Entertainment
The Books Elon Musk Says Most Influenced His Life
By Joelle Renstrom
| Published
Elon Musk is now one of the most famous and successful people in the history of the human race. He’s become a real-life Tony Stark, but he didn’t get that way overnight. It took a lot of work and a lot of reading.
These are the books that he says most influenced his life.
Elon Musk’s Nonfiction Book Recommendations
Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future by Peter Thiel.
Musk met Thiel when Thiel was running PayPal and Musk was running a rival payment company. Musk wholeheartedly believes Thiel knows how to create and run “breakthrough” companies.
Ignition!: An Informal History of Liquid Rocket Propellants by John D. Clark
It doesn’t sound like beach reading, but apparently it’s “really fun.” Clark’s account of the history of rocket fuel draws on his background as a chemist and also explains the science and the politics behind the industry.
Structures: Or Why Things Don’t Fall Down by J.E. Gordon
Another book Elon read to familiarize himself with rocketry and structural engineering.
Einstein: His Life and Universe by Walter Isaacson
It’s probably unsurprising that Musk cited the book Einstein: His Life and Universe as a formative read. Like Musk, Einstein overcame some difficult personal circumstances to become one of the most renowned scientists of all time. Isaacson’s biography of Benjamin Franklin was also formative for Musk, not just because Franklin was a scientist, but because he was an entrepreneur. He calls Franklin “one of his heroes.”
Superintelligence: Paths, Dangers, Strategies by. Nick Bostrom
Worth reading Superintelligence by Bostrom. We need to be super careful with AI. Potentially more dangerous than nukes.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 3, 2014
I’m happy to see Nick Bostrom’s Superintelligence: Paths, Dangers, Strategies on the list. The book influenced Musk’s thinking about the dangers of AI, which is something all scientists and engineers need to keep in mind.
Elon Musk’s Favorite Fiction
Musk reportedly had a rough early childhood in South Africa. He was runty and too smart for his own good, and kids called him “Muskrat.” So he’d do what a lot of people with rough childhoods (and adulthoods) do: he escaped into fantasy and science fiction.
Foundation by Isaac Asimov
Musk is a big Asimov fan and calls Foundation “one of the all-time best.”
The Lord Of The Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
The Lord of the Rings was one of the books Musk sought refuge in during childhood.
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
Musk infamously loves The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, which helped him cope with what he calls an “existential crisis” during his early teenage years. Where Nietzsche and Schopenhauer failed to guide Musk through that time, Adams’ ridiculous romp succeeded.
Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein
Lastly, Musk was a huge fan of Robert Heinlein, specifically The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress and Stranger in a Strange Land, even though according to Musk, the latter “kind of goes off the rails at the end.” True. However, he named his AI Grok after a term used by Heinlein in Stranger in a Strange Land.
Entertainment
The DJI Mini 5 Pro drone is $500 off right now at Amazon — save on this content creator favorite
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The DJI Mini 5 Pro Fly More Combo is on sale for $1,099 at Amazon. That’s $500 off and close to the record-low price.
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Entertainment
NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for May 2, 2026
Today’s Connections: Sports Edition will require some knowledge of popular U.S. sports and pop culture.
As we’ve shared in previous hints stories, this is a version of the popular New York Times word game that seeks to test the knowledge of sports fans.
Like the original Connections, the game is all about finding the “common threads between words.” And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier — so we’ve served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.
If you just want to be told today’s puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for the latest Connections solution. But if you’d rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.
What is Connections: Sports Edition?
The NYT‘s latest daily word game has launched in association with The Athletic, the New York Times property that provides the publication’s sports coverage. The sports Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.
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Each puzzle features 16 words, and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there’s only one correct answer.
If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake — players get up to four mistakes before the game ends.
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Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.
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Here’s a hint for today’s Connections: Sports Edition categories
Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:
Here are today’s Connections: Sports Edition categories
Need a little extra help? Today’s connections fall into the following categories:
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Yellow: A Pittsburgh Athlete
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Green: Seen on an MLB Scorebug
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Blue: Teams in the PWHL Playoffs
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Purple: Horse Racing Triple Crowns
Looking for Wordle today? Here’s the answer to today’s Wordle.
Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today’s puzzle before we reveal the solutions.
Drumroll, please!
The solution to today’s Connections: Sports Edition #585 is…
What is the answer to Connections: Sports Edition today?
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A Pittsburgh Athlete: PANTHER, PENGUIN, PIRATE, STEELER
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Seen on an MLB Scorebug: COUNT, INNING, OUTS, SCORE
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Teams in the PWHL Playoffs: CHARGE, FLEET, FROST, VICTORIE
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Horse Racing Triple Crowns: AFFIRMED, CITATION, JUSTIFY, WHIRLAWAY
Don’t feel down if you didn’t manage to guess it this time. There will be new sports Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we’ll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.
Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today’s Strands.
If you’re looking for more puzzles, Mashable’s got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Not the day you’re after? Here’s the solution to today’s Connections.
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