Who are the most eligible bachelors and bachelorettes in New York City?

Hinge, the dating app that introduces you to friends of friends, thinks it knows.

Hinge shows users the profiles of single people close by. You can swipe right if you like someone's profile or swipe left if you aren't interested. You'll see only friends of friends and third-degree connections on the app, which adds social credibility to every person with whom you're matched.

Founded in 2011, Hinge made a huge comeback and rebranded as a mobile app in February 2013. Its number of active users has grown by five times over the past year. 

Hinge has made more than 8 million matches, up from 1 million in March of last year, and the service has expanded to 29 cities. It is most popular in Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, and Washington, D.C. 

"Hinge cuts through the randomness of Tinder,” one daily user told The New York Times in March. "I can take some comfort that she knows some of the same people I do." In December, Hinge raised $12 million from venture capitalists, bringing its total amount raised to over $20 million.

Hinge picked the top 30 men and women in NYC on its app by considering two factors: high "swipe right rates" on their profiles (profile details like appearance, workplace, and education are all taken into account) and influence, or how socially connected they are.

30. Teddy MacKenzie

Work: Underwriter at ACE

Education: University of Denver, Bucknell University

Influence: 504 friends on Hinge

Worst pre-Hinge date: "Taking a girl to a sushi restaurant but completely forgetting I'd lost my wallet the night before. She had to pay, and it was a pretty hefty bill. Not my best moment." 

29. Amanda Usher

Work: Teacher, 12th Grade British Literature

Education: Columbia University

Influence: 417 friends on Hinge

Worst pre-Hinge date story: "Don't do brunch if you had an engagement the eve before. You may not be as good on your toes and forget that dates are like an interview. This particular interviewer met me in the Lower East Side, and midway through his eggs Benedict he said, 'You know we’ve met before?' I immediately blushed and wished I'd ordered a mimosa over iced coffee … definitely did not remember him."

28. Zach Tatge

Work: Associate Producer at ABC News

Education: Keene State

Influence: 356 friends on Hinge

Worst pre-Hinge date: "She never showed up :("

Instacart, a startup that delivers groceries on demand, has raised $220 million at a nearly $2 billion valuation in a Series C round led by Kleiner Perkins. 

Instacart hires shoppers to buy groceries at local stores and then deliver them to customers within a few hours. Unlike competitors such as Fresh Direct, which keep their own inventories, Instacart relies on grocery stores to fulfill orders.

I decided to try out Instacart to see if it lives up to the hype. 

To get started, first enter your ZIP code to see if Instacart delivers in your area. The entry page boasts that it will deliver your groceries in an hour.

You then get to choose the grocery store you want to order from.

After I chose Fairway as my store, the app showed me what food items I could buy.

Every January, the automotive world descends upon Detroit for the North American International Auto Show. As the first show of 2015, this year's iteration of the NAIAS — more commonly known as the Detroit Auto Show — gives the media and show goers alike a first look at the trends that will dominate the the automotive world this year.

"This year’s North American International Auto Show is going to feel very retro, because it’s going to feature a series of big, brash, unapologetic concept cars and production models," said Kelley Blue Book senior analyst Karl Brauer. "The bold nature of this year’s show cars reflects growing optimism in the automotive marketplace."

"The level of advanced engineering and technology being displayed in modern cars is nothing short of amazing, with even greater advances coming in the next few years," Brauer added. "The Detroit show will preview performance, safety and fuel efficiency metrics that would have seemed impossible just a few years ago. "

The rebirth of the Acura NSX supercar has been a decade in the making. This time around, it will be a hybrid with a 3.5-liter V6 engine assisted by a trio of electric motors.

The eye-catching Infiniti Q60 concepts offers customers a glimpse at what may be in store for the Japanese luxury brand's most popular sports coupe.

The GS-F is Lexus' answer to the BMW M5. The big Lexus strides into the battle with the 5.0-liter 467-horsepower V8 engine shared with the terrific RC-F coupe.

A New Zealand fur seal that visited Sydney’s Opera House to sunbathe last October has returned.

After a weekend of rain and an uninspiring grey Monday, the seal, which made plenty of noise during his previous visit, has returned on a sun-kissed Tuesday morning, sunning himself on the VIP steps in the northwest corner of the Opera House forecourt.

There is no way of verifying if this is the same seal which made headlines last October but either way, it’s a pleasant site for Sydneysiders taking in the Harbour’s spectacular views.

But in any case you can enjoy this nice video of the seal:

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Bletchley Park is the secret British facility where Alan Turing and his assistants deciphered a secret German codes in War World II.

The Victorian house in Buckinghamshire is featured in the new film "The Imitation Game," starring Benedict Cumberbatch as Turing and Keira Knightley.

But does it look the same now as it did more than half a century ago?

Members of the British secret service first went to Bletchley Park in 1938, just one year before the start of the war. This is how the site looks in the movie.

And here's a real photograph.

Here's a view from the outside today. It doesn't look like much has changed.

In our recent ranking of the Most Elite Boarding Schools in America, we considered the school's endowment, acceptance rate, and average standardized testing scores.

Phillips Exeter Academy, a 1,200-student-strong high school located in the sleepy town of Exeter, New Hampshire, rocketed to the top of the list.

When Dr. John Phillips, a graduate of Harvard and resident of Exeter, opened the Academy in 1781, he set out to teach young men "the great and real business of living." More than two centuries later, the now co-ed school prides itself on the strength of its network, its commitment to spreading kindness, and on its use of the Harkness Method, a unique teaching model that schools around the world strive to imitate.

Many millionaires and a handful of billionaires are products of the Exeter community and have helped grow the school's endowment to $1.2 billion. The fund supports many students' tuition, which otherwise costs $46,905 a year for boarding students.

Last fall, I spent the day as a student at Phillips Exeter Academy to see why it's the best.

Phillips Exeter Academy, recently named the most elite boarding school in America, has a reputation as a "feeder school"— a school that sends a high number of students to Ivy League universities. As I drove to the quiet town of Exeter, New Hampshire, I expected to hate it.

Before arriving on campus, I imagined the quintessential boarding school stereotype — Vineyard Vines-wearing, silver spoon-fed teenagers crumbling under academic pressure, bragging about their college acceptances, and sneaking off into the woods to get high.

But I spent the day as a student in "the bubble," as students call the Exeter community, and it was nothing like I expected. I never wanted to leave.

Stora Rulligen, a private island in Sweden, is on the market for $7.1 million, listed with Valdi Private Islands.

The island was originally designed for and owned by Tiger Woods and his ex-wife Elin Nordegren. But the couple never moved in, and sold it to a Swedish millionaire, the current owner, when they split up.

It boasts a private harbor, a rocky shoreline, several acres of untouched woods, a hunting lodge, a large, open yard, and six golf tees.

The island from above.

The private harbor has a docking area. The property also has a private landing strip.

The view of the surrounding lake.

New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick has been voted the best coach in the NFL for years on end.

You can see why when you look at how he's outfoxed his opponents — again and again. 

2000: Drafting Tom Brady with the 199th pick.

Belichick has earned a reputation as a brilliant talent scout.

That includes what might be the greatest draft pick in history: taking Michigan quarterback Tom Brady in the sixth round in 2000. 

"The thing with Brady was really the traits: his work ethic, his intelligence, his decision-making,"Belichick said in an interview."I think a lot of the draft process is [about] not where the player is right now, but where the player will be a year from now. I don't think I've ever seen a player improve as much as Tom did. That's certainly a big credit to his work ethic and his determination."

It paid off: Brady has two MVP awards, three Super Bowl wins, and 10 Pro Bowl selections.

2003: Giving up points — to get more in return.

Flash back to November 2003. The Broncos are up 24-23 on the Patriots with 2 minutes 51 seconds left in the game. The Pats are in the perilous position of 4th and 10 from their own 1-yard line. 

Belichick's solution? 

"Belichick was unwilling to give the Broncos strong field position, so he ordered his long snapper to air one over his punter's head, giving the Broncos two points on the safety and possession," John McTigue reports for ESPN. 

It worked. 

The Patriots forced the Broncos to go three-and-out, and Brady had over two minutes to come back and score the winning touchdown. 

2008: Waging the information war — even with the injury report.

Belichick listed Brady on the Patriots' injury report for three years straight. 

During that time, Brady played 127 straight games. 

Crazy, right? Anything to confuse opponents. 

It had an effect on how the league operates. 

"The NFL has altered the format for the injury report, in part because of the Patriots,"the Boston Globe reported. 

Societe Generale's Albert Edwards and Andy Lapthorne are presenting their Global Strategy briefing today. They're joined by Marc Faber, who publishes the Gloom Boom Doom newsletter.

There are about 1,000 people in the room, and I can't see Goldilocks but there are three very prominent bears at the front of the room.

It's fair to say that Faber in particular has some very interesting ideas.

US stocks are actually looking pretty expensive by historical standards

And even European stocks, where there's been little recovery to speak of, are looking pricey

The eurozone's terrible performance has been weighing heavily against global profits

Winter break is over, and students are heading back to school for their second semesters.

And for the most famous students, a new semester brings more than just schoolwork as they balance Olympic training, political careers, and TV show filming.

Here's what celebrities and famous offspring are up to this semester, both inside the classroom and out.

Melia Robinson, Melissa Stanger, and Sara Bower contributed to this article.

Alexander Ludwig is a member of one of USC's most sought-after fraternities.

Canadian actor Alexander Ludwig played the ruthless District 2 tribute Cato in the first "Hunger Games" movie — he's the one who fights Peeta and Katniss on top of the cornucopia in the final fight scene.

A senior, the Phi Kappa Psi brother and theater major belongs to one of USC's most exclusive fraternities, which has a reputation for throwing the year’s wildest parties.

Angus T. Jones left "Two and a Half Men" to pursue religion and his education at UC Boulder.

After starring on hit sitcom "Two and a Half Men" for 10 seasons — as the highest paid child actor at the time no less, making $350,000 an episode — Angus T. Jones left the show in order to fully dedicate himself to Christianity. 

Now a sophomore at the University of Colorado at Boulder, he also tours the country speaking at churches.

Chiara de Blasio still keeps up with her father's career in New York — even from school in California at Santa Clara University.

During her father Bill de Blasio's New York City mayoral campaign, Chiara starred in an advertisement and made a dramatic, surprise return from college to cast a vote for him.

The Santa Clara University senior and floral-headband-wearing hipster made headlines of her own with a powerfully candid video about her struggles with depression and history of drug and alcohol abuse.

Although the college quad first became associated with academia on the campuses of Oxford and Cambridge, most of America's great universities now feature a central space surrounded by residence halls and classrooms.

Many of these collegiate spaces appear on the US National Register of Historic Places and are considered among the most iconic examples of American architecture and design.

We've compiled a list of some of the most beautiful and iconic examples of American campus quads:

Harvard University — Harvard Yard

Harvard Yard is the oldest part of Harvard's campus, and the buildings surrounding it include freshman residence halls and some of the school's main libraries.

University of Alabama — The Quad

The Quad at the center of UA's campus once hosted football games, but now might be best known as the home of Denny Chimes, a 115-foot tower. 

Cornell University — Arts Quad

Cornell's Arts Quad is the academic home of the Arts and Sciences college, and is watched over by two statues of the university's founders, Ezra Cornell and A.D. White.

University of Virginia — The Lawn

The Lawn at UVA was designed by school founder Thomas Jefferson, and the Rotunda at the north-end of the quad was inspired by the Pantheon in Rome.

University of Missouri — Francis Quadrangle

Mizzou's Francis Quadrangle — known on campus as The Quad — features two of the school's most recognizable structures, Jesse Hall and The Columns.

Yale University — Branford Courtyard

The courtyard of Yale's Branford residential college is considered by many — including, reportedly, poet Robert Frost — to be one of the most beautiful spaces of any college in America.

University of Washington — The Quad

The UW Quad is known for the scenic cherry trees that bloom in the springtime, bringing a beautiful light pink overtone to campus.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology — Killian Court

The center of MIT's Killian Court is the Great Dome, which is surrounded by marble buildings engraved with the names of prominent thinkers and philosophers.

University of Pennsylvania — The Quad

The UPenn Quad hosts the majority of freshman residence halls and is the most desirable place to live your first year on campus.

University of Maryland — McKeldin Mall

UMD's McKeldin Mall is flanked on either end by the school's main library and a statue of its mascot — Testudo — a diamondback terrapin turtle.

Stanford University — Main Quad

The Main Quad is home to the Stanford Memorial Church, considered to be the earliest nondenominational church on the West Coast.

University of Wisconsin–Madison — Bascom Hill

Bascom Hill is actually a drumlin — literally a "small hill"— that was likely formed by a glacier 20,000 years ago.

University of Michigan — The Diag

The Diag — known for the diagonal walkways that cut through the square — is a central meeting place at UMich.

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign — Main Quad

The UIUC Main Quad houses Foellinger Auditorium, a concert space and lecture hall that can seat over 1,500 students.

University of Texas at Austin — South Lawn

High above the UT South Lawn stands The Tower, a 30-floor structure that is one of the most recognizable buildings on campus.

Southern Methodist University — Main Quad

A hundred years old this year, SMU's Dallas Hall is named in recognition to the city that houses the university and is modeled on UVA's Georgian-inspired architecture.

SEE ALSO: The 20 Most Fun Colleges In America

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There's a storage problem with the iPhone. You've probably encountered it when trying to store hundreds of photos, apps, and songs on there. Or, indeed, any time Apple updates its iOS operating system and your iPhone tells you there simply isn't enough room.

What most people don't know is that there is a way to fit much more music on your phone and to cut down the amount of space occupied by your music.

Look at the music in your iTunes library. You'll probably find that your albums are all different file sizes. Right-click on a song, and head to the "File" tab.

In the "File" tab, you'll see the file size of the song. The "bit rate" tells you how much space is taken up per second of the song. This song is 320 kbps, the maximum bitrate for iTunes.

You'll probably find several different bit rates in your iTunes library. iTunes purchases are 256 kbps, while CD imports can be up to 320 kbps.

The gorgeous Fifth Avenue mansion that Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich almost bought for $75 million is now available to rent for $80,000 a month, according to Curbed New York.

The rent was price chopped from the original $150,000-a-month asking price from back in October, presumably from lack of interest.

Now the triplex is back, this time for almost half the rent. Curbed reports that the owner, heiress Angelika Ivanc, is spending time out of town with her children and is hoping to find a suitable tenant.

More than a year ago, Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich was in contract to purchase three of the five apartments in the building at 828 Fifth Avenue from the family of late British real estate developer Howard Ronson, which included the penthouse, a triplex, and a duplex apartment.

The deal fell through after the seller — Ronson's widow, Ivanc — reportedly held out because she thought she could get more money from the Russian mogul.

Abramovich had reportedly bought another apartment in the building, and was trying to purchase the final unit so he could restore the mansion to its former glory. Now it looks like that dream may never happen.

But for those with $80,000 to throw around each month, the eight-bedroom co-op is now available to rent on Stribling & Associates as well as Sotheby's real estate.

An interesting mix of classic and modern with tall ceilings and eight bedrooms, the home even has a rooftop terrace that looks out over Central Park.

The Manhattan townhouse sits directly across from Central Park Zoo.

It's currently divided up into five units.

Abramovich was hoping to buy them all and create a single-family mansion.

Picking a job is personal, and there isn't one "best job" that would suit everyone.

Still, our list of 100 outstanding occupations exemplifies what makes working worthwhile: good pay, manageable work-life balance and good job prospects.

Before you send out your first application, check out which jobs top our list for 2015.

1. Dentist

Median Salary: $146,340 
Unemployment Rate: 0.9% 
Expected Job Openings: 23,300 

The best dentists deftly balance patient care with turning a profit — what good is the most nurturing dentist in town if he or she never sees any patients? But before getting to that stage, they endure rigorous technical and practical training in a competitive dental program. 

2. Nurse Practitioner

Median Salary: $92,670 
Unemployment Rate: 0.7%
Expected Job Openings: 37,100 

It's a nurse practitioner's array of capabilities, coupled with the fact he or she can work independently of physicians when treating patients, that makes this No. 2 job an attractive career choice. 

3. Software Developer

Median Salary: $92,660 
Unemployment Rate: 2.7%
Expected Job Openings: 139,900 

Software developers could work on the applications side, designing software, or on the systems side, building operating systems. 

René Redzepi is the exalted chef behind Noma in Copenhagen, universally known as one of the best restaurants in the world with two Michelin stars and the number one spot on the S. Pellagrino’s World’s 50 Best Restaurants List.

And now Redzepi and his acclaimed food have arrived in Tokyo.

From January 9 until February 14, the famous chef and his entire 50-staff team will be serving guests at Tokyo’s Mandarin Oriental.

The pop-up Noma restaurant seats just 56 people for lunch and dinner with each meal spanning 20-courses with local ingredients and fresh produce, per Redzepi's signature style.

Reservations for the experience had to be made all the way back in June of 2014. Lunch costs ¥39,000 or about $381 without tip. The dinner package includes a one-night stay for two people at the Madarin Oriental and costs ¥149,500, or about $1,462 before service charge, according to the Mandarin Oriental.

The Guardian reported that more than 60,000 people applied for a chance to dine at the event with only a small percentage making the cut. 

One of the lucky diners was Ivan Orkin, the New York chef behind Ivan Ramen. He documented his amazing lunch on his Instagram @ramenjunkie and gave Business Insider permission to run his photos. Keep reading to see the incredible menu at Noma Tokyo.

“And so it begins! Fuji in the background is an excellent omen!”

A photo posted by Ivan Orkin (@ramenjunkie) on Jan 8, 2015 at 6:14pm PST

The first course was a freshly-killed langoustine topped with ants. Orkin described it as "still moving [and] super fresh [with] acidic notes from the ants.”

A photo posted by Ivan Orkin (@ramenjunkie) on Jan 8, 2015 at 10:17pm PST

Next were under-ripe strawberries, a signature of Redzepi. They were topped by what appear to be thin slices of cheese and sea salt to balance out the acidity. Orkin called this dish “Awesome!”

A photo posted by Ivan Orkin (@ramenjunkie) on Jan 8, 2015 at 10:20pm PST

“Assorted citrus, Okinawa chili peppers,” Orkin explained of this dish. A nice palate cleanser.

A photo posted by Ivan Orkin (@ramenjunkie) on Jan 8, 2015 at 10:22pm PST

Next came "Shaved ankimo toast." Ankimo is a delicacy in Japan made with monkfish liver rubbed with salt and rinsed with sake. Instead of serving it traditionally, Redzepi shaved it into tiny pieces and put on toast.

A photo posted by Ivan Orkin (@ramenjunkie) on Jan 8, 2015 at 10:24pm PST

"Cuttlefish 'noodles' [in a] wild rose petal broth." Served on ice.

A photo posted by Ivan Orkin (@ramenjunkie) on Jan 8, 2015 at 10:26pm PST

This next dish was scallops, but it appeared to be prepared in some unknown way. Commenters suggested it was freeze-dried or magic, but Orkin simply says, "Can't explain, just delicious.”

A photo posted by Ivan Orkin (@ramenjunkie) on Jan 8, 2015 at 10:27pm PST

Next came a clam tart. Orkin broke it down into numbers: "45 clams per tart, 13 people shucking for 8 hours. Worth it!”

A photo posted by Ivan Orkin (@ramenjunkie) on Jan 8, 2015 at 10:30pm PST

“Tofu, shaved walnuts. Best tofu dish, ever?!”

A photo posted by Ivan Orkin (@ramenjunkie) on Jan 8, 2015 at 10:32pm PST

“Squash and dried salted ume. Sublime.” Ume are similar to apricots and are often salted and pickled in Japanese cuisine.

A photo posted by Ivan Orkin (@ramenjunkie) on Jan 8, 2015 at 10:33pm PST

“Fermented black garlic leather. Grown up candy.” Black garlic is a kind of caramelized garlic delicacy that tastes sweet or syrupy with a hint of balsamic vinegar. It's made by roasting a whole head of garlic for weeks at a time.

A photo posted by Ivan Orkin (@ramenjunkie) on Jan 8, 2015 at 10:34pm PST

"Things from under the ground.” 

A photo posted by Ivan Orkin (@ramenjunkie) on Jan 8, 2015 at 10:35pm PST

"Wild duck." Plated and served like only Noma can.

A photo posted by Ivan Orkin (@ramenjunkie) on Jan 8, 2015 at 10:37pm PST

"Roasted Turnip" in some kind of green sauce.

A photo posted by Ivan Orkin (@ramenjunkie) on Jan 8, 2015 at 10:38pm PST

“How to incorporate rice into the meal? Dessert, rice ice cream and crisps.” 

A photo posted by Ivan Orkin (@ramenjunkie) on Jan 8, 2015 at 10:39pm PST

“Sweet potato slow cooked in raw sugar comes molten to the table. Wild kiwi dipping sauce.”

A video posted by Ivan Orkin (@ramenjunkie) on Jan 8, 2015 at 10:40pm PST

"Finale: cepes dipped in chocolate cinnamon dipped in sugar." Wow.

A photo posted by Ivan Orkin (@ramenjunkie) on Jan 8, 2015 at 10:43pm PST

Orkin says the meal was definitely worthwhile. “Probably didn't describe everything correctly," he wrote on Instagram. "Great meal, fabulous experience, and only first day! Hats off.”

DON'T MISS: A San Francisco Entrepreneur Is Accepting Applications For A Date At The Best Restaurant In The World

SEE ALSO: What It's Like To Eat At Noma, The Best Restaurant In The World

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Photographer William Karl Valentine grew up visiting the Pasadena Police Department, where his father was a reserve police officer. When Valentine enrolled at Arizona State University to study photography, he decided that his first project would be a documentation of the police department.

Over the course of four years at ASU, Valentine logged over 1,000 hours shadowing officers in the department, photographing every major operation and event that he was there to witness. What has resulted is a fantastic time capsule of what it was like to be police officer in an LA suburb when the Drug War was on full blast.

Valentine shared a number of photos with us here, but you can check out the rest at his website.

At the time Valentine began his photo project in 1984, Pasadena was extremely dangerous. Valentine was given the chance to document officers like Officer Bill Walton, seen here, because he was well-known around the department due to his father.

Growing up, Valentine would visit the station while his father did paperwork. This is a view of the "report writing room," where much of that paperwork was done.

Valentine continued the project any time he went home for holiday breaks. During the summers, he worked as a reserve officer in the department’s photo lab. This helped him gain trust with the officers, who gave him “almost unlimited access” to the department, he says.

The American Institute of Architecture has chosen its top buildings of the year to honor.

A total of 23 buildings and plans will receive the 2015 Institute Honor Awards, which recognizes extraordinary work in architecture, interior architecture, and urban design.

Featured here are 19 of the 23 buildings and designs from the architecture and interior architecture catagories, chosen by a jury of the nation's top architects.

The original Cambridge Public Library is a Romanesque masterpiece designed in 1889, but its size wasn't adequate for its 2,000 daily visitors. The solution was a beautiful new 76,000-square-foot glass building seamless attached to the original structure, creating a huge, open, and inviting space open to all. (William Rawn Associates, Architects, Inc.)

The Beats By Dre headquarters in Culver City, California was designed especially to be warm and inviting, as well as facilitate contact between the 650 employee's different departments. Skylights, bright and airy spaces, warm woods, and walls panted blue and red help accomplish this goal. (Bestor Architecture)

The Danish National Maritime Museum was housed in the the Kronberg Castle in Elsinore (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), but was evicted so the interior could be renovated. It moved into a dry dock next door, forming a multi-tiered design with gentle sloping paths. (BIG | Bjarke Ingels Group)

DoubleLine Funds' Jeff Gundlach just wrapped up a big webcast, titled "V," giving his outlook for what 2015 has in store for investors.

Gundlach, of course, addressed oil ("It won't stop going down"), the decline in Treasury yields seen at the start of this year, and what 2015 might hold for the Federal Reserve.

The bear case for stocks is wrapped up in three succinct slides, and noted that denominated in currencies other than the US dollar, gold actually had a decent year.

Thanks to DoubleLine Funds for letting us run Gundlach's latest presentation.

SEE ALSO: Jeff Gundlach's Bear Case For Stocks In 3 Charts

The chocolate factory that gave America its first Hershey's kiss is now in ruins.

Hershey Co. began demolishing the 110-year-old factory two years ago in a move that devastated many longtime residents of the town of Hershey, Pennsylvania, where the plant was located.

Photographer Matthew Christopher, whose father worked for the Hershey Co., went inside the factory just before it was destroyed. He shared what he found with Business Insider.

To see more of his work, check out his website, Facebook page, and newly published book, "Abandoned America."

The inside of the crumbling chocolate plant is a far cry from the fictional Willy Wonka chocolate factory.

"It looks like a chemical plant," Christopher says. 

The factory was first opened by Hershey Co. founder Milton S. Hershey in 1903.

These past few weeks, temperatures in the US have plummeted.

Some states are even living in conditions where it's colder than Mars.

So as people bundle up in preparation for the miserable weather, we found ways for everyone to stay warm and dry despite the nastiness outside.

Here are 12 hacks to help you keep warm until spring.

Mittens > Gloves

It may be easier to text in gloves, but your digits will be much warmer in mittens. When they're made of the same material, mittens offer more warmth since fingers have skin-to-skin contact with each other and can share body heat.

Mittens also tend to have a smaller surface area than gloves, which reduces heat loss, so when in doubt, always choose mittens.

Avoid Wearing Cotton

Cotton clothes and socks are the absolute worst things you can wear during the winter, because cotton holds moisture and loses its insulating properties. If you sweat under your jacket, get wet from the snow, or if there's any moisture in the air, the cotton will quickly absorb it and keep it close to your skin, making you feel even colder.

Merino wool or polypropylene socks are a much better way to go since these fabrics wick moisture away from skin. Wool in particular is great because it suspends the moisture in the weave, and can absorb almost 1/3 of its own weight before making you feel cold or wet.

And for those who don't have wool socks (or don't want to go out in the cold to buy them), an easy hack is to put your socks on and then slip your feet into plastic bags. It looks weird, but it will keep your feet really dry and warm.

Use Kitty Litter On Stuck Tires

Salt and sand can help when your car gets stuck in the snow, but kitty litter will also work in a pinch to give you traction. Shovel as much snow and ice as possible out from the path of your tires, and then put a liberal amount of cat litter around and under the tire.

Then just rock your car back and forth, switching from drive to reverse carefully, until you get unstuck.

Bubble Wrap Your Windows

A lot of heat escapes through windows, unnecessarily increasing utility costs. For an easy way to insulate your window while still letting light in, use large bubble wrap and an Exacto knife.

You don't even need tape or glue — just mist water onto your window with a spray bottle, push the flat side of the wrap against the window and it will stay put and keep your room insulated for months.

Another pro-tip is to call around to furniture and/or department stores to see if they have any large bubble wrap that they're going to throw out or that you can buy on the cheap. They're usually swimming in the stuff.

Learn Your Ceiling Fan Settings

Ceiling fans are not just there to cool you off in the summer — most fans have a setting that allows them to spin clockwise on low to recirculate warmer air trapped near the ceiling towards the floor.

You'll be shocked at how much warmer the room will get.

Dry Your Shoes Quickly With Newspaper

Once the snow starts to melt, shoes quickly become wet and are hard to dry. Most people think to put them near a heat source, but this can have the unwanted effect of shrinking your shoes.

Instead, stuff wet shoes with newspaper. It will absorb the moisture quickly, though you might have to replace the newspaper a few times depending on how drenched your shoes are. You can also wrap the outside with the newspaper and secure with a few rubber bands.

Ice-Proof Your Car And Stairs With Household Ingredients

Coming outside to a frozen windshield or ice on your stairs is one of the worst ways to start the day. But there are homemade solutions that can help prevent this from happening.

For car windows and windshields, mist a 3:1 mixture of distilled vinegar and water onto the glass before a storm or icy weather hits. It will keep ice from forming on your windows, and you can also spray the mixture on already ice-covered windows to melt it quickly.

To keep your stoop or sidewalk from becoming icy, make a brine treatment 24-hours ahead of a winter storm with salt dissolved in hot water. Pour a thin layer onto steps and sidewalk to make snow easy to remove, and keep an ice layer from forming.

Prep Your Shovel With Cooking Spray

Shoveling snow is one of the worst winter tasks, so don't make it harder on yourself by not properly preparing. Rubbing vegetable oil, paraffin wax, or cooking spray onto your shovel ahead of time will keep the snow from sticking, and allow you to shovel faster and easier.

Stock Up On Cheap Razors

It's super easy to fix sweatshirt or sweater pilling with a cheap razor.

Just lightly run the razor against the fabric where pilling occurs, and the razor will shave off the small balls of fiber without harming the material so your warmest clothes will be ready to wear in public again.

Warm Blankets With A Hot Water Bottle

Before climbing into bed, fill a water bottle with hot water and stick it under your covers. It'll warm the sheets, and can be left safely in bed all night long for added warmth.

Take this hack to the next level by wrapping your pajamas around the bottle and sticking them under the covers before putting them on.

Winterize Your Bike

You could buy winter tires for your bike, but those are expensive. Instead, take zip ties and stagger them around your current wheels roughly a half an inch apart and snip off the excess with scissors.

They'll give you extra traction when biking around slippery roads and are easy to remove come spring.

Buy Some Hand Warmers

A friend of mine with poor circulation swears by these during the winter. The air-activated heat packs are safe, odorless, and can provide heat for 10 hours if you're jogging, tailgating, hiking, or just commuting to work.

You can also make your own by sewing together a fabric pouch filled with rice, and warming it up in the microwave before leaving the house.

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SEE ALSO: 31 Things Every New Yorker Should Do This Winter

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