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I work in a research lab and have kids under 7. These are the science-based gifts that they’ve enjoyed most over the years.

  • I work in a research lab and enjoy giving my kids toys that make them think a bit.
  • STEM-based toys like cookbooks, building kits, and circuit sets foster learning and fun at home.
  • These are the six toys my kids, 3 and 6, keep going back to play with again and again.

It’s exciting to shop for kids, especially around the holidays, but it can be overwhelming with all the options available. I’m a mom to a 3-year-old and a 6-year-old, and I work in a scientific research lab, so I gravitate toward toys that can be both educational and fun.

Over the years, my kids have tried out a lot of STEM-based toys. These are the ones that they return to again and again, and they also happen to be ones that I know are challenging their brains in all the right ways.

“The Ultimate Science Cookbook for Kids” incorporates STEM concepts into edible creations

The author’s son follows a recipe from a STEM-based cookbook for kids.

Courtesy of Anne James

I bought this Highlights cookbook for my son last Easter, and have since purchased a handful more to gift to friends and relatives. My 6-year-old frequently requests to make recipes from this cookbook, which covers a wide range of scientific topics.

Each recipe has a scientific description alongside it, and the recipes range from easy (building a pyramid with cheese cubes and grapes, teaching basic engineering skills) to multiple-step (think along the lines of chocolate chip cookies — an opportunity to talk about chemical reactions and how baking soda leavens the cookies), so there’s something for everyone (even if you’re not prepared!).

STEM building kits spark interest in engineering and energy use


Completed STEM build kids.

The author says her younger kids are able to enjoy these wooden building kits intended for children 8 and older with adult supervision.

Courtesy of Anne James.

My parents have gifted a few Poraxy and Yutin STEM wood building kits — vehicles, more vehicles, and lanterns — to my kids. While geared more toward ages 8 and up, my younger kids enjoy making these kits with help from an adult.

Many of the kits run on batteries, but there’s also a solar-charged helicopter and car that you can use to discuss the differences in power, as well as the building concepts.

The Ferris wheel model uses slow gears and a fast motor, introducing gear speed reduction. The kits involve attaching wires (positive and negative) to battery power, teaching simple polarity (which end of the battery is positive or negative?). My kids enjoy playing with the vehicles, and the lanterns are often used at bedtime.

Snap Circuit kits teach how electronics work


A Snap Circuit kit that the author borrowed from her local library.

The author said her children ask to borrow these circuit-based kits from their library several times a year.

Courtesy of Anne James

My kids often love to grab a Snap Circuit kit, labeled for ages 8 to 108, when we visit our local library. Our branch has the kit in a large plastic carrying case, available to check out upon request. I like to borrow the kit a few times a year as a special activity during school breaks or when the weather is poor, and my kids are always excited to bring it home.

My son and daughter are able to work on the circuit board with a little help from me. The kit has a variety of build setups, some reminiscent of physics labs I did in school, but you can also create your own setups.

This toy teaches how practical objects, such as an alarm, a switch, or a lightbulb, work. Beyond the basics of electricity, physics, and engineering, this kit also encourages critical thinking.

The World of Eric Carle’s gears book appeals to toddlers


The author said she often gifts this book to toddlers.

Courtesy of Anne James

“Turn, Crank, Zoom!” is a book that I have repeatedly bought as a gift for toddlers. The text encourages young readers to turn the gears in certain directions or ways to see what happens. The book focuses on colors and motor skills, evoking a sense of curiosity, while being illustrated in the Eric Carle style that kids gravitate toward.

For more expansive gear play, Kaleido gears allow more free play


Quercetti Kaleido Gears are shown in the box

The author said this toy allows for even more gear play.

Courtesy of Anne James

Recommended for ages 3 and up, Quercetti Kaleido Gears give kids the freedom to explore. The gears and axles attach to a board, which kids can connect to a crank to see simple mechanical reactions as the gears move.

These gears could make a great gift to accompany the Eric Carle book. There is also a boxed set aimed toward ages 5 to 12, which includes chains and other components that require finer motor skills. The kits are interchangeable, so both of my kids can play with the gears together.

Marble Run is a classic toy that never goes out of style


The author shows off a bath marble run toy.

The author said her kids are big fans of marble run toys, and especially enjoy this version made for bathtime.

Courtesy of Anne James

Marble run toys have been created in all sorts of designs, and my kids have access to multiple versions.

My son enjoys playing with a bath marble run set, which features pieces with suction cups that attach to the wall. The bath set requires more structural design planning than traditional marble runs, as the pieces must fit flat against the wall.

Our friends own one of the more advanced GraviTrax marble run systems — those can be quite the puzzle, even as an adult! The junior GraviTrax set will be wrapped under our Christmas tree this year.




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The Trump administration pauses the green card lottery program

  • Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said the Trump administration would pause the diversity visa lottery.
  • In an X post, she said the suspect in the Brown and MIT shootings had entered through the program.
  • The green card lottery program issues about 55,000 visas a year.

Kristi Noem, the Secretary of Homeland Security, says the Trump administration would pause the diversity visa lottery program in the wake of the Brown University and MIT shootings.

In an X post on Thursday, Noem said that the man wanted in connection to the Brown University shooting had entered the US in 2017 through the program, commonly known as the green card lottery.

She added that President Donald Trump had long opposed the lottery.

“At President Trump’s direction, I am immediately directing USCIS to pause the DV1 program to ensure no more Americans are harmed by this disastrous program,” she wrote.

The diversity visa entry program offers 55,000 visas a year to people from countries with low rates of immigration to the US. It’s a multi-step process that includes an interview and medical examination.

Valente, a Portuguese national and former Brown University student, was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in a New Hampshire storage facility, officials said in a press conference on Thursday.

In addition to killing two and wounding several others in the Brown University shooting, officials said they also believed he is connected to the killing of a Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor earlier this week.




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Sam Altman says OpenAI has gone ‘code red’ multiple times — and they’ll do it again

“Code red” isn’t a one-off at OpenAI.

CEO Sam Altman said on an episode of the “Big Technology Podcast” published Thursday that the company has entered emergency mode multiple times in response to competitive threats — and expects to continue doing so as rivals close in.

“It’s good to be paranoid and act quickly when a potential competitive threat emerges,” Altman said.

“My guess is we’ll be doing these once maybe twice a year for a long time, and that’s part of really just making sure that we win in our space,” he added.

Altman said that OpenAI had gone “code red” earlier this year when China’s DeepSeek emerged. DeepSeek shocked the tech industry in January when it said its AI model matches top competitors like ChatGPT’s o1 at a fraction of the cost.

OpenAI entered “code red” earlier this month, about two weeks after Google released its latest AI chatbot, Gemini 3. The model drew widespread praise after its release in November, with Google touting it as its most advanced model to date. Altman reportedly told staff in an internal Slack memo that OpenAI would prioritize ChatGPT while pushing back other product plans.

Altman said in the podcast episode that Google’s Gemini 3 did not have “the impact we were worried it might.”

“But it did — in the same way that Deepseek did — identify some weaknesses in our product offering strategy, and we’re addressing those very quickly,” he added.

Since OpenAI entered “code red,” the company has moved quickly to ship new upgrades and features.

Last week, it rolled out a more advanced AI model aimed at improving ChatGPT’s performance across professional work, coding, and scientific tasks. OpenAI also unveiled a new image-generation model earlier this week.

Altman said the company will not be in code red “that much longer.”

“Historically, these have been kind of like six- or eight-week things for us,” he added.

The state of “code red” has also been a precedent for other tech companies. In 2022, Google declared an internal “code red” after ChatGPT’s debut. The search giant was lagging in consumer AI, despite having funded much of the research that made the AI boom possible.




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TikTok reaches a deal with investors on its US business

TikTok reached a deal with a group of investors to form a new joint venture for its US business, according to an internal memo viewed by Business Insider.

The buyer group will include Oracle, private-equity firm Silver Lake, and MGX, an investment firm based in Abu Dhabi, per the memo.

The deal, which TikTok expects to close in January, comes more than a year after Congress passed a law that forced its owner, ByteDance, to divest from its US operations or face a ban, because TikTok was deemed a “foreign adversary-controlled” company.

The new US joint venture will operate independently in areas like US data protection and training its content recommendation algorithm while still connecting to TikTok’s global product and business lines like e-commerce and advertising, per the memo from company CEO Shou Chew.

The announcement is the culmination of a lengthy battle for survival by TikTok, which briefly went dark in the US in January to comply with the divest-or-ban law.

TikTok and ByteDance had sought recourse through the courts, arguing that the law — the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act — violated the First Amendment. In January, the Supreme Court ruled against TikTok and upheld the divest-or-ban law.

Since then, TikTok has been facing a looming deadline to find a US buyer. The app’s future remained in limbo for months as the White House repeatedly extended the deadline and administration officials sought to work out a deal.

In September, President Donald Trump signed an executive order that approved the sale of TikTok’s US operation for around $14 billion.

Trump said at the time that Oracle and Larry Ellison would be part of the deal, and Michael Dell and Rupert Murdoch may also be involved. Vice President JD Vance said the buyer group would include “four or five world-class investors.”

TikTok did not respond to a request for comment. The White House referred Business Insider to TikTok.




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jill robbins smiles in front of a tree

I’ve been to dozens of airport lounges worldwide. Here are the 5 things I never do in them.

I travel often — at least once a month — and I like having access to Delta Sky Clubs through my co-branded Delta credit card and Priority Pass, a membership that gets me into more than 1,500 airport lounges worldwide.

These two programs usually allow me to find a lounge I can use regardless of the airport I’m at or the airline I’m flying.

I enjoy using airport lounges because they’re usually quieter and less crowded than waiting at the gate. I also like having access to a nicer, less-crowded restroom, and of course, the complimentary food and beverages are pretty sweet, too.

As a frequent traveler, here are five things I never do in an airport lounge.

Plop in the first seat I see

Most airport lounges have a variety of seating, from desk-like workspaces with electrical outlets to comfortable upholstered couches you might find in a living room.

I don’t pick the first open seat I see unless the lounge is super crowded and I feel as if it’s my only option. Fortunately, I can usually gauge how crowded a lounge is by the presence of a line at the entry.

A lot of lounges I’ve visited don’t allow new visitors when they’re close to capacity, so finding a seat is usually not an issue.

If I’m not familiar with a lounge’s layout, I’ll take a lap to see all the available seating. I love a comfortable chair with built-in USB ports so I can charge my phone, so I’ll look for that type of seating first.

I also like to sit away from the buffet, bar, and restrooms so I can have as quiet an atmosphere as possible.

Stuff my face like food is going out of style


A buffet in an airport lounge.

Many airport lounges offer buffets.

Jill Robbins



Food varies widely from lounge to lounge, from chef-curated menus to bowls of trail mix and grab-and-go snacks, but there are typically plenty of hot food offerings.

They can be tempting, but I don’t have that “it’s free, and it’s there” mentality, so I won’t load up my plate unless I’m starving or know I won’t be eating for a while. I don’t want to feel too full or bloated before a long flight.

The bar is always a happening spot for travelers, but I take it easy on the alcohol some lounges give out for free.

I might have a drink once in a while, but I don’t want to get dehydrated before a long flight or lose my inhibitions to the point where I’m not watching my belongings or the time.

Snooze

Even if I’m tired and a lounge has comfy, reclining chairs, I don’t sleep in airport lounges. I’m always too nervous I’ll miss my flight.

I’ve never had a lengthy layover during which I was that exhausted, plus most lounges have time limits on how long people can be inside them.

Getting off my feet and relaxing is usually enough of a break if I’m tired.

Be inconsiderate of other lounge guests


People sitting in an airport lounge.

Airport lounges are public spaces.

Jill Robbins



Unless a lounge is virtually empty, I don’t take up more than one seat or put my backpack on its own chair. I get frustrated when I’m looking for a seat, but many are unavailable because people are using them as storage.

Using headphones is also a cardinal rule in airport lounges, although I often see people being inconsiderate by streaming or using FaceTime without them.

I also wouldn’t engage in some behaviors I see in lounges that I find gross, such as removing shoes to put bare feet on airport furniture or taking care of personal grooming — like clipping nails — outside a restroom.

Lounges provide a comfortable, home-like environment, but I try to remember that they are public spaces. I wish other people would, too.

Go to another terminal in the airport to use a lounge


Two orange drinks on a bar at an airport lounge.

As much as I love using an airport lounge, I won’t go too far from my gate to use one.

Jill Robbins



I love having lounge access, but I won’t leave my flight’s terminal to seek one out unless my layover is at least two hours long.

Even then, I hesitate to go unless I’m familiar with the airport. I never want to miss a flight just because I wanted some extra comfort before it.

This story was originally published on July 25, 2024, and most recently updated on December 18, 2025.




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Holiday gifting just got a creative boost from ChatGPT

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Rashel Hariri, a 38-year-old founder and host of “She’s Interesting,” who lives in Arkansas. It’s been edited for length and clarity.

I’ve always shown care through gift-giving. When I choose something for someone, I want them to feel seen and have something they’ll actually use. I’m not someone who is going to give luxurious, massive gifts — but the gifts I give are meaningful.

Over the last year, AI has become the most effective way for me to do that. ChatGPT has become like a gifting concierge, helping me organize my brainstorming and land on presents that feel thoughtful, personal, and aligned with someone’s real life.

I developed a framework for what makes a good gift

Through conversations with the women in my podcast community, “She’s Interesting,” I realized that people — particularly women in their 30s like myself — value three main things: gifts that feel a little luxurious, gifts that expand our brains (like books or courses), and gifts that make the day-to-day easier. This became my three-part framework for ChatGPT.

With this information, I started a project in ChatGPT — which creates a space to group similar chats around the gifting topic — and provided custom instructions for the AI to follow, like background information on my framework.

If you want to create your own framework, think about what’s most important to you and the people around you. What makes you the happiest? What types of things make your life easier? Use the answers to those questions as main points in your framework.


A conversation with ChatGPT about what types of gifts to give friends and family

Create a project in ChatGPT to organize similar topics and ideas.

Photo courtesy of Rashel Hariri



I started an ongoing conversation for each recipient in ChatGPT

Within my ChatGPT project, I have separate conversations for each of the people I’m shopping for: my husband, friends, and colleagues.

I start by describing each person, including basic demographics, as well as deeper information, such as what’s important to them, their likes and dislikes, personal goals, and things they’re struggling with. I might also include their astrological sign and their favorite colors.

You have to be someone who pays attention to your friends, because otherwise, AI will give you basic suggestions. I try to give ChatGPT everything I know about the person. If I have a conversation with a friend or family member and something stands out, I can go into the chat and say, “Take note that this person said X.” The more I use it, the more it learns.

When it’s time to buy a gift, even if it’s months later, all those details are stored. It’s a mental relief, like your notes app, but way smarter because it responds to you.

With all of that information uploaded, I prompt ChatGPT to come up with gift ideas within my framework for each person. You can also give it a specific budget to work within.

The tool comes up with initial ideas and explains why each gift works for the recipient. From there, it becomes a conversation — almost like talking to the person I’m shopping for. I might ask for more ideas within a category, or the ideas might remind me of something else about the person, and I’ll ask it to generate new suggestions with that information.

I still make the final gift decision, but ChatGPT can be speedy and creative

I used to brainstorm all of this myself, but AI has made the process 60 to 70% faster, and given me a tool I can return to for future gift ideas.

I still choose the final gifts to give, but if I’m feeling stuck between ideas, I’ll go back to ChatGPT and say, “Here are two items I’m deciding between. Help me narrow it down.” It asks me questions to help decide: Does she need this? What’s her plan for the next three months?

AI often makes suggestions I wouldn’t have thought of. I told ChatGPT about a friend who struggles to find any time for himself while balancing a busy career and two kids. The tool recommended “The Five-Minute Journal.” He loved it — it was thoughtful and tailored.

The best part of gift-giving is that moment when someone opens it and says, “Oh my God, you know me so well!” We want to give the people we love something that makes them feel good, and this process has made it easier for me to do that.




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I booked a business-class ticket on the new Amtrak Acela train. It wasn’t worth the $180 price tag.

  • I paid $180 to ride in business class from NYC to Washington, DC, on the new Amtrak Acela train.
  • The train had modern amenities, like 5G WiFi, high-tech bathrooms, and ergonomic seating.
  • Despite upgrades, the high price outweighed the benefits of traveling in business class.

I’ve spent 26 hours riding the rails in business class around the world. My most recent Amtrak trip was the best business-class experience I’ve ever had in the US — but it still wasn’t worth the price tag.

In September 2025, I booked a business-class ticket from New York City to Washington, DC, on the Amtrak NextGen Acela train for $180.

The three-hour ride felt extremely comfortable and a tad luxurious. In the end, though, I couldn’t see myself splurging for it again.

I rode from New York City to Washington, DC, on the Amtrak NextGen Acela train.

The exterior of the Amtrak NextGen Acela train.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

The Amtrak Acela is an express service between Boston and Washington, DC. The train line introduced a new fleet on the route in August 2025, known as NextGen Acela.

In addition to being the fastest Amtrak train with a top speed of 160 miles per hour, the NextGen Acela has modern interiors and high-tech amenities.

I booked a business-class ticket for $180.


An aerial view of an Amtrak NextGen Acela pamphlet opened on a tray table

A brochure on the train.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

The Amtrak Acela trains only have two classes — business and first. I booked my business-class ticket for $180.

Out of curiosity, I looked at the pricing for coach seating on the regional Amtrak train, which is 30 minutes slower than the Acela. It was $40.

When I arrived at Penn Station in NYC, I sat on the floor to wait for my train.


Passengers stand in line to board trains inside Penn Station in NYC.

The line to board the author’s train.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

My train was scheduled to leave at 10 a.m., but there was a 90-minute delay. Since I was stuck at the station for longer than anticipated, I briefly considered going to the Metropolitan Lounge, an elevated space overlooking the train hall with cozy seating and complimentary refreshments.

First-class passengers and those traveling in sleeper accommodations can get into the lounge for free, but other Amtrak riders have to pay $50 to access it.

Since I’d already splurged on the business-class ticket, I decided to skip the lounge and head to the standard waiting room instead, but it was full. I finally settled for a seat on the floor against the wall until it was time to board.

Since I wasn’t in first class, I didn’t get priority boarding.


A composite image of people going down an escalator and boarding a train on an underground platform

Passengers board the train.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

When I got in line to board, I was reminded that business class is just a standard ticket on the Amtrak Acela. Unlike business-class rides I’ve taken that also had coach seating, this trip didn’t include the perk of priority boarding.

The business-class car had a sleek, modern look.


Inside a business class Amtrak car with two passengers on the right

Inside the business-class car.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

Retractable window shades, exposed overhead bin space, informative screens, and ergonomic seats made the car feel like a step up compared to business-class Amtrak trains I’ve booked in the past.

The seat was much more comfortable than most I’ve booked on Amtrak trains.


A composite image of an empty window seat on a train and the back of the seat in front of it

The author’s business-class seat.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

Soft, cushy, spacious, supportive — these are the words that popped into my head when I settled into my business-class seat. A reclining function and footrest made the ride even more comfortable.

Power outlets, USB ports, and a reading light were all conveniently located on the side of the seat. In front of me was a tray table and a fold-out cupholder.

I spent most of the ride streaming YouTube videos.


A hand holds a phone playing a music video in front of a train seat back

The author watches music videos.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

Most Amtrak trains I’ve been on have had WiFi, but in my experience, the connection has typically been too weak for much more than a Google search.

I was stoked when the NextGen Acela’s 5G WiFi was fast enough to stream YouTube videos without any issues. I passed the time by watching live sessions of my favorite bands.

The bathroom was spacious and clean with modern touches.


A composite image of a blue door leading to a business-class train bathroom and inside the bathroom with red accents, the author takes a mirror selfie

Inside the business-class bathroom.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

I’ve learned to set the bar low for train bathrooms. Stocked toilet paper, soap, and paper towels are not a given. Cleanliness and extra space aren’t either. In my experience, some business-class bathrooms are no different from those in coach.

So I was ecstatic when I stepped inside the lavatory on the NextGen Acela. The automatic door opened into a spotless space that felt big enough for two people to do jumping jacks simultaneously.

I found it aesthetically pleasing too, with bold red accents and trendy touches, from the shelf to the mirror.

I also appreciated the touchless water, soap, and dryer functions on the sink.

Although it was much more comfortable than sitting in coach, I didn’t think a business-class ticket was worth the high price point.


Inside an empty coach cabin on an Amtrak train

A coach car on another Amtrak train.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

“Amtrak travelers always have their preference,” an Amtrak representative wrote in an email to Business Insider. “If they want to experience these premium trains with enhanced amenities, they can. Or, if they prefer convenient and affordable downtown-to-downtown service up and down the Northeast Corridor, Northeast Regional trains offer a comfortable and enjoyable way to travel throughout the Northeast Corridor and points beyond.”

The next time I take an Amtrak train, I’ll miss the cozy seat, elevated bathroom, high-speed WiFi, and shorter travel time. Still, these perks weren’t enough for me to consider Acela’s business class to be worth more than quadruple the price of a coach ticket.




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China’s economic slump isn’t stopping a billionaire boom in AI chips

China’s deepening property crisis has crushed household wealth and dented the fortunes of some of its biggest tycoons — but a new class of AI-era billionaires is rising fast.

This year, the standout winners are coming from China’s red-hot AI chip sector.

On Wednesday, shares of MetaX Integrated Circuits Shanghai — a GPU startup founded by former AMD executives — skyrocketed as much as 755% on their first day of trading on the Shanghai Stock Exchange’s tech-focused STAR Market, before closing up about 700%.

The surge catapulted its chairman and cofounder, Chen Weiliang, into one of China’s fastest-rising tech moguls. Chen’s stake in MetaX is worth about $6.5 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

Other early insiders also saw eye-popping paper gains.

MetaX’s other two cofounders and co-chief technology officers, Peng Li and Yang Jian, hold stakes worth hundreds of millions of dollars after the blockbuster debut, according to Bloomberg’s calculations.

China’s AI rush

Chen’s rise follows that of another GPU entrepreneur, Zhang Jianzhong, the founder and CEO of Moore Threads Technology.

Earlier this month, Zhang’s net worth jumped to $4.3 billion after his company’s successful IPO, continuing a wave of investor enthusiasm for homegrown semiconductor players.

The richest figure in China’s AI chip scene is Chen Tianshi, a cofounder and CEO of Cambricon Technologies — a company retail traders have dubbed “China’s Nvidia.”

Cambricon’s Chen is now worth $22.5 billion, making him the country’s 16th-richest individual on Bloomberg’s list. He is the 115th richest person in the world.

These new fortunes reflect a sharp shift in investor sentiment.

Chinese AI and semiconductor stocks have been on a tear since the breakout of the China-made DeepSeek-R1 AI model released in January. The model helped spark a rally in local tech names and pushed the Hang Seng Tech Index up more than 20% so far this year.

Washington’s tightening export controls on advanced Nvidia chips also contributed to the boom.

Such restrictions on high-end AI processors have choked China’s access to cutting-edge US hardware and pushed Beijing to lean harder on domestic suppliers.

Still, China’s new AI billionaires remain far from the top of the country’s wealth rankings. The upper tier is still dominated by long-established tycoons.

In the top spot is Zhong Shanshan, the low-key bottled-water magnate behind Nongfu Spring, with a fortune of $68.1 billion, per Bloomberg.

Pony Ma, a cofounder and CEO of Tencent, ranks second with $66.5 billion — a fortune up 38% this year, on the heels of Tencent’s AI-induced rally — while ByteDance cofounder Zhang Yiming comes in third with $65.2 billion.




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Amanda Goh

Zooey Deschanel says there’s one side of herself she never lets her kids see

Zooey Deschanel, 45, says she’s mindful of how she shows up around her kids.

On Thursday’s episode of “Call Her Daddy,” the “Elf” actor spoke about being bullied as a child and how it shaped her identity and her approach to parenting.

Though she still has moments of insecurity, Deschanel says she doesn’t let her kids see them.

“I have a daughter and a son, and I don’t want them to ever think like, ‘Oh, Mommy’s insecure,’ or, you know, like, ‘My mom doesn’t like…'” Deschanel told host Alex Cooper.

“I always want them to think I’m happy with myself and, like, because they get their self-esteem from their parents, you know. So yeah, it’s important to me to, like, show up with confidence,” she said.

Deschanel shares two children with her ex-husband, Jacob Pechenik. The pair split in 2019 after four years of marriage.

The actor said she’s aware that Hollywood can be brutal to women when it comes to their appearance, but says she tries not to let that kind of commentary affect her.

What’s important is having a strong sense of self, she said.

“My identity was never super wrapped up in my appearance. I always made an effort to be like, what I’m presenting is more about my style and like, artistic and creative expressions versus, ‘Oh, like I’m so just naturally perfect,'” Deschanel said.

“All those things are so ephemeral and, you know, they change, and they’re subjective. And so I think not having my identity so wrapped up in what I looked like when I was 25 is really great,” she said.

Deschanel says she tries to be fully present with her kids whenever she isn’t working, including doing school drop-offs and pickups, taking them to playdates, and attending their extracurricular activities.

When she is working, she focuses on attending the important events.

“I get that sometimes you can’t, but try to get there for like, whatever, the big game or the school play or like those big things, because those are the things they remember a lot,” Deschanel said.

Deschanel joins other celebrities talking about how they try to instill confidence in their kids.

Speaking to People in 2024, Carson Daly said he’s honest about his own struggles with his kids and treats them like adults so they feel safe discussing difficult topics with him.

“I’ve always talked to them like they were 30 years old,” Daly said.

In May, Kate Winslet’s daughter, Mia Threapleton, told Elle that her mother tried to instill body confidence in her from a young age, including when she was insecure about showing her shoulders while swimming.

“My mom said: ‘No, this is strong. So many people would love to be able to swim the length of the pool the way you do — think of it as a positive thing,'” Threapleton said, recalling her mother’s words.




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Inside xAI’s all-hands: Elon Musk says if the company can survive the next 2 to 3 years, it will come out on top

Elon Musk appears to be feeling upbeat about the future of his AI company.

At a companywide meeting at xAI’s San Francisco headquarters last week, Musk told staff that if the company could survive the next two to three years, xAI would triumph over its competitors, several sources with knowledge of the meeting said.

The xAI CEO said that the company’s ability to rapidly scale its power and data capacity would be a key ingredient in the race to achieve superintelligence — which surpasses human intelligence — and become the most powerful AI company.

Musk said that xAI could achieve artificial general intelligence, which matches or exceeds human intelligence, in the next few years, even as soon as 2026, sources said.

Musk said in November that xAI had a 10% likelihood of achieving AGI with its Grok 5 model, which he has said the company plans to release early next year.

The CEO also told staff that xAI would have an advantage over other AI companies because it would have access to around $20 billion to $30 billion in funding per year, and it could benefit from its proximity to his other companies, sources said. Tesla integrated Grok into its vehicles earlier this year.

Overall, workers said Musk appeared happy with the company’s progress. One insider described the meeting as “peppy.”

Musk also theorized about building data centers in space and his plans to colonize Mars, the sources said. He said that Tesla’s Optimus humanoid robot could eventually man such extraterrestrial data centers, the people said.

Musk has previously said that Optimus could provide support for SpaceX missions as soon as next year. Google CEO Sundar Pichai and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman have publicly talked about the possibility of building data centers in space, though Pichai acknowledged that it is a “moonshot.”

In response to Business Insider’s request for a comment, the company responded with an automated message: “Legacy Media Lies.”

Over the past year, xAI has rapidly expanded the footprint of its data centers, a project it has named Colossus. Earlier this year, the company said it had around 200,000 GPUs, and Musk has said it plans to expand to 1 million GPUs.

xAI is one of many companies racing to build AGI and justify valuations worth hundreds of billions of dollars. Despite Musk’s outsize profile, xAI is still a relatively new player in a race dominated by giants like OpenAI and Google.

The AI race shows no signs of slowing down. Earlier this month, OpenAI entered a state of emergency as it raced to push out its latest model, according to reports. Google released a new Gemini model in November, and xAI has pushed new versions of Grok in rapid succession.

During the all-hands, xAI leads demonstrated several updates to existing products, such as Grok Voice, the company’s app for Tesla owners, and its agents, sources said. Some of the updates included improvements to Grok’s ability to predict outcomes, better listening functions for Grok voice, and video editing, the people said.

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