The author drove the Mazda CX-90 during a multigenerational trip. Courtesy of the author We bought our Subaru Outback in 2018 after having our first child. Shortly after, I got pregnant with twins and panicked about needing a bigger car. Now that they are all in school, we are shopping around for bigger, family-friendly cars. For the last eight years, our Subaru Outback has stepped up to the challenge of taking my family of five, plus two dogs, everywhere we go. We call it the "kid car" because it can handle anything, including flying snacks in the back seat. But as my kids grow, we need a bigger car — mostly so I can stop hearing them complain about their legs touching. On a recent trip to Florida, we tested a Mazda CX-90, designed with family chaos in mind. And while in previous years I had said that a third row wasn't necessary for our family, now that my kids are 8, 6, and 6, I might be having a change of heart. Having a third row made multigenerational travel easier I'm an only child, which means my parents — who are both in their 80s — often travel with us. That means we need seven people to be comfortably seated to head out to dinner, for example. In previous cars we tested, like the Audi Q7, my parents couldn't sit in the third row because they had to either climb over a seat or go through the trunk. Even our kids refused to sit in the back of the Audi because it felt cramped. It was really easy for the author's kids to get in the third row. Courtesy of the author The CX-90, on the other hand, has a true third row, similar to the one in the Volkswagen ID that we also tested with my family. It was easy to get in and out, and the ability to push the second row forward allows even adults to ride in the back. A hybrid car might be the solution to the cost of gas I've been timid about getting a fully electric car for my family. While driving around our town makes sense, the idea of having to plan longer road trips around charging stops stresses me out. That said, with gas prices at astronomical levels right now, my family's budget is tight, so I was curious about driving a hybrid to find a middle ground. The author liked having a hybrid car, given the price of gas. Courtesy of the author I was actually impressed with the CX-90 in that aspect. When I first turned on the car, it prioritized running on the electric battery. As I watched the percentage drop, I panicked while driving on the highway from Miami to Orlando, thinking the car would stall once the battery was empty. But of course it didn't, it automatically switched to gas for smooth driving. You can also charge the battery while driving. My husband really enjoyed this feature, since we didn't have a charger at the resort parking lot, and kept our battery 50% charged at all times. I have to admit, I didn't quite get the hang of charging on this quick trip, but I'm sure I would eventually. I had a hard time getting used to the shifter Overall, driving the CX-90 was pretty smooth. It is a bit heavier on turns than what I'm used to driving, but after a couple of days, I was accustomed to it. The author didn't like having to move the stick to the left to park. Courtesy of the author The one thing I really struggled with was the shifter. I'm used to having gears in a straight line, but in this car, you have to move the gear stick sideways to the left to park. The first gear you are in when you get out of the parking is reverse. Again, after a few days, I was used to it, but I was always paranoid that I'd be in reverse without realizing it. I think a better user experience would be just keeping all the gears in a straight line. That said, driving a 2026 model really showed me what we are missing while still having a 2018 car. The CX-90 had the standard seat warmer, but I was surprised to find it also had a seat cooler, which, in the heat of Florida, was key. I also really liked that you can see which seat belts are buckled, all the way to the third row, right above the rearview mirror. This really cuts down on me repeating myself, asking the kids if they are already buckled. With a starting price of $39,300 and its hybrid advantage, the Mazda CX-90 is now a top contender for my family's next car. Read the original article on Business Insider

I love taking a 14-hour round-trip Amtrak train ride with my friends every year. Leighana Luther Every year, my friends and I take a 14-hour round-trip Amtrak train ride from Utah to Colorado. The ride allows us to have uninterrupted quality time to play card games and have deep discussions. We've made so many memories aboard these trains, plus we love how cheap tickets are, too. Between working, going to graduate school, raising kids, and apprenticing at a tattoo studio, my friends and I all have very different schedules. So, when we can coordinate our busy lives to hang out, it's usually only for a few hours here and there. A few years ago, I started brainstorming ways for us to connect over an extended period of time and came up with the perfect solution: a 14-hour round-trip Amtrak adventure. When I first suggested the idea two years ago, I wasn't sure they'd be into it. None of us had ever done anything like it, but I thought it would be a great outlet for uninterrupted quality time. To my surprise, everyone was excited and ardently said yes. Our journey was decided: We would take the California Zephyr train from Provo, Utah, to Glenwood Springs, Colorado, and back. The first girls' trip was so much fun that we decided to go again, and now it's become an annual tradition — and one of our favorite ways to spend time together. The journey starts with an early wake-up, but we don't mind. Leighana Luther On the eastbound trip to Colorado, the train typically arrives at the station around 4:30 a.m., so we have to get up about an hour earlier to make it on time. Even though it's the wee hours of the morning and the sun has yet to rise, my friends and I are always filled with excitement as the train rolls into the station and our trip begins. Coach seats are much cheaper than a flight, and are surprisingly comfortable. We usually spend between $40 to $70 a person for round-trip coach seats. Leighana Luther After boarding the train, we like to settle into our seats and sleep for a few hours until the sun comes up. We usually purchase coach seats, which include a tray table, an electrical outlet, and a footrest. These seats recline far enough and have plenty of legroom. I'm 5 feet, 4 inches tall and can still fully extend my legs. After putting on my eye mask and cozying up with my plush blanket, I immediately forget that I'm in coach. Not only are the seats comfortable, but they're also affordable. For round-trip tickets, we usually spend between $40 and $70 per person. The price was likely steeper this time around because I bought the tickets two months before the trip. So, I highly recommend purchasing them further in advance. For us, taking the Amtrak train is cheaper than most plane seats between Utah and Colorado, and even less expensive than a road trip, depending on gas prices. We always have the best time in the lounge car playing card games. Leighana Luther After a decent hot breakfast in the dining car, accompanied by views of the sunrise hitting the desert landscape, we like to head to the lounge. The tables in this part of the train are perfect for sitting together as a group. We pull from a conversation card deck, teach each other new games, and play some of our favorites, like Cards Against Humanity and Ransom Notes, which usually results in instant laughter. The best thing about the train is the simplicity, which is exactly what we need when traveling as a group. Leighana Luther Taking the train makes our vacation straightforward. There are no flight connections, no waiting at baggage claim, and no ordering Ubers. No one has to drive, so we never have to switch drivers, deal with traffic, or stop at a gas station to use the restrooms. There typically isn't any WiFi aboard our train, and I usually have spotty cell coverage, but I actually enjoy this offline element. Spending less time on my phone allows me to pay more attention to the scenery, actually read the book I brought, and soak in these moments with my friends. Plus, it gives us a chance to get into deep conversations. We talk about our career goals, our bucket list items, and our families, while taking in the stunning views outside the window. The train ride is a great way for us to bond. Leighana Luther None of us ride public transit very often back home in Utah, so taking a train is out of the ordinary, especially a long-distance sleeper train like the California Zephyr. Sometimes, I like to bring other people I know along for the ride, allowing them to meet my friends and become a part of the group by the end of the journey. I'm so excited to continue this tradition with my friends, and maybe explore other places along the California Zephyr line, like Denver and San Francisco. Overall, in just 14 hours of travel time together, we always make countless memories and even create new connections along the ride. Read the original article on Business Insider

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AI scientists are emerging as a new interface for scientific computing. These agents can read papers, write code, generate hypotheses, call APIs, inspect files,... AI scientists are emerging as a new interface for scientific computing. These agents can read papers, write code, generate hypotheses, call APIs, inspect files, and iterate on results. But science isn’t software engineering. There is no test suite that turns green when a hypothesis is correct; discovery is iterative, uncertain, and grounded in the physical world. You can’t take a general coding… Source

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Nuva Frames/Shutterstock In a recent episode of British sitcom Amandaland, Anne Flynn turns to ChatGPT for help talking to her teenage son about sex. The episode frames this as “The Chat”: the awkward parent-child conversation many adults dread. What Anne is doing on screen is what many people are now doing in private: taking hard human conversations to a machine that can answer immediately. The scene raises a bigger question: what do people need from another person when they are struggling, and can AI provide it? Popular ideas about therapy often centre on expertise: the therapist as someone who can explain what is wrong and offer a way to fix it. Therapy can involve psychoeducation and specialist techniques. But it also relies on the relationship between therapist and client, and the therapist’s ability to stay with uncertainty rather than provide an answer too soon. At the University of Leeds, we ask trainee counsellors and psychotherapists to reflect on how quickly they may want to solve, reassure or interpret. The capacity to tolerate uncertainty is treated as a clinical skill, developed through reflection, supervision and practice. Students are encouraged to notice the pull towards becoming the expert who supplies answers, and to consider what becomes possible when they stay curious instead. This reflects what is known as a “not-knowing stance”. When therapists resist assuming they already know what a client’s experience means, the client is treated as the expert on their own life. The therapist still brings training and ethical responsibility, but remains open to discovering meaning with the client rather than imposing it. Distress is rarely just a puzzle to be solved. People may arrive in therapy wanting answers, explanations or relief. But if a therapist moves too quickly into advice, interpretation or diagnosis, they can miss what the client is really trying to say. The not-knowing stance asks the therapist to remain curious and present, when the person in front of them feels overwhelmed. Importance of alliance Researchers call the relationship between therapist and client the “therapeutic alliance”: the trust, connection and shared purpose that allows therapy to happen. A major review showed that this alliance is reliably linked with therapy outcomes, with stronger alliances tending to be associated with better results in therapy. Later research has found that the alliance is crucial across different types of therapy. Therapeutic approaches still matter, and some difficulties require specialist treatment. But research on the common factors in psychotherapy suggests that shared elements – including empathy, collaboration and the belief that therapy can help – are central to how therapy works. The appeal of AI in difficult moments is understandable. Research into people who repeatedly use ChatGPT for emotional and mental health support suggests that some users value it because it feels accessible and non-judgmental. Chatbots are available at 3am and respond instantly in language that sounds caring. For someone unable to access support, that may feel like a lifeline. There is also growing research into AI in mental health care, including chatbots, digital interventions and large language models – systems trained on huge amounts of text to generate human-like responses. Reviews suggest these tools may have potential in screening, psychoeducation and access to support. But the evidence base is still developing, and concerns remain around safety, privacy and over-reliance. A systematic review of AI in mental health care and a scoping review of large language models in mental health care both (in 2025) stressed the need for stronger evaluation and safeguards. Research on the digital therapeutic alliance shows that people can experience something relationship-like with mental health chatbots. A chatbot can sound curious and compassionate. It can mirror a user’s words, suggest breathing exercises or help someone plan a difficult conversation. But relationship-like support and reciprocal human presence are different. Human therapists can respond to far more than words: hesitation, silence, tone, expression, and the moment someone says something important while pretending it is ordinary. Therapists can be surprised, concerned, challenged and changed by the encounter. They also carry ethical and professional responsibility for what happens in the room. Presence and accountability The not-knowing approach rests on intersubjectivity: the way two people affect and are affected by each other. Research on synchrony in psychotherapy suggests that therapist and client may coordinate aspects of voice, movement and physiology during therapy, as their responses begin to align in subtle ways. These embodied processes show why therapy is more than an exchange of words. A language model does not have that kind of presence. It can identify patterns in language, but it cannot notice a client’s hand tightening around a tissue, hear the change in someone’s voice when they mention a name, feel concern or take ethical responsibility for the relationship. There are also ethical concerns about agency: the client’s capacity to make sense of their experiences and make choices for themselves. Recent work on AI and agency in psychotherapy warns that chatbots and human therapists support agency in different ways. An AI system may shift authority towards a tool that does not know the person and may produce confident answers when caution is needed. AI may help some people prepare for a conversation, find words for a feeling, practise asking for help, or access basic information when nothing else is available. Support and therapy have different responsibilities, though. A chatbot may be available whenever the user returns. That differs from staying with someone in a mutual, accountable human relationship. When a therapist can say, honestly, “I don’t know what this means for you yet, but I’m here and I want to understand,” they are offering something no algorithm can replicate: a trained human presence that can listen, respond and remain accountable. The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.