If Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang were a student today, he says he’d focus on the physical sciences.

During a trip to Beijing on Wednesday, Huang was asked by a journalist: “If you are a 22-year-old version of Jensen [who] just graduated today in 2025 but with the same ambition, what would you focus on?”

To that, the Nvidia CEO said: “For the young, 20-year-old Jensen, that’s graduated now, he probably would have chosen … more of the physical sciences than the software sciences,” adding that he actually graduated two years early from college, at age 20.

Physical science, as opposed to life science, is a broad branch that focuses on the study of non-living systems, including physics, chemistry, astronomy and earth sciences.

Huang got his electrical engineering degree from Oregon State University in 1984 before earning his master’s degree in electrical engineering from Stanford University in 1992, according to his LinkedIn profile.

About a year later, in April 1993, Huang co-founded Nvidia with fellow engineers Chris Malachowsky and Curtis Priem over a meal at a Denny’s restaurant in San Jose, California. Under Huang’s leadership as CEO, the chipmaker has now become the world’s most valuable company.

Nvidia also became the world’s first company to hit a $4 trillion market cap last week.

Although Huang didn’t explain why he says he’d study the physical sciences if he were a student again today, the tech founder has been very bullish on “Physical AI” or what he calls the “next wave.”

Over the past decade and a half, the world has moved through multiple phases of artificial intelligence, he explained in April at The Hill & Valley Forum in Washington, D.C.

“Modern AI really came into consciousness about 12 to 14 years ago, when AlexNet came out and computer vision saw its big, giant breakthrough,” Huang said at the forum.

AlexNet was a computer model unveiled during a 2012 competition that demonstrated the ability of machines to recognize images using deep learning, helping spark the modern AI boom.

This first wave is called ‘Perception AI,’ Huang said.

Then, came the second wave called “Generative AI,” “which is where the AI model has learned how to understand the meaning of the information but [also] translate it” into different languages, images, code and more.

“We’re now in this age called ‘Reasoning AI’… where you now have AI that can understand, it can generate, [and] solve problems and recognize conditions that we’ve never seen before,” he said. Artificial intelligence, in its current state, can solve problems using reasoning.

“Reasoning AI allows you to produce a form of digital robots. We call them agentic AI,” said Huang. These AI agents are essentially “digital workforce robots” capable of reasoning, he added. Today, AI agents are a key focus among many tech companies, such as Microsoft and Salesforce.

Looking ahead, the next wave is “Physical AI,” said Huang.

“The next wave requires us to understand things like the laws of physics, friction, inertia, cause and effect,” said Huang in Washington, D.C., in April.

Physical reasoning abilities, such as the concept of object permanence — or the fact that objects continue to exist even if they’re out of sight — will be big in this next phase of artificial intelligence, he said.

Applications of physical reasoning include predicting outcomes, such as where a ball will roll, understanding how much force is needed to grip an object without damaging it and inferring the presence of a pedestrian behind a car.

“And when you take that physical AI and then you put it into a physical object called a robot, you get robotics,” he added. “This is really, really important for us now, because we’re building plants and factories all over the United States.”

“So hopefully, in the next 10 years, as we build out this new generation of plants and factories, they’re highly robotic and they’re helping us deal with the severe labor shortage that we have all over the world,” said Huang.

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What would it take for you to feel financially comfortable?

For most of the people who work with Joy Slabaugh, a certified financial planner, licensed therapist and founder of Wealth Alignment Institute, the answer is the same.

“It’s always a little bit more than what they have,” she says. “Regardless of how much money they have, it’s just a little bit more.”

On average, Americans say they’d need a net worth of $839,000 to feel financially comfortable, according to a recent survey from Charles Schwab. Members of Gen Z say they’d be comfortable with less — just $329,000, on average.

You may be wondering what net worth could afford you a comfortable life — and what your current net worth actually is.

If you’re not sure the answer to either, don’t worry. While financial experts say tracking net worth can be a useful tool in your money management arsenal, it presents an incomplete picture of your financial life.

“It’s just one metric — and often a misleading one. I’ve seen clients fixated on their net worth while completely disconnected from their financial reality,” Slabaugh says. “Tracking net worth without tracking values or lifestyle intentions is like watching your pulse without knowing if your heart is healthy.”

Your net worth is the total value of everything you own, after accounting for money that you owe, and is a useful shorthand for overall wealth. To call yourself a millionaire, for example, you generally need a net worth of $1 million or more.

To find yours, add up your assets, such as bank accounts, stock holdings, physical valuables and home equity, before subtracting your liabilities, which include credit card debt, student loans and mortgage balances.

Theoretically, this number gives you a pretty decent overview of your actual wealth. Someone may appear to be wealthy if they have a $1 million house, for instance. Not so much if they also have $2 million in debt.

It’s not always a very practical yardstick, however. For one thing, two people with the same net worth could have wildly different financial situations. One person may have a big chunk of assets in liquid cash, giving them plenty of spending power, while the other has the bulk of their wealth tied up in retirement accounts.

Rather than focusing on one number, you’re better off examining how money flows in and out of your life, and whether or not you’re making progress toward your goals, experts say.

″[Net worth is] a ‘snapshot’ of one’s financial position at a single point in time,” says Randy Bruns, a CFP and principle at Model Wealth in Naperville, Illinois. “In contrast, their cash flow statement acts more like the ‘video,’ capturing the ongoing movement of money in and out that ultimately shapes their net worth.”

When it comes to feeling financially comfortable, it’s smart to make sure you have a few critical bases covered, says Slabaugh. These include not only making ends meet, but having enough breathing room to pay down debt, build emergency savings and invest for the future.

Beyond that, no number in particular is going to bring you comfort unless you get to the heart of what you want from your money, she says. For many of Slabaugh’s clients, building wealth means having security. For others, money is a means to flexibility and freedom.

“In nearly every case, the comfort isn’t just financial — it’s emotional,” Slabaugh says.

Financial comfort, she says, comes when your money management aligns with your core values. Someone who values freedom, for instance, could aim to beef up their travel savings while looking for misaligned areas in their budget to slash.

“It could be, ‘I’m spending hundreds of dollars a month on streaming services to escape the fact that I feel stuck. Let me divert that to a vacation fund, and now I can actually save to go to some of these places that I’m dreaming about while watching these shows,’” Slabaugh says.

Instead of striving for a particular number in your bank account, ask yourself what about having that amount of money would do for you and what about your life would change if you already had it, Slabaugh says.

“These questions are often more revealing — and more actionable — than a net worth target ever could be.”

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Sometimes, 24 hours just doesn’t feel like enough. Between work, commutes, and a growing to-do list, it’s easy to get through an entire weekday without really connecting with your partner. But staying close doesn’t require extra time — just intention.

As a psychologist who studies couples (and as a husband), I’ve seen firsthand how small daily rituals can help people feel more connected, especially when life is busy. Even better news: Intimacy isn’t something that has to wait until the weekend.

Here’s what people in the happiest relationship do during the weekdays — that most neglect.

Most mornings are rushed and chaotic: alarms, deadlines, and the hurry to get out the door. That means the only real moment spent together is waking up in the same bed, and maybe a distracted kiss before they go their separate ways.

But happy couples find small ways to start the day together, even if it’s just for five or 10 minutes. That might mean setting the alarm a little earlier to cuddle before getting out of bed, making the bed together while chatting about your dreams, or sitting side-by-side for your morning coffee — even in silence.

The point isn’t how you do it, but that you actually do it. The best couples remind each other: “Regardless of how cruddy the day ahead might be, we’ve still got each other.”

You don’t need long, drawn-out conversations during the workday to stay connected. A funny meme, a little anecdote about your daily office drama, or a quick “thinking of you” message can be enough to strengthen emotional intimacy.

The happiest couples check in — not to talk logistics, but to remind each other they’re top of mind. It takes just a few seconds (during a lunch break, coffee run, or even a quick bathroom trip) to check in with their other half.

These small notes may seem insignificant, but they’re powerful mood-boosters — and a simple way to make your partner feel seen. Not only does this nurture your sense of intimacy in the midst of a hectic day, but it’ll also bless you with a little hit of midday motivation: a reminder of the person waiting for you at home. 

Stress from the workday has a sneaky way of bleeding into time with your partner, whether it’s through email-checking or a snappy tone.

That’s why the happiest couples take a few minutes to unwind alone after the workday ends. Whether it’s a solo walk, a quick workout, or just zoning out with a snack and your favorite TV show, this “me time” helps clear the mental clutter so you can show up more present and patient for your partner.

It might sound counterintuitive, but sometimes the best way to reconnect is to recharge separately first.

Evenings can be dominated by separate routines — one partner cleans up while the other scrolls on their phone, or both crash on opposite ends of the couch.

But the happiest couples intentionally carve out one shared moment every day. No distractions, no multitasking. Maybe it’s sitting down to dinner together, playing a quick game, or watching your favorite trivia show while shouting answers at the screen. Even five minutes of undivided attention can go a long way.

What it looks like doesn’t matter. It only needs to be shared, and fiercely protected. No kids, no chores, no notifications allowed.

These nightly “audits” aren’t meant to solve problems, but they do help you stay emotionally aligned and prevent little issues from becoming bigger ones. It’s just a matter of simple questions and even simpler answers: “How are you, really?” or “Are we okay?”

Some nights, it might be statement-based: all the thank yous, sorries, or little thoughts you may not have had the time to share during the day.

Quick, nightly audits ensure that nothing goes unsaid throughout the week, only to spill out on the weekends. Most importantly, they’re the best way to tend to your connection, without exhausting yourselves in the process.

Mark Travers, PhD, is a psychologist who specializes in relationships. He holds degrees from Cornell University and the University of Colorado Boulder. He is the lead psychologist at Awake Therapy, a telehealth company that provides online psychotherapy, counseling, and coaching. He is also the curator of the popular mental health and wellness website, Therapytips.org.

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At 78 years old, my brain is just as sharp and productive as ever.

I’ve written more than 175 books over the course of my career — on a wide range of topics, including marine biology, job interviews, ancient trees, creativity, baseball, dinosaurs, American history, resume writing, tsunamis, and Mother Goose. I also spent over three decades as a professor and worked with more than 100 schools across North America as a consultant.

Even though I’m retired now, I still write books, give presentations, and blog about psychology. My secret to staying sharp is simple: I am constantly curious.

Our brain’s chemistry changes when we become curious. Curiosity is what sharpens our intellectual powers, and keeps us mentally active well into our golden years. Here are my four hard rules for keeping my brain sharp and quick:

There’s a common belief that knowledge is the key to success. But growing research suggests that some of the most successful people embrace their own “innate ignorance.”

They understand that there is much more to learn about the world, but they don’t let that impede their progress. If anything, it galvanizes them to do more. Knowing what we don’t know can be a powerful mindset shift that sparks growth and creativity.

How to do this: Once or twice a week, select a topic you know little about, preferably one unrelated to your job or background. Maybe it’s WWII fighter pilots, prehistoric cave paintings, or square-trunked trees.

Spend five to 10 minutes learning all you can about that topic. Write down three interesting facts. This is a small but powerful way to exercise your brain.

Many of us get trapped in an endless cycle of convergent thinking, or always looking for the “right” answers.

But I’ve spent my entire career as an educator, and I can tell you that most schools trained us to focus on facts (“What is the capital of Pennsylvania?”), rather than creative answers (“Where do you think the capital Pennsylvania should be located?”).

Divergent questions, or open-ended questions that have multiple answers, encourage deeper thinking and help keep your mind flexible.

How to do this: A few times a week, ask yourself “What if…?” questions:

• What if you could relive any day of your life? What would you do?
• What if one historic event could be reversed? Which one would you select?
• What if you could be perfect in one athletic skill or talent? Which would it be? 

Not only are these questions fun, they can also generate a number of responses and paths for exploration.

According to researchers at the Greater Good Science Center at the University of California, Berkeley, experiencing awe can stimulate wonder and curiosity. 

Some examples can be holding a newborn baby, seeing the Grand Canyon for the first time, or watching a kaleidoscope of butterflies dance over an open field. That sense of awe can improve our well-being, contribute to a more positive attitude, and boost curiosity.

How to do this: Once or twice a month, go to a place you’ve never been before. It doesn’t have to be somewhere far — maybe a local park or new restaurant. Find something awesome, spend time observing, and record your thoughts.

Reading outside our field of expertise may be one of the most significant things we can do to develop our natural curiosity. When we expose ourselves to different ways of thinking through literature, we open up new possibilities for learning.

Even after 50 years of teaching, my current reading list includes books not on education, but on marketing strategies, paleontology, growing tomatoes, British narrowboats, island ecology, long distance running, and redwood trees, among many others.

How to do this: Visit your local public library and pick at least three books on topics that interest you, but that you’ve never formally studied or worked in. Read at least one chapter a day. You might be surprised by where your research takes you.

Anthony D. Fredericks, Ed.D., is professor emeritus of education at York College of Pennsylvania. He is the author of Psychology Today’s Creative Insights blog, and has written over 100 nonfiction books including ”From Fizzle to Sizzle: The Hidden Forces Crushing Your Creativity and How You Can Overcome Them, ”Two-Minute Habits: Small Habits, Dynamic Creativity,” and his latest ”In Search of the Old Ones: An Odyssey among Ancient Trees.″ Follow him on LinkedIn.

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Billionaires tend to give one bad piece of career advice, according to self-made millionaire and bestselling author Scott Galloway: Follow your passion.

“The worst advice the billionaires give is ‘follow your passion,’” Galloway, a serial entrepreneur and New York University marketing professor, told LinkedIn’s “The Path” video series in an episode that published on June 3. “Anyone who tells you to follow your passion is already rich.”

Born in Los Angeles to a single mother, Galloway said that his family’s income never exceeded $40,000 during his childhood, and that he thought his passion for athletics would bring him financial freedom. After discovering that professional sports weren’t in his future, he graduated from UCLA and got an analyst job at Morgan Stanley.

He quickly realized, ’I don’t have the skills for this,” he said. He started to workshop different ideas and decided that he’d be better suited for entrepreneurship than as an employee at a big company. In 1992, he co-founded marketing firm Prophet, ultimately selling it in 2002 for $33 million, according to LinkedIn.

Galloway later co-founded a research firm called L2 in 2010, which was acquired in 2017 for a reported sum of more than $130 million. His career journey indicates that success isn’t about blindly following passion or going into a field that’s stereotypically lucrative. Instead, combine what you’re good at with what can make you money, and embrace opportunities to pivot.

“I applied for 29 jobs [after graduation]. I got one offer,” said Galloway. “The key to my success is rejection, or specifically my ability to endure it. Because if you don’t get to ‘no’ a lot of times, you’re never going to get to wonderful ‘yeses.’”

Galloway’s sentiment echoes similar comments from Mastercard CEO Michael Miebach, who often tells young people to look beyond what their passionate about when choosing a career. He realized early in his career that he had a knack for leadership and enjoyed helping others, leading to a slew of board member roles at companies like IBM and The Metropolitan Opera, and almost 16 years at Mastercard.

“I love the fact that you’re following your passion, but you should also just look at what are you really good at? What differentiates you?” Miebach tells interns, he said in a recent interview with LinkedIn editor-in-chief Daniel Roth. “Figure out, where’s the intersection point of what is your passion, what actually matters, and what could you be good at? Bring that together.”

Finding your strengths doesn’t happen overnight and can take a bit of refining, and even failure. Say you’re a news producer who recently got laid off, so you started filming and editing documentaries to stay active. Now, you’ve learned that your strength is actually longform content and storytelling, not hard news and short packages.

You can turn difficult setbacks into learning opportunities by adopting a growth mindset, or the idea that you can always be refining your skills, according to Yale University psychologist and happiness expert Laurie Santos. That way, if you face failure or rejection again, you know what steps to take, and to avoid, to keep moving forward in your life and career, she told CNBC Make It in 2023.

“That allows us to learn more about how to do better in the future,” said Santos.

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