The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is the best college in America for many reasons.

It has outstanding faculty, a top-notch engineering program, and alumni who have gone on to become notable politicians, historians, and physicists.

But many of its current students have already done some pretty incredible things.

These are the 14 most impressive undergraduate students on MIT's campus this semester.

Arfa Aijazi is creating affordable innovations for impoverished communities.

Class of 2013

Arfa Aijazi is a senior who is majoring in materials science and engineering with a minor in applied international studies. She's using her studies to change the world, particularly in the ways of housing and food.

She has done research on polymeric molecules, materials for fuel-cell cathodes, and bamboo as a structural material for stronger, sustainable, and affordable housing.

When Aijazi traveled to Tanzania, she developed a hand-powered grain mill that could grind corn kernels into flour, a life-changing machine for the village she worked with. She also worked to create better housing in Brazilian slums, and has conducted research at Oxford and Cambridge.

Aijazi also writes for the campus life section of MIT's newspaper, The Tech, and serves as the vice president of the Muslim Students' Association. She hopes to pursue a career where she can work to reduce the environmental impact of buildings.

Lizz Albany is an aspiring teacher who is researching the ways young children come to understand the world around them.

Class of 2013

Lizz Albany is a senior at MIT studying Brain and Cognitive Science, with a focus on early childhood cognition.

She conducts research in MIT's Early Childhood Cognition Lab on how children come to understand their environments through social interaction and play.

Albany is an active leader in many organizations on campus, including her sorority, Pi Beta Phi, in which she serves as the chair of its annual philanthropy event. She is also an associate advisor for the Office of Undergraduate Advising and Academic Programming, a founding member of the Returning Students Mentoring Program, a member of the inaugural Student Advisory Committee on Diversity and Admissions, and a member of the Community Catalyst Leadership Program.

This past fall, Albany gave a TimTalk lecture on why she thinks all MIT students should graduate with at least two degrees, given that they learn so many valuable and different lessons while in school.

While she is working toward her Massachusetts teachers certification in elementary education, Albany is also a SMART Scholar with the Department of Defense, and plans to work for the Army after graduation. 

Noam Angrist is engaging youth in athletics and academics with a new approach.

Class of 2013

Noam Angrist is persistent. After he suffered from a blood clot that almost killed him and effectively ended his rowing career (he was a strong athlete and a member of his high school's crew team), he switched to coaching and led his high school's crew team to win gold medals in the Massachusetts state championships.

Now a senior at MIT, Angrist continues to coach crew. He has also found ways to share his love of crew: he co-founded the Amphibious Achievement program, in which he and fellow mentors teach swimming and rowing to Boston youth while also tutoring them and helping them with college prep.

The economics major gave a TIMTalk lecture in May about what he calls a "Do Now" approach to learning, which he uses to engage students in charter schools.

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With the advent of e-commerce, retail is changing more than nearly any other industry. 

In this evolving environment, a few trailblazers have set themselves apart, and are revolutionizing the way we perceive and consume retail.

Some retailers have altered their merchandising strategies to accommodate today's fast-paced shoppers. Others are making e-commerce more personalized than ever. 

These 51 companies are changing the entire shopping experience, from what happens in stores to how customers find goods online.

Our list includes everything from multinational corporate heavyweights to innovative new start-ups that launched recently. 

Click here to see the companies >

There are plenty more innovative companies out there. Let us know your favorites we missed in the comments below.

Hointer is taking humans out of stores.

Headquarters: Seattle, Washington

Year founded: 2012

Why it's revolutionary:Led by former head of supply chain and fulfillment tech for Amazon, Nadia Shouraboura, Hointer is changing the way you shop for clothes by using a robotic sales staff. You download an app, go to the showroom, and scan the QR codes of the clothing you'd like to try. The clothes are delivered automatically right to the fitting room, customers swipe their card on the tablet, and walk out.

Zara is altering how the fashion business works.

Headquarters: Arteixo, Spain

Year founded: 1975

Why it's revolutionary: Zara's revolutionary strategy includes stocking light and replenishing with totally new products. As a result, the top fashion houses have started creating even more collections. Zara's fast-fashion outlook is appropriate for the short attention span of today's consumer, and the retailer is expanding globally. 

Augment is trailblazing in simulated reality, a necessity in today's world of e-commerce.

Headquarters: Paris, France 

Year founded: 2010

Why it's revolutionary: Augment creates instant, 3D models of products people want to buy and helps them determine if it's what they really want. It's currently working to provide simulations on customers' smartphones, making it possible to explore and buy products anywhere. 

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Real estate is a tough business. It requires you to be completely client-focused, to think on your feet, and to maintain a large portfolio of properties you may need to show at a moment's notice. It also requires persistence, business-savvy, and lots of, well, chutzpah.

These 21 young real estate agents are the newest hotshots in real estate.

They're selling multi-million dollar homes, giving back to their communities, and reshaping the nature of the business with their innovative approaches to social media and technology. From Miami to New York to Los Angeles to Houston, these agents have the housing market covered.

Oren Alexander

Age: 25

Agency: Prudential Douglas Elliman

Location: Miami, Fla.

Oren Alexander broke records last October when he sold a $47 million estate in Indian Creek— the most expensive sale in Miami at the time.

Originally from Miami Beach, Alexander focuses on the luxury market and has listings in both New York and Miami. He lives in New York City now, but he and his partner (and brother) manage their shared listings in Miami.

He says working off commission fuels him, and that the high-risk, high-reward aspect of the job is thrilling. He's often on the road, jet-setting from New York to Miami to Argentina.

Austin Allison

Age: 27

Agency: dotloop

Location: Cincinnati, Ohio

Allison studied real estate development, and then corporate law, at the University of Cincinnati.

He co-founded dotloop in 2009 with the goal of making the home sales process electronic across the U.S. He describes what he does as “surrounding the company with great people and keeping us aligned around our vision and goals.” The 27-year-old President and CEO of dotloop was named to Forbes' 30 Under 30 in Real Estate at the end of 2011.

Josh Altman

Age: 33

Agency: Hilton & Ryland Real Estate

Location: Beverly Hills, Calif.

Josh Altman deals with high-end properties and a celebrity clientele (Kim Kardashian and Paris Hilton were clients of his).

He sold an astounding $200 million in 2012 alone and oversaw some record sales, including the most expensive 1-bedroom house ever sold in California for $20 million and the most expensive condo ever sold in Santa Monica for $10.5 million.

He's also a reality TV star on Bravo's TV show "Million Dollar Listing."

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2012 was a huge year for Silicon Valley. 

Facebook went public, Marissa Mayer joined Yahoo, laws changed to foster new industries, enterprise startups got hot, and billion-dollar companies were formed and acquired.

Now, after months of research, debate, and more research, we're happy to present the latest installment of the Silicon Valley 100, Business Insider's authoritative compilation of the people who did the coolest things in Silicon Valley this year. That means people who:

• backed promising companies and saw big exits;
• were star executives;
• created new, interesting things;
• changed entire industries;
• and made industry-defining acquisitions or took their companies public.

In sum, these people aren't riding on old reputations. All of them did something amazing in 2012, and they won big. A big shout-out to everyone named in the list: You earned it. And if you feel that we missed someone? Tell us—we're not all-knowing, and we love telling stories about amazing people.

In A-Z Order

The Complete List 1-100

Acknowledgments

Thanks to our many readers who took the time to send us nominations. The Silicon Valley 100 was assembled by Megan Rose Dickey, Alyson Shontell, Nicholas Carlson, Jay Yarow, and Jim Edwards, and copyedited by Jill Klausen.

100. Randi Zuckerberg

Founder, Zuckerberg Media

Randi Zuckerberg took Silicon Valley by storm with her reality TV show "Start-Ups: Silicon Valley."

It ended up not doing very well in terms of ratings, so it won't be renewed for a new a season. But that's not stopping Zuckerberg from starting her own media company. 

99. Ren Ng

Founder and Executive Chairman, Lytro

In 2011, Ng's team invented a new kind of camera. With it, you take the picture and then decide where to set the focus.

In 2012, Ng launched the camera and later gave up his position as CEO to become executive chairman.

98. Dave McClure

Venture Capitalist and Founding Partner, 500 startups

Since launching his 500 Startups accelerator program in 2010, Dave McClure has invested in a slew of companies all over the world.

To help fuel investments abroad, 500 Startups filed documents with the SEC for two new funds that will likely focus on startups in India and Mexico. It's also expanding to China, and recently added a Beijing venture partner, Rui Ma.

In addition, 500 Startups launched a new coworking space in New York for early-stage startups, including companies from the 500 Startups portfolio.

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With so much focus on tech startups and the newest apps, we sometimes forget that some of the most innovative businesses are the ones that put a new spin on something familiar.

In New York City, companies have taken everything from the gym to restaurants to dry cleaning and reinvented them, building rabid followings and creating amazing products.

We've found the 25 most innovative businesses in New York City. Whether they're startups, brick-and-mortar shops, or pop-up restaurants, these companies are completely revolutionizing their industries.

Amor y Amargo

443 E. 6th St.

What it is: A cool new concept for a bar that focuses exclusively on bitters.

Why it'sinnovative: Amor y Amargo is a bar that brings a new appreciation to bitters. But it's more than just a bar. In addition to the house-made vermouth available on tap, the space includes a retail shop and classroom so that novice bartenders can purchase barware and participate in weekly mixology classes.

Blue Apron

Found online, based in New York 

What it is: A website that that delivers all the ingredients you need to cook a meal at home.

Why it'sinnovative: Blue Apron is a a new concept in grocery shopping that delivers all the ingredients you need to cook a meal right to your apartment. Members can sign up for a weekly subscription service and have fresh ingredients delivered (for free!) that will make three meals in just the right proportions. The company also promises that each meal takes 35 minutes or less to prepare.

Brooklyn Boulders

575 DeGraw St., Brooklyn

What it is: New York City's only indoor climbing gym.

Why it'sinnovative: Besides indoor rock climbing, Brooklyn Boulders offers a wide variety of classes, from basic climbing to slacklining (a type of tightrope walking that is popular with climbers). The gym also offers other fitness classes like Pilates and yoga. Climbers can try to scale different courses, including a model of the Brooklyn Bridge or a giant stalactite. Courses change daily to keep things fresh. 

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This is part of our series on the Sexiest Scientists Alive.

It's surprising that some people who made our sexiest scientists list still haven't been snapped up.  

These men and women make the perfect marriage material: intelligent, ambitious, successful, and they have the looks to boot. 

For clarity, we define bachelors and bachelorettes as anyone who is not yet married.

Physician-scientist Daniel Kraft

Age: 45

Position: Executive director of the FutureMed program; Faculty chair of medicine at Singularity University; Founder & CEO of IntelliMedicine

Nationality: American

Fun Fact: Kraft has served as a Flight Surgeon and Officer in the Air National Guard with over 100 flying hours in F-15s and F-16s, and was a finalist for NASA-Astronaut Selection.

Kraft, a physician-scientist, explores ways to use developing technology, including new tools, tests, and apps, to improve health and medicine.

He invented a device called the Marrow Miner that quickly harvests bone marrow with less pain for the donor. This makes bone marrow transplants, which treat diseases like leukemia and lymphoma, easier, quicker and less painful for the organ donor, lessening the hurdles to donate.

His other research focuses on stem cells, which could pave the way to regenerative and anti-aging medical applications. He's also worked on heal care statistics and data flow optimization.

Associate physics professor Martin Hanczyc

Age: 42

Position: Associate Professor in the Department of Physics, Chemistry, and Pharmacy 

Institution: University of Southern Denmark

Nationality: American

Fun Fact: He's the founder of a vintage bicycle club chapter. He also speaks Italian and Danish.

To demonstrate how early life may have formed on Earth, Hanczyc makes chemical droplets, called "protocells," that behave like living cells. Specifically they behave like the first pre-life chemical compositions — stripped down versions of cell containing only the most fundamental chemicals of a cell.

In these droplets he can simulate how the chemical precursors to life became the cells we know today.

Researcher Rachel Armstrong

Age: 44

Position: Co-Director an architectural research group

Institution: University of Greenwich

Nationality: British

Fun Fact: She enjoys writing science fiction.

Armstrong uses artificial cells that have life-like qualities (but are not fully alive) to create sustainable construction materials that can (hopefully) repair themselves after a crack, bend, or break.

She thinks this type of technology could be used to prevent Venice from sinking. And, these semi-living materials would also take up carbon dioxide (a potent greenhouse gas that drives climate change) from the atmosphere.

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It's hard to make microbes, telescopes, and math calculations appear sexy. But we found 50 scientists who pull it off fabulously. 

These aren't your typical lab coat-wearing, messy-haired brainiacs — with the exception that they're all pretty brain-y.  

Some of the people who made our list are rising stars. Others are already well-established in their field. All of them are making a difference (or on their way to) by improving our lives through research and new discoveries.

We thought this was important, to highlight the brains along with the beauty. But, they're not bad to look at, either. 

#49 Cheska Burleson

Age: 27

Position: Marine researcher

Institution: Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute 

Education: Ph.D. in chemical oceanography from the University of South Florida; B.S. in marine and freshwater biology from The University of Texas at Austin

Nationality: American

Burleson identifies and analyzes toxins created by the "red tide" phenomena — an algal bloom that looks red or brown and can make oysters and shellfish toxic to eat. It also poisons and kills fish.

She's also investigating potential drugs that can be made from algae to treat human pathogens, including Staph infections and malaria. 

Fun fact: She figure skated competitively for 10 years and enjoys eating painfully spicy food.

#48 Heather Christofk

Age: 32

Position: Assistant professor

Institution: University of California, Los Angeles

Education: Ph.D. in cell and developmental biology from Harvard; B.S. in molecular, cell, and developmental biology from UCLA

Nationality: American

Christofk studies the genes and proteins behind the way cancer cells use sugars to live and grow, which is different from how normal cells do. Cancer cells use much more sugar than normal cells, and they do it by changing the way they use these energy sources from the environment.

These insights can give us knowledge that can help fight cancers by helping us design drugs that attack the cancer's "sugar tooth" through these growth pathways. The theory is that if the cells were cut off from sugar, they couldn't grow as fast.

Fun fact: She's a huge college basketball and Boson Bruins fan. 

#47 Paul Zak

Age: 51

Position: Professor of economics and department chair and founding director of the Center for Neuroeconomics Studies

Institution: Claremont Graduate University

Education: Ph.D in economics from the University of Pennsylvania; B.A. in mathematics and economics from San Diego State University. (He was first in his class!)

Nationality: American

Zak, a neuroscientist and economist, is best known for his research on the hormone oxytocin. Called the "moral molecule," he believes oxytocin is responsible for virtuous human qualities like empathy, generosity, and trust. Hugs and even social networking can trigger the release of oxytocin in the brain, according to Zak. This knowledge can be used to design high-performance teams for business or the military, reduce conflict, and improve the lives of patients with neurologic and psychiatric disorders.

Zak explores oxytocin in his book The Moral Molecule: The Source of Love and Prosperity, published in 2012. 

Fun fact: He recently started skydiving. 

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Athletic dominance isn't just about winning and losing.

It's about magnitude — how badly you beat someone, how many points you score, and how much better you are than the average opponent.

Business Insider editors and reporters sat down to debate and rank the most dominant athletes on the field right now.

Here's a closer look at the athletes who are dominating their field right now >

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Join the conversation about this story »

Athletic dominance isn't just about winning and losing.

It's about magnitude — how badly you beat someone, how many points you score, and how much better you are than the average opponent.

We, as fans, are drawn to dominance. That's why LeBron James lives under such a tight microscope, and why everyone still roots for Tiger Woods when he's in contention on Sunday.

Business Insider editors and reporters sat down to debate and rank the most dominant athletes on the field right now.

These athletes may not be the "best" player by the traditional definition, but they embody the type of sheer athletic talent and eye-popping statistics that make up dominance.

#50 Alex Morgan

Forward, US Women's National Team

Alex Morgan made a huge splash at the Olympics, scoring a game-winning goal in the semifinals against Canada.

She was named the 2012 Female Athlete of the Year by US Soccer, and was one of three finalists for FIFA's world player of the year award.

#49 Stephen Strasburg

Pitcher, Washington Nationals

A year after he had Tommy John surgery, Strasburg led the majors in strikeouts per 9 innings, won 15 games in 28 starts, and had an ERA of 3.15.

He's the definition of a power pitcher, and he's poised to put up huge numbers in his first season without an innings limit in 2013.

#48 Jonathan Quick

Goalie, Los Angeles Kings

Quick had one of the most spectacular Stanley Cup playoff runs in NHL history. After winning the Vezina Trophy for the league's top goalie in the regular season, he allowed just 28 goals in 20 playoffs games.

His playoff goals against average was the best in 50 years, and his save percentage was the best ever for a goalie with at least 10 starts, according to Puck Daddy.

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Barack Obama nailed it when he called California's top lawyer Kamala Harris "brilliant ... dedicated ... tough ... [and] by far the best-looking attorney general in the country."

While the President was criticized for acknowledging Harris's good looks, we don't think there's harm in pointing out that powerful lawyers can be sexy too.

Indeed, what is more sexy than a brilliant, successful, ambitious, and admirable lawyer who also has that certain je ne sais quoi?

With Harris in mind, we've created a list of practicing lawyers in America who have the whole package.

#32 Tim Bechtold

Position: Bechtold Law Firm, PLLC

Law School: University of Montana

Bechtold focuses on environmental law and toxic tort cases.

Prior to establishing his own practice, Bechtold served as law clerk for the Chief United States District Judge for the District of Montana, and then spent several years at another firm in Montana.

#31 Rebecca Halberg

Position: Attorney at Collins and Lacy

Law School: University of South Carolina Law School

Through her work with workers' compensation lawsuits, Halberg tries to give back to families of people who were killed or injured on the job.

Halberg is the president of Kids' Chance South Carolina, a non-profit that offers scholarships to children of injured or disabled workers, and she's involved in her local rotary club, where she's served on the board of directors, been the foundation chair, and won an award for raising money for Alzheimer's research.

#30 Domenic Romano

Position: Romano Law PLLC

Law School: Columbia University School of Law, LL.M; Dalhousie University, LL.B

Romano's firm provides legal counsel on business, corporate and entertainment issues, advising companies, business owners, and creative people (producers, directors, writers and performers).

Before founding Romano Law in 2003, he was an international corporate attorney at a large Manhattan law firm, as well as an in-house attorney at a biotechnology company in Toronto, Canada.

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Yale is one of the best universities in the U.S. — if not the world.

Each year, it attracts top high school applicants, this year had a record-low acceptance rate of 6.7%.

As a result, Yale has some pretty remarkable students. We found 26 particularly impressive undergraduates at Yale.

They're entrepreneurs, composers, athletes, scientists and writers who are making a difference in the world.

Jenny Bright is a Rhodes Scholar who was editor-in-chief of the Yale undergraduate Law Review.

Class of 2013

Bright is finishing her senior thesis on public-health initiatives under the Bloomberg administration, specifically critiquing the process of policy making behind the 2002 smoking restrictions, the 2008 trans-fat restriction, and the recent attempt to limit the portion size of soda.

She was editor-in-chief of the Yale undergraduate Law Review, and was President of the Urban Collective, a group of undergraduates who are interested in urban studies who come together to discuss topics relevant to cities.

In November, she was named a Rhodes Scholar and will pursue a Master of Public Policy at the Blavatnik School of Government at Oxford next year.

She hopes that her studies in the U.K. will allow her to ground her interest in urban health in a public-policy foundation.

Eventually, she wants to attend law school.

Victoria Buhler ran Yale's Model United Nations team and is interested in international relations.

Class of 2013

Buhler works with Professors Robert Shiller and Mobel laureate George Akerlof as a research assistant for their upcoming behavioral economics book.

She ran Yale's Model United Nations team. They had an undefeated season including winning at the largest national competition.

She edited the Yale Economic Review, and used to teach international relations to local New Haven high school students.

Recently, one of her papers was used as the basis for David Brook's Op-Ed column in the New York Times.

Next year she will be studying international relations at Cambridge before returning to the Boston Consulting Group.

Kevin Daly recovered from a severe boating accident to become captain of the rugby team.

Class of 2014

During Daly's junior year of high school, he had a severe boating injury when his leg was run over by a propeller.

He was completely out of athletic activities for a while, but used rugby as a recovery method and a way to return to competitive sports. Eventually, he became captain of the Yale University Rugby Club.

Daly is also on the Model United Nations team, and won Best Delegate in the largest delegation at Nationals last year.

He is very involved with his fraternity, serving as social and rush chair.

Daly plans to write his senior essay on Irish ideas of sovereignty during the Euro Zone crisis.

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Detroit was one of the hardest-hit cities in America during the recession.

Its auto industry, which helped build America's middle class, needed multiple government bailouts.

Unemployment rose to 20% in the city in 2011, but could have been as high as 50% if you include people who stopped looking for work. 

But every bad situation has a silver lining. The lack of enterprise and abundance of failed businesses left great opportunities for newer and cooler businesses.

From restaurants and bars to bike shops and tech startups, these are the coolest businesses in Detroit.

Are You A Human

Website only

What it is: A tech startup

Why it's cool: When submitting a form online, most websites often have a human verification step where you type in a series of numbers and letters. This technology is used to prevent bots from submitting the form over and over.

Are You A Human uses mini games to verify that you are in fact a human, which leads to 40% more submissions than the typical CAPTCHA technology.

AutoBike

Website only

What it is: A company that makes bicycles

Why it's cool: This isn't your average bicycle. Autobike has come up with a new feature that lets your bike change gears automatically.

Now you can ride without pressing levers, and you will always be in the perfect gear.

The Batata Shop

511 West Canfield

What it is: A restaurant that serves homemade comfort food made from sweet potatoes

Why it's cool: The Batata Shop makes all of its food from scratch using fresh, homemade ingredients. Batata means sweet potato, and the restaurant uses sweet potatoes in many of its recipes including in their waffles, pancakes, and biscuits.

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A great meal at a fabulous restaurant can be a memorable and maybe even life-changing experience.

We looked at five notable restaurant rankings made by food critics, diners, and experts, and combined these rankings to come up with the ultimate list of the best restaurants in America.

The rankings we used were The Daily Meal's 101 Best Restaurants, OpenTable's Top 100 Restaurants, Foodie 100: USA, the World's 100 Best Restaurants, and James Beard Semifinalists for "Outstanding Restaurants" and "Best New Restaurants."

We gave each restaurant a numerical rating based on how many lists it appeared on and how high it appeared on lists that were ranked. Restaurants that appeared on all five lists ranked higher on our list, while restaurants that ranked on only one of these lists ended up closer to the bottom. You can read our complete methodology and see numerical scores here.

#45 Bouchon Bistro

Location: Yountville, CA

Chef: Thomas Keller

The Yountville location of Bouchon Bistro took the 23rd spot in The Daily Meal's 101 Best Restaurants list. It didn't make any of the other lists.

The restaurant serves traditional Frech bistro fare and has a raw bar with oysters and other seafood.

#44 Osteria Mozza

Location: Los Angeles, CA

Chef: Nancy Silverton

Osteria Mozza ranked 22nd on the 101 Best Restaurants in America list. It didn't make any other lists.

The restaurant serves fresh, home-made Italian food. Renowned Chef Mario Batali is part of the Osteria Mozza team.

#43 Animal

Location: Los Angeles, CA

Chefs: Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo

Animal was ranked 20th in The Daily Meal's 101 Best Restaurants, but it didn't make any other lists this year.

As its name suggests, the restaurants serves all sorts of animal parts, with dishes like crispy pig head, beef heart, chicken liver toast, and veal tongue.

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With high fares, costly fees, and now the prospect of endless delays caused by sequester-mandated FAA budget cuts, flying economy is often a horror show.

But not all airlines are created equal, and some treat all their passengers very nicely.

To find the best of the best for flying at a reasonable cost, we devised a ranking system based on the two most important factors for a pleasant trip: An enjoyable experience in the plane, and timely departure and arrival.

We looked at dozens of major international airlines that fly long-haul routes.

We valued in-flight experience based on ratings for seat comfort, in-flight entertainment, cabin cleanliness and condition, quality of meals served, and service efficiency, from leading airline reviewer Skytrax.

Flightstats.com provided the on-time performance figures (from February 15 to April 15) for each airline.

We then averaged scores for in-flight experience and the on-time performance of the airlines equally to come up with an overall score. Ratings are out of 100 points.

20. Etihad Airways

In-Flight Experience: 80

On-Time Performance: 74

United Arab Emirates-based Etihad is barely ten years old, but it is growing rapidly: It said its profits tripled from $14 million in 2011 to $42 million last year.

Its has been named the World's Leading Airline at the World Travel Awards for the past four years.

In-flight experience score is an average of ratings for seat comfort, in-flight entertainment, cabin cleanliness and condition, quality of meals served, and service efficiency, provided by Skytrax.

On-time performance is for February 15 - April 15, and is provided by Flightstats.com.

19. Lufthansa

In-Flight Experience: 80

On-Time Performance: 75

With hubs in Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, and Munich, Germany's Lufthansa is the largest airline in Europe.

To compete in today's tough airline industry, the carrier has improved its business class seating, but economy is still excellent.

In-flight experience score is an average of ratings for seat comfort, in-flight entertainment, cabin cleanliness and condition, quality of meals served, and service efficiency, provided by Skytrax.

On-time performance is for February 15 - April 15, and is provided by Flightstats.com.

18. Air Astana

In-Flight Experience: 74

On-Time Performance: 82

Air Astana is the flag carrier of the Republic of Kazakhstan, and started commercial flights in 2002.

It may not top our list, but it did win "Best Airline in Central Asia and India" at the 2012 World Airline Awards.

In-flight experience score is an average of ratings for seat comfort, in-flight entertainment, cabin cleanliness and condition, quality of meals served, and service efficiency, provided by Skytrax.

On-time performance is for February 15 - April 15, and is provided by Flightstats.com.

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From menus and dishes to the restaurateurs and chefs behind them, here is everything you want to know about the best restaurants in America.

Click here to see the collection of all of our related features >

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Women are having a bigger impact on our world than ever.

In the past year, Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg pushed feminism back into the center of the national discourse.

In Afghanistan, a country where women used to be treated as second class citizens, parliament member Fawzia Koofi made history by announcing plans to run for president.

To recognize these and other impressive women, we asked readers for nominations and asked our reporters and editors to vote on the women who did the most in the past year to change the world.

#50 Cameron Russell

The Victoria's Secret model gave a powerful TED talk last year about the fashion industry's obsession with beauty, discouraging young women from pursuing careers in modeling. She has controversially said she "has to feel guilty" working in the industry, even as she's pushing the conversation about unrealistic standards into the forefront. 

Russell has also branched off into other political ventures by running the blog ArtRoots.info, which aims to encourage grassroots public art and political power; and is director of The Big Bad Lab, focused on participatory art meant to inspire people to engage in radical demonstrations to bring about positive social change. 

#49 Alice Waters

Chef Alice Waters is at the forefront of the popular "slow food" movement" that has gained momentum across the country. 

Her culinary philosophy is rooted in the belief that the ingredients should come from local and sustainable farms. Her restaurant Chez Panisse supports a network of local farmers, and has inspired many others around the country to do the same.  Chez Panisse was badly damaged by a fire in March, but is expected to reopen in June.

Waters is VP of Slow Food International, a global nonprofit organization that promotes local farming initiatives; and speaks out about how fast food ruins culture. 

#48 Tig Notaro

Comedian Tig Notaro captured America with her vulnerable stand-up routine last August. She took the stage soon after being diagnosed with cancer, and told the audience: "With humor, the equation is tragedy plus time equals comedy. I am just at tragedy right now."

The androgynous 41-year-old also shared her sadness over the death of her mother, a breakup, and a threatening intestinal disease. During her routine, one guy said, "This is fucking awesome." 

Since then, many people around the world say that she's helped them get through their own battles with cancer and other hardships. 

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Who are the highest-paid people in media?

Naturally, Disney's Bob Iger, Comcast's Brian Roberts, and News Corps.' Rupert Murdoch are among the best paid, but none of them is the highest-paid executive of last year.

We've scoured through the top media companies' most recent SEC filings to compile a list of the highest-paid media executives of 2012. We only included people who earned at least $5 million in the past year.

One person took home a huge compensation package of $62.2 million.

Note: The SEC reports the top five paid executives of publicly traded U.S companies.

23. Jeffrey Katzenberg (DreamWorks Animation): $5.2 million

Base Salary: $365,386

Bonus: none

All other awards and compensation: $4.8 million

2011 salary: $4 million in stock awards (His base salary was $1)

This marks the first time Katzenberg has taken a salary in two years. 

Last year, the CEO donated $2 million to Obama's re-election campaign, making him one of Hollywood's largest contributors.

DreamWorks Animation posted an $83 million loss in its fourth quarter after the poor debut of holiday film, "Rise of the Guardians." This year, the studio is back on track with a box-office hit from "The Croods." The studio recently announced a sequel is in the works.

Notable properties owned: "Shrek,""Madagascar,""How to Train Your Dragon" franchises and Classic Media (consists of "Casper,""Rocky & Bullwinkle," and "Veggie Tales" among other titles)

(Source: SEC)

22. C. William Eccleshare (Clear Channel Communications): $5.4 million

Base Salary: $1 million

Bonus: $405,096

All other awards and compensation: $4 million

2011 salary: $3.1 million

Under Eccleshare's guidance as CEO, the largest radio station group owner in the U.S. invested in Ryan Seacrest's television and film production company to create new content last year.

Previously, Eccleshare served as Chairman and CEO of BBDO EMEA from 2005 to 2009.

Notable properties owned: 850 radio stations including Z100, K102, and 107.5 WGCI, iHeartRadio, Clear Channel Outdoor advertising, Clear Channel Entertainment, Premiere Networks, Katz Media Group, Total Traffic Network

(Source: SEC)

21. Jon Feltheimer (Lionsgate): $6.4 million

Base Salary: $1.2 million

Bonus: $5 million

All other awards and compensation: $215,669

2011 salary: $7.9 million

Feltheimer has been CEO since 2000 and worked for Sony Pictures Entertainment from 1991 to 1999.

Last year, Lionsgate acquired Summit Entertainment giving them the rights to the lucrative "The Hunger Games" franchise.

This year, Lionsgate sold half of TV Guide to CBS and its studio changed branding, ditching iconic gates for a space theme reflecting Universal's. 

Notable properties owned: Lionsgate Films, Madate Pictures, Roadside Attractions, Summit Entertainment, TV Guide Network, Epix, Celestial Tiger Entertainment

(Source: SEC)

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From Melinda Gates to Marissa Mayer, these women have done some remarkable things in the last year that will change the world.

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New Orleans is a hugely popular tourist destination for its food, music, history and Mardi Gras.

The city's economy took a big hit after Hurricane Katrina devastated the cityscape in 2005. But since then New Orleans has rebuilt and reinvented itself.

From startups to restaurants and bars, several very cool small businesses have sprouted up in the Big Easy.

adverCar

Web only

What it is: A transit advertising and media company

Why it's cool: adverCar matches brands with regular drivers who are looking to make some extra cash. The brand pays a driver to put a decal on their car. When that person drives through different neighborhoods and regions, the brand is then broadcast to the area in a subtle yet effective way.

It is part of New Orleans Startup Fund's portfolio.

American Sector And National World War II Museum

945 Magazine St.

What it is: A 1940s themed restaurant and museum

Why it's cool:Besides being America's first museum devoted to World War II, this venue features restaurants and bars that are all 1940s themed. Everything from the seating to the cocktails to the styles of the performers oozes 1940s glamour. There are even live musical performances by Big Band orchestras and tributes to 1940s icons like The Rat Pack.

The restaurant, called the American Sector, serves dishes that put a creative spin on traditional American food, like mini cheeseburgers with bacon-onion marmalade and wagyu short ribs.

Astor Crowne Plaza Hotel

739 Canal St. at Bourbon

What it is: A sustainable hotel

Why it's cool: This is a luxury hotel that has a ton of green initiatives. It recycles all cardboard, paper, plastic, and aluminum products. 

About 90% of the hotel's lighting is energy efficient and it has a grease recycle program.

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Air travel can be a miserable experience these days — especially when you are flying economy class.

Since nothing is worse than being stuck in a small uncomfortable seat with limited leg room, terrible food, and rude service, we think the in-flight experience is the most important factor in enjoying your flight.

We ranked the 20 worst airlines for flying economy in the world, based on the most unpleasant in-flight experiences.

To compile this list, we looked at dozens of major international airlines that fly long-haul routes and have economy class seats. We looked at ratings (scored on a scale of one to five) from leading airline reviewer Skytrax for seat comfort, in-flight entertainment, cabin cleanliness and condition, quality of meals served, and service efficiency.

We included passenger reviews for each airline (scored out of ten) also from Skytrax.

We adjusted each measure to be out of 100, and averaged them to produce a final score that reflects the overall in-flight experience. Ratings are out of 100 points.

20. Sky Express

Rated 50 out of 100 for economy class.

Air Algerie flies a fleet of 45 Airbus and Boeing planes, with orders placed for 16 more.

In 2012, it started leasing Boeing 747 jumbo jets to cope with extra demand during the Hajj and Umrah Muslim pilgrimages.

Its passenger review score of 60 was quite good, but poor Skytrax ratings for in-flight entertainment, cabin cleanliness, and staff response to passenger requests make it the 20th worst airline in the world for flying economy.

In-flight experience score is an average of ratings for seat comfort, in-flight entertainment, cabin cleanliness and condition, quality of meals served, service efficiency, and passenger reviews, provided by Skytrax.

18. Ryanair (tie)

Rated 49.2 out of 100 for economy class.

This "ultra-low-cost" airline is headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, and has a fleet of over 300 aircraft.

Although the no-frills carrier has non-reclining seats and lacks seat-back pockets, it carries a surprising number of business travelers, and it may have figured out how to save Greece's tourism industry.

Now, Ryanair has plans to reduce the number of toilets on each plane from three to one, with the benefit of fitting six more paying passengers on each flight.

In-flight experience score is an average of ratings for seat comfort, in-flight entertainment, cabin cleanliness and condition, quality of meals served, service efficiency, and passenger reviews, provided by Skytrax.

18. Merpati Nusantara Airlines (tie)

Rated 49.2 out of 100 for economy class.

Merpati Nusantara Airlines is an Indonesian airline based out of Jakarta.

It operates domestic and international flights, but it — along with 286 other airlines — is deemed "unsafe" by the EU, and is banned from flying in European airspace.

Skytrax gave the carrier just one star out of five for in-flight entertainment and interaction with passengers. The food's not terrible, though — it got three and a half stars.

In-flight experience score is an average of ratings for seat comfort, in-flight entertainment, cabin cleanliness and condition, quality of meals served, service efficiency, and passenger reviews, provided by Skytrax.

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