Discussion | Link

The author is the one organizing friends' hangouts. Courtesy of the author I've spent years organizing gatherings for my female friends. Friendship requires effort, especially as adults get busier. Being the organizer is less glamorous and more important than people realize. I'm the organizer in my friend group. But I'm not by nature an organizer. I love to separate the laundry into piles and then shove the clothes, unfolded, into drawers. I'm also not a glamorous, girl boss who makes everyone wear coordinated outfits. And I don't always want to reach out. Like anyone, I can feel vulnerable and exposed. On some level, I'm worried that the group will RSVP explaining that they would never hang out with me because of my squinty right eye and deep love of puns. But, I do it anyway. Organizing does not come naturally to me In every place I've ever lived, and there have been many, I've been the one who makes plans, sends out that invitation, and brings friends together. Somehow, instinctively, I've known I need female friends, and to have them, someone has to organize. In movies and television shows, friends are secondary to the big goal: finding romantic love. When female friends do take center stage, like in the Netflix show "Sweet Magnolias" (about three absurdly well-dressed friends, who talk sweetly over gourmet snacks), sanitized, unrealistic representations are another problem, especially since many of us know friendship can be messy. It's too much pressure. The only alternative is a big swing in the other direction. Women are supposedly competition, and the media delights in stories of related feuding or cracks in high-profile friend groups, including the Spice Girls, Taylor Swift's "squad", and, more recently, the Ashley Tisdale mom group. In shows like "Gossip Girl," with the cut-throat Blair Waldorf, or the movie "Mean Girls," with the ultimate queen bee, Regina George, the organizers appear to be the rotten core, the cancer that spreads via text or a three-way calling attack. Female friendship is good for us The messaging confuses the facts. Female friendship is powerful and, in my life, most often positive. Women provide each other information, inspiration, and safety. Supported by friends, women in the past have been able to make their mark in art, politics, and everyday life. Eleanor Roosevelt, for one, became more self-confident and a better leader thanks to friendships with smart women. There are health benefits, too: scientists describe friendship as an antidote to depression, with the power to lower blood pressure and overall stress. One study suggests that female friendship can also slow down the aging process and help us live longer. Organizing a friend meetup doesn't need to be complicated If someone doesn't reach out, we wouldn't see friends and experience these benefits, especially given everybody's busy schedules. But organizing doesn't have to be hard. In my experience, it also doesn't require matching shirts, power plays, or making elaborate plans. My go-to move is a simple coffee meet-up for whoever can make it. It's at the same time and place each week. At this point, I just send a text reminder and show up. No big-time commitment. No big expense. I often bring work or a book, just in case there are last-minute conflicts. If that happens, there's no bad feelings. I'm happy to have splurged on a sugary latte while getting some work done. In the past, I've tried organizing dinner meet-ups, but there were always too many conflicts — both in scheduling and dietary needs. I didn't enjoy the negotiations before or after the bill came. For me, a simpler plan gets the job done without the risk of a headache or an allergic reaction to shellfish. I'm learning from my mom's example, but doing it my own way My mother has a similar standing meet-up with her friends, all of whom are retired. They get together weekly in my mom's garden, where they pick flowers, then deliver bouquets to a memory care facility and a women's shelter. While my mom's inspired group hangout is more than my group can manage at this point, we're already brainstorming about the next phase. With kids who will soon be off to college, we're looking forward to a future walking group or game night. No one seemed interested in my idea of forming an a cappella glee club. Obviously, we all come to coffee as we are. I try to shower. But there's no obligation. And there's certainly no evidence of our gatherings on social media. Some people might have a higher tolerance for time-consuming planning. Maybe they enjoy it. Of course, that doesn't mean they're going to be stylish "mean girls" either. That cultural trope does a disservice to women, whether we gravitate towards event coordination or not. The reality is: Anyone can be the friend group organizer, and it doesn't have to fulfill stereotypes or be complicated. In the end, the effort, any effort, is worth it. Read the original article on Business Insider

At first glance a data centre looks like a bland, boring warehouse. But these buildings, stacked with thousands of servers, are the beating heart of the internet and the booming artificial intelligence (AI) industry. As data centres have grown in size and number in Australia, they have also become the subject of fierce public debate. State and federal governments, as well as the tech industry, are pushing for new data centres to be rapidly built in addition to the roughly 160 that already exist around the country. But many local communities, from Perth to Katoomba in the Blue Mountains, are pushing back. Their opposition stems from the vast amounts of water and energy data centres consume, the noise pollution they generate throughout day and night, the large tracts of land they occupy, the upward pressure they could place on inflation and power prices, and the lack of transparency and community involvement in the development process. Against this backdrop, the Greens have called for a moratorium on the building and approval of new data centres in Australia. Sarah Hanson-Young, Greens Senator for South Australia and chair of the ongoing federal parliamentary inquiry into AI and data centres, said a moratorium was needed “until we get the regulations right”. So should Australia pause building new data centres? We asked five experts. Three out of five said yes. Disclosure statements Bronwyn Cumbo receives funding from the Australia Public Policy Challenge Grant for her research investigating possibilities and challenges to establishing New South Wales as a sustainable data centre hub. Ehsan Noroozinejad does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment. Michael Vardon does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment. Olivia Shen works for the United States Studies Centre, which has previously received funding from the Australian Government to convene dialogues on AI policy. Tamika Worrell does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

Josh Zoffer / Financial Times: Data centers offer US a chance to get ahead in the next key technologies and to build domestic supply chains based on demand rather than subsidies and tariffs  —  America must not repeat the mistakes that handed China rare-earth dominance … America's China policy over the past decade …

Quantum mechanics has journeyed from a strange and controversial idea to the foundation of some of humanity’s most advanced technologies. Now researchers are pushing its boundaries even further, with potential breakthroughs in energy, medicine, computing, and our understanding of the universe.

These may be the last days of Amazon’s Mechanical Turk.

A Texas healthcare worker is earning about $330,000 this year secretly juggling two full-time jobs. Maskot/Getty Images A healthcare worker is making $330,000 secretly juggling two full-time jobs. RTO, layoffs, and employee tracking have forced him to adapt. The extra income has brought financial security, but longer hours have also fueled burnout. Editor's note: In February 2025, Business Insider wrote about a medical professional named "Daniel," who was secretly juggling two full-time remote jobs and on track to earn about $280,000. (Daniel is a pseudonym, but Business Insider has verified his identity and employment.) Read that story here. In a recent interview, Daniel shared how his overemployment situation has evolved. When Business Insider spoke with Daniel last year, secretly juggling two full-time remote healthcare jobs was relatively straightforward. Since then, one employer has required him to come into the office a couple of days each month. The other one is now tracking how he spends his time. To make matters worse, Daniel's working longer than ever — going from roughly 40 to 50 hours a week across both jobs to as many as 60. Yet Daniel is still secretly juggling both jobs. In fact, he's on track to earn roughly $330,000 this year — more than ever before. "We go to the grocery store, we buy whatever we need, we never tap into credit cards," said Daniel, who's in his 40s and lives in Texas. "So it's kind of surreal to see the struggles around me." Daniel's experience reflects a broader shift in the overemployment movement. In recent years, secretly juggling multiple jobs has become considerably more difficult amid return-to-office mandates, a tougher job market, layoffs, and new employee-monitoring measures. Yet changing workplace norms have not stopped workers from juggling multiple full-time jobs. Several of them told Business Insider they have simply had to change how they approach the practice. Some have embraced AI tools to work more efficiently, while others have adapted in other ways. For workers like Daniel, the financial rewards remain powerful enough to keep them going. Business Insider is speaking with workers who've found themselves at a corporate crossroads — whether due to a layoff, resignation, job search, or shifting workplace expectations. Share your story by filling out this form. Adapting to overemployment's new challenges After one of Daniel's employers began requiring some in-person work, he began bringing his other job's laptop to the office, carefully squeezing in work there when time allowed. The arrangement is possible in part because his second job has become much less demanding over time. Additionally, Daniel said some coworkers know he has outside work, which has made him less concerned about being discovered. In his experience, they seem more concerned with the quality of his work than the hours he spends on it. Other challenges have proved harder to solve. One employer began requiring workers to manually track how they spend their time. Daniel said he's delayed complying for as long as possible, because the policy could force him to stretch the truth. The same employer also conducted layoffs recently. In response, Daniel said he's worked to maintain a reputation as a strong performer, taking on additional responsibilities and positioning himself for a potential promotion. This has meant working considerably longer hours in the past year. He said AI-powered medical tools have helped offset some of the added workload, allowing him to complete certain tasks more quickly and prevent his hours from climbing even higher. The rewards of job juggling — and the tradeoffs The extra income from job juggling gives Daniel plenty of motivation to persevere through the challenges that arise. Earlier this year, he purchased a rental property, hoping to eventually have enough passive income to reduce his dependence on full-time work. The additional income has also made it easier to cover his child's college tuition. "I can't even imagine going back to just a single job," he said. "I've gotten used to the income." While the financial benefits of job juggling have been substantial, Daniel said it's come with tradeoffs. His desire to perform well, combined with a heavier workload and the demands of juggling two jobs, has left him at times feeling exhausted. Though he remains committed to the arrangement, he said the pace can be difficult to sustain. "It seems like every day I'm living just to see the next day," he said. "I think I need a vacation or something, but it's doable." Do you have a story to share? Reach out to this reporter via email at jzinkula@businessinsider.com or via Signal at jzinkula.29. Read the original article on Business Insider

Patricia Kowsmann / Wall Street Journal: Chainalysis: addresses linked to Iran, Russia, North Korea, and other US-sanctioned entities received $100B+ in crypto last year, almost 8x the amount in 2024  —  Blacklisted entities handled $100 billion in crypto in 2025, financing terrorism and weapons  —  Iran, Russia, North Korea …

Enterprise Document Intelligence [Vol.1 #8B] - A fixed BASE, the rules each question needs, one registry: the dispatcher that turns a parsed question into a typed LLM call The post Assemble Each RAG Generation Prompt from a Base Prompt Plus the Rules Each Question Needs appeared first on Towards Data Science.

The right desk gadgets can help you reduce clutter, stay focused, and add a little extra convenience to your day.

Inside the Cadet Chapel at West Point. Talia Lakritz/Business Insider West Point is the longest continuously garrisoned military installation in the United States. It also houses the highly selective United States Military Academy at West Point. Public tours include the Cadet Chapel, Trophy Point, and views of the campus and academic buildings. I knew I was in the right place when I saw the tank outside the parking lot. Established by George Washington in 1778, West Point is the longest continuously garrisoned military installation in the United States. It is also home to the United States Military Academy at West Point, an elite, highly selective institution that trains future military leaders. West Point's storied history is especially resonant as America marks its 250th anniversary in July 2026. Amanda Bundt, tour manager at West Point Tours, told Business Insider that West Point "is one of the reasons we are a country." "We were here for all four years of the Revolutionary War fighting for our independence, so we have great honor in that aspect," Bundt said. West Point is an active military post and college, but some parts of the campus are open to the public through guided tours. I visited West Point in April to learn more about its Revolutionary War history and modern curriculum equipping soldiers for war. Take a look. West Point, located about 50 miles north of New York City, played a key role in keeping the British at bay during the Revolutionary War. A military map showing West Point in 1780. MPI/Getty Images West Point overlooks the Hudson River, which was the fastest and most reliable way to transport troops, weapons, food, and other crucial supplies during the war. George Washington knew that controlling the river was key to America's survival in the fight against the British. He established his headquarters there, calling West Point "the most important Post in America." In 1802, Congress authorized the establishment of the United States Military Academy at West Point. Sylvanus Thayer, known as the "Father of the Military Academy," became the school's superintendent in 1817 and established a strict code of conduct, rigorous fitness standards, and a standardized curriculum. Famous graduates include Presidents Ulysses S. Grant and Dwight D. Eisenhower, former Chief of Staff of the US Army Douglas MacArthur, and former CIA directors David Petraeus and Mike Pompeo. Tours of the military academy begin at the Frederic V. Malek West Point Visitors Center. The Frederic V. Malek West Point Visitors Center. Talia Lakritz/Business Insider I bought a $22 ticket for the West Point Story tour, which lasts 1 hour and 15 minutes. While waiting for the tour to begin, I walked through the West Point Experience exhibit that shows what it's like to be a cadet. A model of a room in the West Point barracks. Talia Lakritz/Business Insider The exhibit featured a model of a room in the West Point barracks, as well as details about West Point's history, values, 47-month course of study, and graduation requirements. To enroll in West Point, cadets must be between the ages of 17 and 23, be unmarried with no legal dependents, pass academic, physical, and medical examinations, and be nominated for admission by a member of Congress or the president or vice president of the United States. The acceptance rate is around 10%. Once admitted, tuition is free. Graduates are required to serve in the Army for five years of active service and three years in the reserves. When the tour bus pulled up into the parking lot, a staff member checked our tickets and IDs. A West Point tour bus. Talia Lakritz/Business Insider Since West Point is an active military post, everyone who takes a tour must present a government-issued photo ID to undergo a background check. Our tour guide told us to keep our phones and cameras out of sight until we passed through the security checkpoint. On the West Point tour bus. Talia Lakritz/Business Insider He also gave a rundown of the rules. Photographing cadets? Permitted. Photographing security gates or military police? Not allowed. Once we were through the gate, our guide pointed out some of the brick homes where West Point instructors live. Homes where West Point instructors live. Talia Lakritz/Business Insider West Point has 500 instructors, 75% of whom are members of the garrison and are posted to West Point. The other 25% are civilians. With 4,400 cadets, the student-to-instructor ratio is six-to-one. The bus took us past Michie Stadium, where West Point's football and lacrosse teams play. Blaik Field at Michie Stadium. Talia Lakritz/Business Insider The outdoor stadium holds 40,000 people. The grounds of West Point were full of military statues and monuments like "The American Soldier" by Felix de Weldon. "The American Soldier," a sculpture by Felix de Weldon. Talia Lakritz/Business Insider The sculpture was a gift from the classes of 1935 and 1936, honoring enlisted combat soldiers. Our first stop off the bus was the Cadet Chapel, a non-denominational Protestant worship space built in 1910. The Cadet Chapel. Talia Lakritz/Business Insider The Gothic Revival chapel was designed by architect Bertram Goodhue and constructed using granite from a local quarry. The chapel was decorated with replicas of battle flags donated as class gifts. Inside the Cadet Chapel. Talia Lakritz/Business Insider The space can hold 1,500 people. The Bibles and hymnals were lined up in the pews with military precision. Bibles and hymnals in the pews of the Cadet Chapel. Talia Lakritz/Business Insider Our tour guide said we were allowed to look through the books as long as we put them back exactly where we found them. "Indeed, there is somebody with a wooden board who measures the space between them and makes sure it's uniform," the West Point tour guide said. The Cadet Chapel houses the world's largest pipe organ in a house of worship, with a total of 23,511 pipes. Organ pipes at the Cadet Chapel. Talia Lakritz/Business Insider The pipes range from the size of one's index finger to "thunder pipes" measuring 30 inches in diameter. A limestone carving of St. Michael, the patron saint of soldiers, was displayed behind the altar. A carving of St. Michael, the patron saint of warriors, inside the Cadet Chapel. Talia Lakritz/Business Insider The carving was donated by the family of West Point alums and former President Ulysses S. Grant. The Cadet Chapel's 178 stained-glass windows were designed by Willett Studios, a Philadelphia-based company that beat Tiffany & Co. for the contract. Stained-glass windows in the Cadet Chapel. Talia Lakritz/Business Insider The Sanctuary Window at the front of the chapel features West Point's motto: "Duty, Honor, Country." A pew at the front of the chapel was reserved for West Point's superintendent. The pew reserved for West Point's superintendent. Talia Lakritz/Business Insider Every superintendent's signature dating back to the founding of the chapel in 1910 appeared on silver nameplates on the pew. The current superintendent, Lieutenant General Steven W. Gilland, graduated from West Point in 1990 and is married to his West Point classmate, Betsy Gilland. Outside the chapel, we took in stunning views of West Point's main post, which spans about 3,000 acres. A view of West Point from outside the Cadet Chapel. Talia Lakritz/Business Insider West Point also features a 13,000-acre military reservation with rugged terrain used for field training exercises, known as Camp Buckner. Back on the bus, our tour guide pointed out the West Point Jewish Chapel completed in 1984. The West Point Jewish Chapel. Talia Lakritz/Business Insider West Point has a total of six chapels and one interfaith religious center. As we disembarked from the bus at our next stop, Trophy Point, we got one of our first looks at some West Point cadets on their way to class. Cadets at West Point. Talia Lakritz/Business Insider The grey and black uniform is the cadets' standard weekday uniform known as "As For Class." The camouflage uniform, worn for field exercises, is called the Army Combat Uniform or ACU. Looking out at the Hudson River, our tour guide explained how West Point was located in a crucial strategic position during the Revolutionary War. The Hudson River viewed from West Point. Talia Lakritz/Business Insider West Point is situated above an "S"-shaped turn in the river, overlooking the narrowest part of the channel where the current is at its swiftest. In other words, it's where British ships would be at their most vulnerable. "Washington knew if those ships were fighting the ebbing tide, the narrow channel, and the swift current, there would be no better place to shoot at them than from West Point," our tour guide said. To further fortify the Hudson River, Washington ordered a giant chain strung from one end of its shore to the other as a deterrent. The Hudson River Chains at Trophy Point. Talia Lakritz/Business Insider The chain stretched 1,700 feet, weighed 65 tons, and took 270 men to anchor it in place. It successfully deterred the British from trying to attack West Point. Instead, the British attempted to take West Point through other means by conspiring with the infamous traitor Benedict Arnold, who was placed in command at West Point in 1780. When Arnold's plot to surrender West Point to the British was exposed, he evaded capture and defected to the British army. While learning about West Point's Revolutionary War history, two helicopters roared past in a reminder of its contemporary military significance. Helicopters flew over West Point. Talia Lakritz/Business Insider The West Point tour guide guessed that the helicopters may have been used for air assault training, where soldiers rappel out of a helicopter while it hovers 50 feet off the ground. Further along at Trophy Point, our guide pointed out the Trophy Point Amphitheater, where graduating classes receive their class rings. Trophy Point Amphitheater. Talia Lakritz/Business Insider The tradition of West Point class rings dates back to 1835. Each year, gold from rings donated by past West Point graduates is melted down and incorporated into the outgoing class' rings. Sedgwick Monument holds special significance to West Point Cadets. Sedgwick Monument. Talia Lakritz/Business Insider This statue of Major General John Sedgwick, nicknamed "Lucky John," is said to bring good fortune to cadets who sneak out after curfew in their dress uniforms to spin the spurs on his boots the night before exams. Across the parade ground, we could see the Jefferson Library, completed in 2008. Jefferson Library at West Point. Talia Lakritz/Business Insider The library is named for President Thomas Jefferson, who was president when the United States Military Academy at West Point was founded in 1802. Washington Hall houses West Point's mess hall, which feeds all 4,400 cadets in under 25 minutes. Washington Hall. Talia Lakritz/Business Insider In West Point's dining hall, a team of over 200 cooks serves more than 13,000 meals per day. Mealtimes at West Point feature unique etiquette rules. Cadets line up in formation before the meal and march into the hall. Plebes, or freshmen, are in charge of setting the table and pouring water for the upperclassmen. On the other side of the parade ground, the superintendent lives at Quarters 100, a home built in 1820. Quarters 100 at West Point. Talia Lakritz/Business Insider The historic home spans 16,600 square feet. Trophy Point also featured a putting green. A putting green at West Point. Talia Lakritz/Business Insider West Point features an 18-hole golf course open to the public. On the bus back to the Visitors Center, we passed Lincoln Hall, which houses classrooms. Lincoln Hall. Talia Lakritz/Business Insider Lincoln Hall currently houses the English and Philosophy and Social Sciences departments, the Combating Terrorism Center, and the Office for Economic and Manpower Analysis, but is undergoing renovations. Cullum Hall is an alumni building with a grand ballroom. Cullum Hall. Talia Lakritz/Business Insider Cullum Hall was designed by architect Stanford White, who designed the Washington Square Arch in New York City, in 1898. West Point Club, another event venue, featured a semicircular wall of windows overlooking the Hudson River. West Point Club. Talia Lakritz/Business Insider Members of the public can also book events at the West Point Club. When it was built in 1911, Thayer Hall was the world's largest indoor riding arena. Thayer Hall. Talia Lakritz/Business Insider "In 1959, they repurposed it as a classroom building and an office building, but the cadets say on a hot day, they can still smell the horses," our tour guide said. We caught a brief glimpse of the new Cyber and Engineering Academic Center that is under construction before returning to the Visitors Center. Construction of West Point's Cyber and Engineering Academic Center. Talia Lakritz/Business Insider The building will house the departments of Civil and Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, and Systems Engineering. "Cyber warfare is the latest thing in national defense, so West Point's getting ready," our guide said. After the tour ended, I stopped at the West Point Museum, where I saw artifacts like President Dwight D. Eisenhower's military uniform. President Dwight D. Eisenhower's military uniform at the West Point Museum. Talia Lakritz/Business Insider Eisenhower graduated from West Point in 1915. The West Point tour offered a combination of US history and contemporary Army education, providing a fascinating look into the past, present, and future of America's military. Abrams Gate at West Point. Talia Lakritz/Business Insider Evidence of West Point's distinguished history and unbroken lineage, known as "The Long Gray Line," was visible at every turn. While admiring a view of the Hudson River and the surrounding mountains, my gaze was drawn up to a particularly striking tree along the sidewalk. Above its enormous trunk, its knarled branches had begun to flower with spring blooms. Then I noticed the plaque. It was a gift from the class of 1888. Read the original article on Business Insider

We're just not whipping out the banjo like we used to. Reg Speller/Fox Photos/Getty Images Summer has officially begun. Summer vacation these days looks quite different from how it did in the 1920s. Kids used to play sports in the streets, explore on bikes, or play on "dangerous" playgrounds.  Summer vacation used to mean two months of freedom: pools, playgrounds, and hours spent hanging out with your friends. But for Gen Alpha and the youngest members of Gen Z, summer is starting to look a little different. Changing technology, safety standards, more cautious parents, and social media have all changed how summer looks. Imagine explaining a unicorn pool float to a Victorian child — it'd send them into a tailspin. These photos show how summer vacation has changed over the last century. In the early 1900s, school used to be centered on crops, and summer wasn't a vacation — it was a time for hard work. Portrait of eight year old Peula Amava, carrying cranberries and tending the baby between times, while working at a berry farm in Cannon, DE, May 1910. Lewis W. Hine/Buyenlarge/Getty Images Before child labor laws were adopted in the first half of the 20th century, an 1890 United States Census report showed that 20% of kids ages 10 to 15 were workers, or over 1.5 million children. A decade later, that went up to 1.75 million gainfully employed kids, according to The Social Welfare History Project. Bathing suits used to be a little more elaborate. 1st July 1909: Young bathers paddling in the sea at Ostend Hulton Archive/Getty Images Bathing suits have come a long way over the past century. Kids didn't need any fancy technology; a stick and a hoop used to be more than enough to keep everyone entertained. 1930s GIRL OUTDOORS ROLLING A HOOP PLAYING HOOP AND STICK GAME H. Armstrong Roberts/ClassicStock/Getty Images Officially, this was called hoop rolling or hoop trundling. It's been around since the 1600s and lives on today in a different fashion: the hula hoop. Stickball was the sport of choice, especially when there was no grass to be found. A group of boys play stickball on the street, Cincinnati, Ohio, ca.1930s Cincinnati Museum Center/Getty Images Stickball has been around since the 1800s and is still played now, but many parents are wary of the potential dangers of playing a sport in the middle of the street. Who doesn't remember sliding down a burning hot metal slide in the dog days of summer? Children enjoying a slide in a playground in Fleetwood, circa 1950 Popperfoto/Getty Images Playgrounds used to play fast and loose with kids' safety … which was half the fun anyway. They're considerably safer today, although some anthropologists argue there are developmental benefits to playing on challenging structures, like those of the past. "Generally, researchers have found that risky play helps children build resilience and confidence, skills that resonate throughout life," said Zane Thayer, an associate professor of anthropology at Dartmouth College, in a 2024 report from the school. Over time, metal was replaced by wood and wood chips, which still wasn't great. Remember all the splinters? DOYLESTOWN, PA - JULY 18: Grayson Goga, 6, plays at Kid's Castle at Central Park Playground, which is made from pressure-treated wood, July 18, 2002, in Doylestown, Pa. Earlier this year, the Environmental Protection Agency announced a voluntary decision by manufacturers of treated wood to discontinue consumer sales of lumber treated with chromated copper arsenate, a preservative that contains arsenic, by December 31, 2003 William Thomas Cain/Getty Images That's pretty much the only downside of them, though. Kids used to have to meet up with each other just by biking around the neighborhood and seeing who was available. 1960s 1970s GROUP CHILDREN RIDING BIKES DOWN SUBURBAN STREET H. Armstrong Roberts/ClassicStock/Getty Images It's rare now to see a pack of young kids biking around without a chaperone. Pool floats were a lot simpler. 1980s FAMILY MOM DAD BABY SWIMMING TOGETHER IN BACKYARD SUBURBAN SWIMMING POOL D. Corson/ClassicStock/Getty Images In general, most things were simpler. There were no Instagram or TikTok followers to show off for. Arcades eventually became the entertainment of choice, with games like "Pac-Man" and "Asteroids" taking over. A young girl is photographed June 1, 1982 playing Pac-Man at a video arcade in Times Square, New York City. Yvonne Hemsey/Getty Images After "Asteroids" was released in 1979, it reportedly became Atari's best-selling arcade game. "Pac-Man" was also at its peak in the early 1980s, after its US release in 1980. Now, in 2026, arcades are something of a dying institution — you can play all your favorite video games in the comfort of your own home. The only arcades left are the big chains like Dave and Buster's, or bars like Barcade that are for adults, not kids. But before '80s kids even had video games, they had comic strips and crosswords. Do kids even read comic strips anymore? Hulton Archive/Getty Images Kids and adults would crack open the daily newspaper and play the games, whether it was a crossword, a word scramble, or a word search. And, of course, you can't forget about the comics section — Charlie Brown was just as famous as Bluey or the pups of Paw Patrol. Sometimes, all you needed for a fun time was a tarp, soap, and a hose — voila! A makeshift slip-and-slide. Kyle Jones,11, keeps cool with a makeshift slip and slide provided by the summer camp councilors at Borchard Park during the Heat Wave. 1998 Carlos Chavez/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images Never mind that sticks, rocks, and anything else on the ground could rip the tarp and cut up your arms and legs. That was part of the fun. And it didn't matter if there was nothing to stop your momentum — sliding into your friends and knocking them over was the whole point. Ideal summer jobs were lifeguarding or being a camp counselor. Teammates for City of Thornton Recreation cheer for their teammate during the lifeguard Medley Relay at Hyland Hill's Water World "Surf's Up" wave pool. An estimated 700 lifeguards from across Colorado compete to sharpen their skills, improve physical fitness, build teamwork, and just have fun. This is the 7th consecutive year for the Colorado Parks and Recreation Association Annual Lifeguard Games at Water World. Thornton placed first for this heat of the Medley Relay. Kathryn Osler/The Denver Post via Getty Images Even though working teenagers are in high demand and could be making good money, the labor force participation of teens is much lower than it used to be. In 2024, 5.7 million 16-to-19-year-olds worked over the summer, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That's a five-year high, but nothing compared to the 8.3 million teens who worked during the summer of 1978. Now, bathing suits look a little different. KRASNODAR TERRITORY, RUSSIA - JUNE 30, 2018: Teenagers bathe in the sea at Orlyonok, a children's resort on the Black Sea coast in Krasnodar Territory, Russia. Malgavko/TAS Sergei Malgavko\TASS via Getty Images Vintage-style bathing suits are coming back, though, like the '80s-era high-cut one-pieces or belted bathing suits of the '70s. For kids with access to virtual-reality games, the devices mean they don't even have to go outside to get the summer experience. PARIS EXPO, PARIS, ILE DE FRANCE, FRANCE - 2017/11/01: A child seen testing out a game at the games fair. The 2017 Paris Games Week is open to public from 1st November to 5th of November. The Games Week is a trade fair of video games held annually in Paris. Thierry Le Fouille/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images According to a Florida Atlantic University study in 2024, one in three kids has access to a VR headset. But even if a kid doesn't have access to an Oculus or an Apple Vision Pro, they might have a tablet or some type of video game system. "In our research, we found that kids were spending a lot less time outside," Ruslan Slutsky, an education professor at the University of Toledo, told Vox. "They were spending a lot less time in traditional forms of play because they were playing with devices." Playgrounds are so safe that some kids have forsaken them altogether. Children on playground at Rise School, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, 2010. Carol M. Highsmith/Buyenlarge/Getty Images A study conducted in 2012 published by Pediatrics Digest found that kids aren't using playgrounds anymore because they're not stimulated enough. The Atlantic reported that lead researcher Kristen Copeland found that "some participants said that overly strict safety standards made much of the climbing equipment uninteresting, thus reducing children's physical activity." Per a 2024 report by the World Playground Research Institute, not much has changed in the intervening 12 years. In the UK, 27% of kids reported playing outside regularly. Teens and tweens make plans via text, and even when they're together, phones still compete for their attention. Teenage Girls Using Phones at Skating Rink, Wellsville, New York, USA. Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images In 2018, Common Sense Media found 54% of surveyed teens agreed that social media "often distracts me when I should be paying attention to the people I'm with." When it came to their preferred ways of communicating with friends, texting ranked top at 35%, ahead of in-person communication at 32%. Now, a pool can't be seen without a gigantic float. Amanda St. Pierre, front left, Kameron Mowry, and Adam Mowry, ride a floating unicorn down the Saco River at Bar Mills in Buxton, Maine, Sunday, Aug. 26, 2018. A Good Samaritan gave them a tow after they discovered the raft was being pushed upriver by the wind. Temperatures are expected to hover around the 90s for the next few days, making for the possibility of a heat wave in the week before Labor Day Robert F. Bukaty/AP Images There's an overwhelming amount of pool floats to pick from in 2026. Sports are well-organized these days and significantly less dangerous. MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - DECEMBER 23: Children play games of cricket during the Indian Summer Festival Family Day at Melbourne Cricket Ground on December 23, 2018 in Melbourne, Australia. Scott Barbour - CA/Cricket Australia/Getty Images Though it's probably a good thing that kids aren't allowed to roam the streets without being able to call home, or play sports in the street, or play on potentially dangerous playgrounds, it's just not the same.  Even slip-and-slides have been commodified into giant events. That looks like a long way down. Slide the City, is a traveling 1,000-foot-long slip-and-slide that was on University Hill on Saturday. Cliff Grassmick/Digital First Media/Boulder Daily Camera via Getty Images Slide the City was a cool event while it lasted — a giant slip-and-slide took over a few blocks of your city — but it was not the same as getting covered in dish soap with your friends. However, in 2026, there's an emerging trend toward play habits of the past, especially as some families seek to reduce their use of tech. A boy enjoyed playing at a new park in Denver, Colorado, inMay 2026. Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post/Getty Images Some families are attempting to replace devices with more outside play, as well as unstructured play, for their young children. Surveys, including a Pew Research Center survey released in October 2025, show that many parents are trying to manage their children's screen time through household rules and by offering alternate entertainment. That shift echoes a broader interest among some Gen Z members in seeking out more analog experiences. Read the original article on Business Insider

Taking my family (not pictured) with me on a work trip was a bit stressful, but I'm glad I did it. Jordan Siemens/Getty Images I brought my baby, toddler, and husband with me on a work trip to Palm Springs. Balancing parental responsibilities with work obligations was challenging, but not impossible. My husband was a huge help, and I'm glad we were able to make new memories as a family. Being a freelance writer and editor means I have the flexibility to work from wherever, whether that's on a hospital bed getting induced, late at night after the kids go to sleep, or in a nice hotel on a work trip. It's not always glamorous, but it certainly has its moments, and it's a joy to include my family when possible. When I went on a three-day work trip to Palm Springs — about a 2½-hour drive from our home in San Diego, but closer to 3½ with all the pit stops — I was happy that the hotel allowed me to bring my 3-month-old, my 2½-year-old toddler, and my husband. It'd be my first time bringing both kids on a work trip, and our first overnight excursion as a family of four. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I was excited to spend time together We headed to Palm Springs in a car packed with essentials. Carmen Varner The car was packed to the brim with diapers, clothes, carriers, and anything else we could think of for a multi-night stay away from home. I'd just gotten back from my first-ever work press trip away from the kids the day before, and my husband had returned from a work trip a couple of days before that. I'd put a lot of work experiences on hold with my first child and couldn't afford to do the same with my second. Despite feeling overbooked, I said yes to both trips and was glad to take my family along for the second one; I didn't want to be away from them again, at least not in such a rapid succession. And with my husband and me both traveling, we just want to spend a couple of nights together as a family. I knew I'd be busy, but I didn't know how intense the trip would be. Navigating work commitments and family was challenging My toddler enjoyed exploring the hotel grounds. Carmen Varner On day one, I was shuttled around with a couple of other journalists for a three-course lunch and a dessert tasting. During breaks and at night, I rushed back to the hotel to help my husband. I recall walking into the hotel the first night to him baby-wearing the 3-month-old in a carrier while patting my toddler's back; both were successfully asleep. That night, we all slept soundly through the whole night, unbothered. The next day was not nearly as streamlined. Between scheduled events, I returned to the hotel for a quick break to nurse and was out again. Meanwhile, my husband was behind on work, since he couldn't do virtually anything with the two young kids, other than entertain them and explore the hotel. I brought a lot of food back to the hotel room for us to try. Carmen Varner That night, I nursed the baby and patted my toddler's back at the same time so my husband could work. I kind of felt like a superhero there for a second. Once they were finally sleeping soundly, my husband and I hung out in the bathroom since the hotel room was otherwise one big open area, and we didn't want to wake them up. We whispered next to the shower, eating the cold mashed potatoes I'd brought back from an event. After that, we both attempted to catch up on work on our laptops and ultimately went to sleep exhausted — but our night didn't end there. The baby woke up more times than we could count, and the toddler roused from all the hubbub, too. We were drained and exhausted, and all I could think of was that I had to be up early for a tour of a date farm at 8 a.m. Despite all the hubbub, I'd happily do this again Ultimately, it was nice to share a new experience with my husband and kids. Carmen Varner I had fun going out for a few hours at a time and being an adult without having to monitor two kids, but I came back to reality every break and evening at the hotel. Granted, my husband did the brunt of the work while I was out and about, but it'll remain a family memory and a trip we otherwise would've never had. Even with the disarray, I still got to share parts of the experience with my children: bringing back restaurant dishes to try together, watching my toddler take in beautiful hotel room views, and enjoying nice hotel breakfasts. Despite long hours and late nights working, we still fit in small family moments into an otherwise work-focused trip. I'd do it again in a heartbeat. Read the original article on Business Insider

Discussion | Link

Discussion | Link

Bending Spoons remains largely unknown, even as its portfolio of products has served more than a billion people.

Understanding how PANet shortens the path between low-level and high-level features The post PANet Paper Walkthrough: When Feature Pyramids Go Bottom-Up appeared first on Towards Data Science.

With AI igniting an investor frenzy, more startups are achieving unicorn status every month.

Discussion | Link

The author shares her seven tips for traveling with teens. Courtesy of the author I've learned what works — and what doesn't — when traveling with teens. Flexibility matters more than perfect itineraries. A few simple strategies help reduce conflict and increase fun. When they were really little, we used to call vacationing with the kids "babysitting with palm trees." Now that they're teens, maybe it's more like "traveling with jerks." I mean, sometimes they're grateful and engaged. But just as often, it can feel like every decision is getting evaluated by the most ruthless, cool-kid jury of tired, bored, entitled judges. We travel a ton, and I have come to realize there are tricks for making your vacation teen-worthy, while still having the best time yourself. Some are easy, some are annoying. But when the kids are happy, everyone's happy, right? We spend 30 minutes in museums, max If you do not have museum kids, still go, but limit your time. (If you do have museum kids,your vacations are clearly very different than mine.) This is really the key. Even in the NYC area where we live full-time, we visit museums regularly, but we don't stay hours. Yes, you paid all that money for your ticket, but you get to decide how long to spend there. For my kids, 30 to 45 minutes is often more than enough time to see the stars of the show and pick their favorite pieces to talk about over pizza later. No one gets cranky. No one dreads the visit. As they get older, maybe you can stretch it. We still do things we can do at home Yes, we all saw the go-cart place we just passed on the highway. But we are in Barcelona. And why on earth would we waste a precious afternoon in Catalonia doing what we can do 20 minutes from home? Because somehow, it will be an adventure, different than the place back home in interesting and unexpected ways, and you will all actually have fun. Do it. We like to explore cities in different ways Take a city tour of Budapest, but do it riding a three-wheeled Segway. My kids love to look for the weird way to sightsee now, and they actually learn a ton about our locations. The author's family likes to explore new cities in different ways. Courtesy of the author In Marrakesh, we toured the city from the vantage of Soviet-era motorcycle sidecars. Sometimes there are age restrictions that mean you have to skip, but when it works, it's hard to beat. Know what your kids are into and plan around that Are they a teen club kid? If so, amazing! When you go on a beach vacation, that means you'll have a lot of options. We've loved Grand Velas in Riviera Maya, Mexico, any Club Med (the new one in Miches, DR is incredible), or Beaches in Turks and Caicos. The best possible outcome is that they make friends and have the best week doing their own thing with their peers. If teen clubs aren't their thing, don't make it a thing. Nothing is worse than having your mom force friends on you. Take cool classes We do a cooking class wherever we go now. In Santa Fe this year, we took a super interesting one, making sauces from the region. We learned a ton about the indigenous history while also developing a POV on the ubiquitous local question: "red, green, or Christmas?" In Bogota, we learned how to make delectable smashed plantains that my kids now request whenever they see them on a menu and compare to their memory of what they tasted like in Colombia. In Fez, we made a full 5-course meal from a private home deep inside the medina. The author suggests taking a cooking class when traveling. Courtesy of the author My kids both love to cook (we do too) so this is a destination "souvenir" that we cherish and refer back to again and again. Screen time is flexible If only they would put the phone down, they could appreciate the incredible, once-in-a-lifetime view. But spending every minute traveling (and maybe sharing a hotel room) with your parents can be tough. If they are spending more time than you'd like on their device, but still otherwise engaged, I let it slide. Offer to help by being the photographer and shoot them in 4,567,354 poses for their one IG "post" of the trip. There. Now you've made it a family activity. Divide and conquer to do what everyone loves My son loves golf — I couldn't care less. So we build in some divide-and-conquer time when we each do what we love. (And hey, they're teens now, so they don't need me every minute!) I walked the Canyon Road galleries in Sedona, having the best morning of my life, while my son took his dad to play nine holes against the most spectacular, surreal red-rock backdrop. It was his favorite day of the trip. Read the original article on Business Insider