tractors). The model pictured here once belonged to Frank Sinatra.

48. Maserati was founded in 1914, but it didn't build a grand touring car (for luxury and long drives) until 1957, when the 3500GT went into production. With room for four and a straight-six cylinder engine, it was a beautiful machine.

Being beautiful means big bucks.

Supermodel Linda Evangelista once said "I don't get out of bed for less than $10,000 a day," and it looks as if nothing's changed in modelling.

Models are such business powerhouses today, commanding huge salaries for a single campaign, thanks in part to their personal branding.

Kendall Jenner, the half-sister of reality-TV star Kim Kardashian, has become one the highest-paid models in just one year, and she has millions of followers on social media.

Brands know that if she puts a picture on Instagram or Twitter, she could get the label more exposure than traditional ads.

Modelling for Victoria's Secret gives models a massive boost to their careers and allows them to command some of the highest pay in the fashion world. Even Kendall Jenner made the Victoria's Secret runway this month.

We looked at Forbes' latest data, which covers the June 2014 to June 2015 period, to see who the biggest earners in the industry are.

19. Jourdan Dunn: $3.5 million (£2.2 million). Dunn was discovered in a London branch of budget fashion retailer Primark and ended up securing deals with Maybelline and Calvin Klein. She also models for Tommy Hilfiger and Burberry.

18. Kate Upton: $3.5 million (£2.2 million). Upton's earnings halved from last year but her biggest gig was starring in the estimated $40 million Super Bowl advert for "Game of War."

17. Hilary Rhoda: $3.5 million (£2.2 million). She's still one of the highest-paid models in the world, but her earnings have dropped since Kendall Jenner took her contract as the face of Estée Lauder. She is still a model for Via Spiga, Elie Tehari, and Chopard.

Being beautiful means big bucks.

Iconic supermodel Linda Evangelista once said that "I don't get out of bed for less than $10,000 a day," and it looks like nothing has changed in modelling world.

Models are becoming such business powerhouses that they command huge salaries for just a single campaign because of their personal branding.

Kendall Jenner, the half sister of reality-TV star Kim Kardashian, has become one the highest-paid models in just one year, thanks to her millions of followers on social media. Brands know that if she puts a picture on Instagram or on Twitter, she could get the label more exposure than traditional adverts.

Meanwhile, modelling for Victoria's Secret gives models a massive boost to their careers and allows them to command some of the highest pay in the fashion world. Even Kendall Jenner made the Victoria Secrets runway this month. 

So we took at look at Forbes' latest data that covers the June 2014 to June 2015 period, to see who the biggest earners in the modelling industry are.

19. Jourdan Dunn: $3.5 million (£2.2 million). Dunn was discovered in a London branch of budget fashion retailer Primark and ended up securing deals with Maybelline and Calvin Klein. She also models for Tommy Hilfiger and Burberry.

18. Kate Upton: $3.5 million (£2.2 million). Upton's earnings halved from last year but her biggest gig was starring in the estimated $40 million Super Bowl advert for "Game of War."

17. Hilary Rhoda: $3.5 million (£2.2 million). She's still one of the highest-paid models in the world, but her earnings have dropped since Kendall Jenner took her contract as the face of Estée Lauder. She is still a model for Via Spiga, Elie Tehari, and Chopard.

It isn't just wealth. And it isn't just control over people or resources. No, true power is a potent combination of money and influence that enables people to help shape the world. But only a select group of people really possess the economic and political clout to effect global change. For better or worse, their decisions affect millions, shake industries, and change nations.

Business Insider has compiled the following list of the world's most powerful people — heads of state, billionaires, CEOs, and entertainers. To determine the ranking, we considered more than 100 of the most influential players in business, politics, and entertainment, and we evaluated their influence by using metrics in four major areas: economic power, command, newsworthiness, and impact— a subjective measure that captures how important they are in their respective spheres.

Because the majority of these people span several industries, we took the logarithm of each and mapped those logarithms to a standardized scale, which allowed us to combine the metrics. (See our full methodology here.)

US President Barack Obama, leader of the world's chief superpower, takes top honors, followed by Chinese President Xi Jinping, ruler of the a country making a serious challenge to US supremacy. Read on to see the full list of the world's 50 most powerful people right now:

Editing by Alex Morrell with additional research by Andy Kiersz.

SEE ALSO: The 50 most powerful companies in America

SEE ALSO: The 25 richest self-made billionaires

50. Jay Z and Beyoncé

Titles: Singer (Beyoncé), rapper and entrepreneur (Jay Z)

Country: US

Age: 34 (Beyoncé), 45 (Jay Z)

Music's biggest power couple, Beyoncé and Jay Z turn nearly everything they touch into gold, which has helped them mint a combined fortune of $950 million.

Beyoncé shocked the music industry in 2013 when she released an album on iTunes without promotion — it went on to sell over 5 million copies thanks to hits like "Drunk in Love" and "Partition."

Jay Z is consistently one of the highest earners in music, reportedly raking in $56 million last year through his many ventures, including his Roc Nation music label and its sports division. Though his streaming service, Tidal, encountered some turbulence— the hip-hop mogul himself forgot he owned it— Jay Z is still just about everywhere in the entertainment industry.

49. Mukesh Ambani

Title: Chairman, managing director of Reliance Industries

Country: India

Age: 58

Mukesh Ambani took over as the chairman of Reliance Industries when his father, the company's founder, Dhirubhai Ambani, died in 2002. The enormous industrial conglomerate generates $61 billion in annual sales from its interests in energy, petrochemicals, textiles, natural resources, retail, and, more recently, telecommunications.

Ambani is the richest person in India with a personal fortune of over $23 billion. He owns a 27-story Mumbai mansion that cost $1 billion to build.

And if Ambani's projections for India's economy prove correct, expect that net worth to soar. Four years ago, Ambani predicted that India would grow from a $1.4 trillion economy in 2011 to a $30 trillion economy by 2030 — a bullish estimate considering that India's GDP today stands at $2.2 trillion.

48. Joaquín 'El Chapo' Guzmán

Title: Sinaloa Cartel leader

Country: Mexico

Age: 60

Mexican drug lord Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán is perhaps the wealthiest and most notorious gangster on the planet, with a net worth of $1.1 billion. The leader of the infamous Sinaloa Cartel, El Chapo has been accused of importing over 180,000 kilos of cocaine into the US. Drug-enforcement experts estimate his cartel's annual revenues at greater than $3 billion.

Cunning and evasive, El Chapo escaped from a Mexican prison in July (not for the first time) by way of a labyrinthine tunnel he may have paid $50 million in bribes and construction costs to have built. The US State Department is offering a reward of up to $5 million to anyone with information leading to his arrest.

When it comes to age, wealth doesn't discriminate — billionaires can be found in every phase of life.

Wealth-X, a firm that researches and maintains a database of ultra-wealthy people, compiled a list of the richest person in every decade, from their 20s through their 90s.

From tech billionaires to retail moguls and a secretive heiress, here are the people with more money than anyone else in their age group.

SEE ALSO: The 25 richest self-made billionaires

DON'T MISS: The 20 most generous people in the world

20s: Evan Spiegel

Net worth: $2 billion

Age: 25

Industry: Tech

Snapchat CEO Evan Spiegel may be the least wealthy person on this list, but he's also the youngest — and at 25, his net worth of $2 billion has plenty of time to grow. Spiegel began developing his now-you-see-it photo-sharing app in 2011 while still a student at Stanford. Barely two years later, he was getting offers from the likes of Facebook ($3 billion) and Google ($4 billion) to buy him out, both of which CEO Spiegel turned down.

Snapchat's value has continued to soar as the company has branched into news and other media and acquired some companies of its own, coughing up $150 million for app-development company Looksery. Considering Spiegel and company raised $530 million in equity at a $16 billion valuation in May, rejecting Facebook and Google might have been the smartest business move the young billionaire has made yet.

Source: Wealth-X

30s: Mark Zuckerberg

Net worth: $47.2 billion

Age: 31

Industry: Tech

At just 31, Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg is already one of the richest people in the world with a net worth of $47.2 billion. Facebook continues to thrive, attracting more than a billion users daily in September — a 17% increase in traffic from the previous year. The company stock hit all-time highs in November after reporting $4.5 billion in quarterly earnings. 

Zuckerberg has made some high-profile purchases of late. He reportedly spent $22 million on a new 3,200-square-foot home in New York City's West Village this year, and in 2014 he spent $100 million for 750 acres of secluded land on the North Shore of Kauai.

Zuck and his wife, Priscilla, are also incredibly generous with their wealth. The social media mogul has signed The Giving Pledge, promising to donate at least half of his wealth to charitable causes within his lifetime. The couple donated $25 million in the fight against Ebola last year, and gave $100 million worth of Facebook shares towards improving a New Jersey public-school system.

Source: Wealth-X

40s: Larry Page

Net worth: $41.7 billion

Age: 42

Industry: Tech

Larry Page became a billionaire when Google went public in 2004 with a valuation of about $23 billion; 11 years later, the company is worth more than $500 billion. 

Page and cofounder Sergey Brin — exceedingly wealthy in his own right with a net worth of $38 billion— have been shaking their company up lately. In August, Google announced that it would be forming a new parent company, Alphabet, to allow its different businesses to operate independently and move faster. Page and Brin still control the overarching entity as CEO and president, respectively. 

Page doesn't make a lot of splashy purchases, but the alternative-energy advocate does own an eco-friendly mansion in Palo Alto that utilizes geothermal energy and rainwater capture. He's also an avid kiteboarder.  

Source: Wealth-X

Sometimes one meal is all it takes to make your vacation one to remember forever. 

From incredibly fresh ceviche in Peru to the modern Spanish cuisine at Girona's award-winning El Celler de Can Roca, we've put together a list of 50 meals you have to try at least once. While some are incredibly memorable restaurants, others are specialty food items you can only get when traveling to a certain place. 

Whether you plan to travel to these destinations or already happen to live there, don't miss out on these mouthwatering foods. 

Jennifer Polland and Melissa Stanger wrote an earlier version of this post. 

SEE ALSO: The best street food to eat in 28 European countries

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

Try Rome's famed cacio e pepe, a simple pasta with pepper flakes and gooey melted cheese. Anthony Bourdain recommends trying it at Roma Sparita in Trastevere.

Sample Berlin's iconic street food, currywurst, which is a pork sausage that's cut into slices and doused with curry ketchup. Berliners love Konnopke Imbiss, located in the Prenzlauer Berg neighborhood.

Head to La Banquise in Montreal for a scrumptious plate of poutine: crisp french fries that have been smothered in brown gravy and cheese curds.

Business Insider recently published its ranking of the 50 most powerful people in the world— a select group whose decisions affect millions, shake industries, and change nations. Global heads of state featured prominently, with 14 presidents, prime ministers, and even royalty cracking the list. 

To determine the ranking, we evaluated more than 100 of the most influential players in business, politics, entertainment, and tech, judging their influence by economic power, command, newsworthiness, and impact — a subjective measure that captures how important they are in their respective spheres (see our full methodology here).

US President Barack Obama headlines the list, followed by Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Here are the rest of the world's most powerful world leaders. 

Editing by Alex Morrell with additional research by Andy Kiersz.

NOW CHECK OUT THE FULL LIST: The 50 most powerful people in the world

SEE ALSO: The 50 most powerful companies in America

14. Benjamin Netanyahu

Title: Israeli prime minister

Country: Israel

Age: 66

Reelected this year as the prime minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu recently compared the Middle East to "Game of Thrones." It isn't a game he's always played well — disputes over the Iran deal and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict have left US-Israeli relations at a crisis point. But Israel has remained relatively stable during a time of turmoil throughout the Middle East, and Netanyahu has dominated his country's politics like few Israeli leaders.

Overall, many say that Netanyahu has done a good job of boosting Israel's economy and putting the country at the forefront of technological and medical advances. Even so, the fallout over the Iran nuclear deal, and his strained relations with Washington, don't bode well for his legacy.

13. Park Geun-hye

Title: President of South Korea

Country: South Korea

Age: 63

South Korean President Park Geun-hye is the first female leader of her country — an especially impressive accomplishment considering South Korea has the highest level of gender inequality in the developed world. Her election generated the nation’s highest turnout rate in 15 years.

Park has the difficult but critical responsibility of diffusing threats from the ever combative North Korea. Last year, she tried to get her mercurial neighbors to the north to abandon their nuclear-weapons program by promising humanitarian aid and an investment in its weak industries, but to no avail. Park has flexed her muscles by testing missiles that can reach all of North Korea, but Kim Jong Un hasn't blinked, and hasn't quashed any nuclear ambitions.

12. Ali Khamenei

Title: Supreme Leader of Iran

Country: Iran

Age: 76

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has been the ultimate authority in Iran since 1989, is openly opposed to Western influence in both his country and the broader Middle East. A hardliner even within Iran's clerical regime, Khamenei has long championed the slogan"Death to America," and he has sought to position Tehran as both a geopolitical and ideological enemy of the US and Israel.

After more than 18 months of negotiations, Khamenei conditionally agreed to a landmark nuclear deal reached with six world powers this past July. The deal outlines Iran's promise to curb its nuclear program in exchange for the US and its partners lifting economic sanctions. The agreement is set to open Iran's economy to outside investment and has generally raised the prestige of Khamenei's government, which is quickly shaking its status as one of the world's pariah states.

In addition to its claims as the largest and most populous continent in the world, Asia also houses some of the world's top superpowers — including four of the top five militaries and seven of the 10 fastest growing economies.

The continent's growing influence on the world stage has similarly elevated the clout of its top political and business leaders. Business Insider recently ranked the 50 most powerful people in the world, and 15 hailed from Asia.

To compile the ranking, we considered more than 100 of the most influential players in business, politics, entertainment, and tech, judging their influence by economic power, command, newsworthiness, and impact — a subjective measure that captures how important they are in their respective spheres (see our full methodology here).

Here are the 15 most powerful people in Asia.

Editing by Alex Morrell; additional research by Andy Kiersz.

SEE ALSO: The 50 most powerful people in the world

15. Mukesh Ambani

Title: Chairman, managing director of Reliance Industries

Country: India

Age: 58

Mukesh Ambani took over as the chairman of Reliance Industries when his father, the company's founder, Dhirubhai Ambani, died in 2002. The enormous industrial conglomerate generates $61 billion in annual sales from its interests in energy, petrochemicals, textiles, natural resources, retail, and, more recently, telecommunications.

Ambani is the richest person in India with a personal fortune of over $23 billion. He owns a 27-story Mumbai mansion that cost $1 billion to build.

And if Ambani's projections for India's economy prove correct, expect that net worth to soar. Four years ago, Ambani predicted that India would grow from a $1.4 trillion economy in 2011 to a $30 trillion economy by 2030 — a bullish estimate considering that India's GDP today stands at $2.2 trillion.

14. Benjamin Netanyahu

Title: Israeli prime minister

Country: Israel

Age: 66

Reelected this year as the prime minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu recently compared the Middle East to "Game of Thrones." It isn't a game he's always played well — disputes over the Iran deal and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict have left US-Israeli relations at a crisis point. But Israel has remained relatively stable during a time of turmoil throughout the Middle East, and Netanyahu has dominated his country's politics like few Israeli leaders.

Overall, many say that Netanyahu has done a good job of boosting Israel's economy and putting the country at the forefront of technological and medical advances. Even so, the fallout over the Iran nuclear deal, and his strained relations with Washington, don't fare well for his legacy.

13. Robin Li

Title: Baidu CEO

Country: China

Age: 46

There's a trio of internet kings in China, collectively known as "BAT"— Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent. For his part, Robin Li commands the market in internet search as the chairman and CEO of Baidu, China's Google equivalent.

As with Google, Li's Baidu is constantly investing in the future. In May, Baidu announced a partnership with Daimler, the maker of Chinese Mercedes-Benz, to provide software for their cars that allows drivers to access content from their smartphones. And in conjunction with BMW, Baidu is building a self-driving car prototype that it hopes to reveal by year-end.

Li, whose net worth is upwards of $11 billion, also said this year that his company would invest $3.2 billion in "online to offline" services, which allow mobile users to perform traditionally non-digital tasks such as buying movie tickets, hailing cabs, and finding deals at restaurants.

Pop culture is full of tastemakers who influence everything from how we dress to what we watch, read, and listen to. 

We decided to take a closer look at some the people who decide what's "cool" in America, from best-selling music artists to the creative directors behind the nation's most talked-about brands. We chose both industry heavyweights who hold serious clout and pop culture icons whose every move makes headlines. 

Read on to see who's determining your definition of "cool"— whether you realize it or not.

SEE ALSO: The 50 most powerful companies in America

DON'T MISS: The 25 most successful 'Saturday Night Live' alumni

Amal Clooney

International human rights lawyer

Last year, the human rights lawyer and international fashion icon married lifelong bachelor George Clooney in Venice, Italy. Like Kate Middleton before her, Amal has become a beacon of style and class. In April, after she purchased a mink baseball cap on a trip to NYC, the store sold out of its stock and received dozens of calls requesting the vintage hat.

People are dubbing the 37-year-old one of the best-dressed working women in the world and cataloging her every outfit, from the cream Stella McCartney pantsuit she wore to her and George’s civil service to the custom heels she favors by Italian shoe label Ennio Mecozzi.

Anna Wintour

Editor in chief, Vogue and artistic director, Condé Nast

For more than 20 years Anna Wintour has helmed Vogue, where she curates a fashion handbook for the masses. Wintour is the most watched — and possibly the most controversial — woman in high fashion with millions of readers and industry peers emulating her style and hanging on her every endorsement. Her fashion prowess earned her a position as artistic director for Condé Nast, where she oversees the company’s 18 print magazines.

We expect to see even more of the fashion icon as the 2016 presidential race heats up. She’s been a supporter of Obama in the past two elections and has already been leading the fashion world in support of Hillary Clinton.

Bridget Foley

Executive editor, Women's Wear Daily

Women’s Wear Daily is widely acknowledged as the Bible of fashion, and for good reason: It’s the go-to trade publication of the industry, providing up-to-the-minute coverage of both breaking news and trends in fashion, making it a must-read for everyone from designers to bloggers. The paper converted to a weekly earlier this year, but it is expanding its digital and international coverage.

As the executive editor of the iconic publication, Foley oversees everything that makes it into the paper, essentially controlling which designers and styles are seen and hyped and which don’t make the cut.

Business Insider recently released its list of the 50 most powerful people in the world, and almost half hail from the United States.

Between political leaders, billionaires, CEOs, and entertainers, the world's top superpower is chock-full of people who possess the potent combination of money and influence that enables them to help shape the world.

To determine our ranking, we considered more than 100 of the most influential players in business, politics, and entertainment, and evaluated their influence using metrics in four major areas: economic power, command, newsworthiness, and impact — a subjective measure that captures how important they are in their respective spheres. We then pulled the top-ranking Americans and re-ordered the list. You can read the full methodology here.

US President Barack Obama topped the entire list. Business mogul Warren Buffett came in at No. 2 in the US, and fifth overall. Read on to see which other Americans command serious power.

Editing by Alex Morrell with additional research by Andy Kiersz.

SEE ALSO: The 50 most powerful people in the world

DON'T MISS: The 50 most powerful companies in America

24. Jay Z and Beyoncé

Titles: Singer (Beyoncé), rapper and entrepreneur (Jay Z)

Country: US

Age: 34 (Beyoncé), 45 (Jay Z)

Music's biggest power couple, Beyoncé and Jay Z turn nearly everything they touch into gold, which has helped them mint a combined fortune of $950 million.

Beyoncé shocked the music industry in 2013 when she released an album on iTunes without promotion — it went on to sell over 5 million copies thanks to hits like "Drunk in Love" and "Partition."

Jay Z is consistently one of the highest earners in music, reportedly raking in $56 million last year through his many ventures, including his Roc Nation music label and its sports division. Though his streaming service, Tidal, encountered some turbulence— the hip-hop mogul himself forgot he owned it— Jay Z is still just about everywhere in the entertainment industry.

23. Sheldon Adelson

Title: Chairman, CEO of Las Vegas Sands

Country: US

Age: 82

The "King of Las Vegas" is expected to dole out millions by this time next year, taking a gamble on one of his favorite things: politics. The casino magnate, who owns 13 private jets, is a staunch supporter of the Republican party, famously donating tens of millions from his $25 billion fortune to past candidates such as Newt Gingrich.

For his day job, he runs Las Vegas Sands — parent of the Venetian Resort and Casino and Sands China, a subsidiary that's planning to open its fifth casino in Macau next year. And while Adelson’s vision to make China the gambling capital of the world isn't outlandish considering his industry dominance, it may not pan out under political restrictions and President Xi Jinping's push to make Macau a family-friendly destination. Amid the flux, Sheldon’s fortune has reportedly lost several billions in the past year after a 25% decline in the price of Las Vegas Sands stock.

22. Ginni Rometty

Title: Chairman, CEO of IBM

Country: US

Age: 58

Last year, IBM CEO Ginni Rometty had to break some tough news: The tech company would be abandoning its years-long promise to hit $20 earnings per share by 2015. But the company's top leader has hatched a new plan: IBM will invest $4 billion to grow $40 billion in revenue in areas such as cloud computing, mobile, and big data by 2018. The plan would nearly double what IBM is making in these markets now, though it also means straying from the hardware focus that's defined IBM for decades.

Rometty's mandate is to keep one of tech's most iconic companies — which employs 380,000 people, on par in size with the population of New Orleans — relevant and profitable for the long haul, even if it means changing some of the most fundamental things about the company. The IBM lifer isn't apologizing for adapting. "Reinvention is not about protecting your past," she said at the Fortune Global Forum earlier this year.

Business Insider recently released a ranking of the 50 most powerful people in the world— the men and women who command the most influence and authority right now.

We looked at more than 100 of the top leaders in business, politics, entertainment, and tech. We evaluated their influence based on metrics in four major areas: economic power, command, newsworthiness, and impact — a subjective measure that captures how important they are in their respective spheres (see our full methodology here).

To spotlight the women who are breaking barriers and transforming industries, countries, and companies, we broke out a separate list of the world's most powerful women, including the nine women who made our top 50 as well as several near misses.

While more women than ever have ascended to the top echelons of power — Park Geun-hye and Dilma Rousseff are the first female presidents of South Korea and Brazil, respectively — gender equality is still a long way off. Less than 5% of S&P 500 companies are led by female CEOs, and according to the World Economic Forum, it could take another 118 years to erase the global gender pay gap. 

Considering the systemic obstacles working against them, the accomplishments of these women — who are role models simply by dint of their positions — warrant special mention.

Scroll down to meet the 12 most powerful women on the planet.

Editing by Alex Morrell; additional research by Andy Kiersz.

SEE ALSO: The 50 most powerful people in the world

12. Isabel Dos Santos

Title: Businesswoman and investor

Country: Angola

Age: 42

Not only is Isabel Dos Santos the daughter of the president of Angola, she's also Africa's first female billionaire, amassing a net worth of at least $3.4 billion at a time when the average Angolan lives on just $2 a day.

Her wealth stems primarily from investments in Angolan and Portuguese conglomerates, including Unitel, one of Angola's largest telecom companies, and Portugal's Banco BPI. In June, she bought a 65% stake in Portuguese power components manufacturer Efacec Power Solutions for more than $220 million. 

Thanks to her savvy business moves and considerable wealth, Dos Santos' words can move markets: In March she reportedly suggested a merger between Banco BPI and Millennium BCP, another bank in Portugal, causing the share prices of both banks to surge to their highest levels since the end of 2014.

11. Meg Whitman

Title: CEO of Hewlett Packard Enterprise, chair of HP Inc.

Country: US

Age: 59

After taking the helm of IT company Hewlett Packard in 2011 amid internal corporate scandals, Meg Whitman set out to overhaul the company and revive its declining profits and revenues. She wrote off fruitless acquisitions, implemented thousands of layoffs, and ultimately split HP into two separate Fortune 500 companies, a change that took effect November 1. Whitman now serves as CEO of new brand Hewlett Packard Enterprises, which will focus on software and tech services, and is the chairman of HP Inc., which will center on personal computers and printers.

Previously the longtime CEO of e-commerce site eBay, Whitman’s personal net worth sits at a sizable $2.1 billion. When she took the position at eBay, the company only had 30 employees and $4 million in revenue, but by the time she left 10 years later, eBay was generating $8 billion in annual revenue and employed more than 15,000 people.

Whitman’s no stranger to politics either. Back in 2010, she unsuccessfully ran for governor of California, famously spending more of her own money on the campaign — at least $119 million — than any other self-funded politician in history.

10. Hillary Clinton

Title: Former US Secretary of State, 2016 presidential candidate

Country: US

Age: 68

Hillary Clinton has come a long way since her stint as first lady, and she could find herself back in the White House if she wins the 2016 presidential election. The Democratic front-runner has support from an impressive 56% of her party, according to a November 13 poll by Reuters. This comes even after the "emailgate" scandal that revealed she had been using a personal email account instead of a government email while she served as secretary of state, showing that even despite her mistakes, her experience and popularity could still land her in office.

Clinton was the first female senator in New York and the first and so far only first lady to run for president herself. In addition to several high-profile endorsements from school unions, Clinton recently earned the support of the SEIU, a labor union two million members strong. As her list of backers continues to swell and her electoral chances improve, so does her sway and influence in American politics. 

Business Insider recently released its list of the most powerful people in the world, and 12 of our top 50 were innovators, CEOs, and influencers from the tech world.

To determine the ranking, we considered more than 100 of the most influential players in business, politics, and entertainment and evaluated their influence using metrics in four major areas: economic power, command, newsworthiness, and impact— a subjective measure that captures how important they are in their respective spheres.

We then narrowed down the list to just those in the tech industry, adding eight tech stars who narrowly missed our top 50. You can read the full methodology here.

Read on to see the 20 most powerful people in tech.

Editing by Alex Morrell with additional research by Andy Kiersz.

SEE ALSO: The 50 most powerful people in the world

DON'T MISS: The 15 most powerful tech companies in America

20. Reed Hastings

Title: Cofounder and CEO, Netflix

Country: US

Age: 55

As the founder and CEO of Netflix— the streaming-media service that’s made over 100 million hours of movies and TV available to users and has produced a slew of award-winning original television series— Hastings has redefined what it means to watch and create TV in 2015.

Although Netflix's stock has been a roller coaster since going public in 2002, its shares hit a record high of $126.45 in August — a more than eight-fold increase from its IPO — and the company today is worth more than $50 billion.

Hastings, who has a net worth of more than $1.25 billion, isn’t only changing the experience for viewers — he’s also enhancing the lives of his employees. This summer, the company, which already offers unlimited vacation, instituted up to a year of paid maternity and paternity leave for its employees, paving the way for other forward-thinking companies to follow suit.

19. Reid Hoffman

Title: Cofounder and chairman, LinkedIn

Country: US

Age: 48

Reid Hoffman has been involved with several of the world's most prominent tech firms. Hoffman started his career in 1994 as a product manager at Apple and later served on the board and as executive vice president for PayPal. In 2003, he cofounded LinkedIn, the professional-networking service that has more than 400 million members in over 200 countries and is worth $32 billion.

Today, Hoffman's a partner at storied VC firm Greylock Partners, where he has advised and worked with tech stalwarts like Facebook and Airbnb. He's become one of the most well-connected and experienced investors in tech and young entrepreneurs and executives hang on his every word, whether he's offering management advice or sharing lessons he's learned from early career failures.

Last year, the self-made billionaire — whose net worth is at least $5 billion, according to Wealth-X — coauthored the best-selling book “The Alliance: Managing Talent in the Networked Age,” and this fall, between his work at Greylock and LinkedIn, he’s teaching a class on startup success at Stanford with Silicon Valley fixtures John Lilly, Allen Blue, and Chris Yeh.

18. Peter Thiel

Title: Cofounder and chairman, Palantir

Country: US

Age: 48

Peter Thiel — PayPal cofounder, early Facebook investor, and best-selling author of "Zero to One" — has a fortune of over $2.3 billion and is one of the tech industry's most revered investors. Though he sold most of his Facebook stock following the social-media company's IPO in 2012, the billionaire still has his hand in several projects across Silicon Valley. Most notably, his secretive big-data company Palantir was valued at $20.2 billion after raising a $100 million round of funding in October.

Thanks to Thiel and investments from his venture-capital firm Founders Fund, several other startups have come to fruition since 2005 as well, including home-rental site Airbnb, ride-hailing service Lyft, and music-streaming app Spotify.

Thiel also runs the Thiel Foundation, which awards an annual crop of 20 young entrepreneurs $100,000 each to chase their business ideas. Ever unconventional — he notoriously hates suits and doesn't hire MBAs— one of Thiel's requirements for his fellows is that they forgo or drop out of college for two years to pursue the program.

Each state contains an abundance of public high schools, but some stand out more than others.

Niche, a company that researches and compiles information on schools, just released its 2016 rankings of the best public high schools in the country. So we decided to take a look at which school earned the top slot in every US state. 

The ranking examined over 100,000 schools based on 27 million reviews from more than 300,000 students and parents. They rated schools in areas like academics, teachers, student culture and diversity, and resources and facilities. You can read more about the methodology here.

Many are charter or magnet schools, meaning they pull in qualified students from around their districts.

Scroll down to see which school is the crème de la crème of your state. 

SEE ALSO: The 25 best public high schools in America

DON'T MISS: The 50 smartest private high schools in America

ALABAMA: Loveless Academic Magnet Program High School

Location: Montgomery

Academics: A+

Student culture & diversity: A

Teachers: A+

Resources & facilities: B-

"Providing students with a tough and rigorous academic environment, Loveless consistently develops [students] that colleges are actively seeking," one senior said. "The school makes you appreciate the value of a good education, and instills motivating values in the students."

ALASKA: Unalaska Junior/Senior High School

Location: Unalaska

Academics: N/A

Student culture & diversity: N/A

Teachers: N/A

Resources & facilities: N/A

"Most of our teachers know the students personally," one junior reported of the small school, which earned an overall A+ grade from Niche. "All of our teachers encourage us to do our best and get help if needed. They are usually available before and after school for anyone who needs it."

ARIZONA: University High School

Location: Tucson

Academics: A+

Student culture & diversity: A

Teachers: A+

Resources & facilities: C-

"This school is challenging but definitely worth it," one sophomore said. "If you put in the work, this school will prepare you very well for college."

Another sophomore noted, "University High School is a unique school that gives students the freedom to express themselves through their academic experiences. Teachers are overall caring, and the variety of AP classes offered give a fantastic head-start for college."

Nothing says "happy holidays" like a great beer-themed gift — well, to a beer aficionado, at least. So we rounded up a bunch of options for the hophead in your life.

Whether you're shopping for a homebrewing roommate or a craft beer-loving spouse, these 17 beer-related items will delight any beer connoisseur on Christmas.

Or Hanukkah. Or Kwanza. Or any other day, really.

SEE ALSO: 16 perfect gifts for the world traveler

Protect, and beautifully display, your favorite six-pack.

This discreet, covert-operative-looking metal briefcase holds six 12-ounce bottles firmly in place with foam molding. Take it anywhere without fear of losing it to beer freeloaders: The briefcase is protected by a three-digit combination lock that keeps out the leeches.

Price: $39.99

Have your beer and eat it, too.

Italian-made Spreadable Beer is a sweet and malty viscous form of your favorite beverage with a pleasant, hoppy aroma. Made with 40% beer, but non-alcoholic, it's a delicious way to have a beer any time of day.

Price: $15.09

Unite your two loves.

What goes hand-in-hand better than beer and comic books? We dare you to find a better pair. "The Comic Book Story of Beer: The World's Favorite Beverage from 7000 BC to Today's Craft Brewing Revolution," by Jonathan Hennessey, Mike Smith, and Aaron McConnell, takes the reader on an illustrated journey through the history of beer, starting in Biblical times and going all the way to present-day.

Price: $13.27

In college there's a seductive fourth meal that happens usually sometime between 10 p.m. and dawn.

We've put together a list of 40 late-night food joints that have become college favorites, pulling suggestions from students to make our selections.

From sandwiches stuffed with mozzarella sticks to fresh Mexican grub you can get at 2 a.m., here are 40 spots to satisfy your appetite.

SEE ALSO: 50 meals everyone should eat in their lifetime

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

Fat Sal's Deli—Los Angeles, California

972 Gayley Ave

Popular with: University of California Los Angeles

Fat Sal’s is known for its over-the-top late-night bites. Their sandwiches are stuffed with everything from roast beef and mozzarella sticks to cheeseburgers. Even their fries make for a hearty bite, with toppings that include chopped bacon, melted mozzarella, and ranch.

Koronet Pizza – New York City, New York

2848 Broadway

Popular with: Columbia University

An average piece of pizza from Koronet Pizza is about the size of a human face, which is one of the things that makes this late-night slicery so great. And for a pie-size slice, you're spending $4.50— less than an actual pie, and perfect for a college budget.

Freebirds World Burrito—Isla Vista, California

879 Embarcadero Del Norte

Popular with: University of California, Santa Barbara 

With fresh options like chicken quesadillas stuffed with cheese, beans, and pico de gallo to crispy loaded nachos, Freebirds is the go-to spot after a night of long partying on Isla Vista. The best part is it’s open until 3a.m so you can get your late-night fix.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is one of the most influential people on the planet, ranking sixth on Business Insider's list of the 50 most powerful people in the world.

Now in his second year as leader of the world's largest democracy, Modi has extensive plans to reform both business and government agencies in India, and is implementing a uniform federal government sales tax as early as next year. The 65-year-old is also a champion of technology, enthusiastically working with Western companies to help spur India's technological progress.

Modi is a controversial figure — throughout his career, many have accused him of intentionally stoking sectarian tensions between Hindus and Muslims. But his power is undeniable, as he governs a country of nearly 1.3 billion people. India also possesses the world's fifth-strongest military in the world and seventh-largest economy, with a GDP of $2.3 trillion.

Modi says there are concepts he values more than just power: "If you were to ask me to choose between democratic values and wealth, power, prosperity, and fame, I will very easily and without any doubt choose democratic values," he said in a May 2015 TIME magazine cover story.

Read on to meet the yogi, tech-lover, and politician.

SEE ALSO: The 14 most powerful world leaders

SEE ALSO: 10 unforgettable quotes from the most powerful people in the world

Modi was born into a low caste called Ghanchi — traditionally producers of vegetable oil — on September 17, 1950, three years after India won its independence from Britain. Modi has said Vadnagar, the small town where he was born in North Gujarat’s Mehsana district, was once home to 10,000 Buddhist monks.

Source: Narendramodi.in

As a student Modi was diligent and favored debating and reading, often spending hours in the library. According to Modi's website, he would read the spiritual works of Indian Hindu monk Swami Vivekananda cover to cover and dreamed of becoming a soldier in the Indian army.

Source: Narendramodi.in

From a young age, Modi expressed a desire for service. At 9 years old, he and his friends started a food stall and donated the proceeds to a relief network. At age 15, Modi began serving tea with his father to Indian soldiers at a railway station in Gujarat during the India-Pakistan war of 1965.

Source: Narendramodi.in

You can find some of the best of everything in New York — including public schools.

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

Niche's ranking looked at over 100,000 schools based on 27 million reviews from more than 300,000 students and parents. They rated schools in areas like academics, teachers, student culture and diversity, and resources and facilities. You can read more about the methodology here.

Several New York schools topped the list, so we decided to take a look at the best ones across the state. Many are charter or magnet schools, meaning they pull in qualified students from around their districts. 

Out of the more than 1,200 public high schools in the state, here are New York's top 25. 

SEE ALSO: The 25 best public high schools in America

DON'T MISS: The best public high school in every state

25. Harborfields High School

Location: Greenlawn

Academics: A+

Student culture & diversity: B-

Teachers: A+

Resources & facilities: A

"The teachers overall are passionate about what they do," one senior said. "They are very knowledgeable about their specific topics. They always make themselves available, before, during, and after school for any student that needs extra help. They often have after school clubs for those students interested to learn even more."

24. Brooklyn Technical High School

Location: Brooklyn

Academics: A+

Student culture & diversity: A

Teachers: A+

Resources & facilities: B-

"Brooklyn Tech is a challenging school, but it offers many different opportunities," one senior said. "The school is huge, but that means you can find people who you like. The classes are tough, but you learn a lot. There are many clubs which means endless experiences are available at your fingertips. Even when the work is overwhelming, I still learn to have fun with my friends. Tech taught me that helping the community is important."

23. Bronxville High School

Location: Bronxville

Academics: A+

Student culture & diversity: C-

Teachers: A+

Resources & facilities: A

"The academic environment is competitive, but allows most kids to thrive," one senior reported. "Almost all teachers are stellar, though there are the occasional exceptions. The school is extremely small, be warned, with about 125 kids per grade."