Welcome to Discover Daily by Perplexity , an AI-generated show on tech , science and culture . I'm Sienna . Today we're exploring a new model that suggests intelligent life might be more common in the universe than we thought . But first let's look at what else is happening . Our first story comes from the world of finance .
A Sydney-based hedge fund called Minotaur Capital has made waves by achieving a 13.7% return since July , significantly outperforming the MSCI All-Country World Index's 6.7% return . What's unique about this fund is its pioneering use of AI to replace traditional analysts .
The fund's AI system processes about 5,000 news articles daily and generates comprehensive reports on global stocks with significant growth potential . This AI-driven approach has allowed the fund to operate with minimal human analysts and at a lower cost . The AI infrastructure expenses are estimated at about half the salary of a junior analyst .
But this is still a short-term success . Some analysts caution that six months of performance isn't enough to judge long-term viability . Minotaur's approach is part of a broader trend in the finance industry . Ai systems are increasingly being used for investment strategies , risk management and predictive analytics .
But these systems also present challenges , including the black box problem , where it's difficult to understand how AI makes decisions , and the potential for AI hallucinations or inaccurate outputs . Moving on to international relations , a dispute has erupted between Mexico and Google over the naming of the Gulf of Mexico .
Following a January executive order by President Donald Trump , google Maps now shows the body of water as the Gulf of America for US users . This has created an unprecedented situation where the name varies by user location US users see Gulf of America , mexican users see Gulf of Mexico and international users see Gulf of Mexico , with Gulf of America in parentheses .
Mexico is threatening legal action against Google if the original name isn't fully restored . The controversy centers on territorial sovereignty and naming rights . President Claudia Scheinbaum of Mexico argues that any name change should only apply within US territorial waters which extend 22 nautical miles from the coast .
The Gulf , being a shared body of water , has historically maintained its name through international consensus . Google has acknowledged the situation and expressed willingness to meet with Mexican officials to discuss the matter further .
The company is currently navigating the complex challenge of balancing compliance with US executive orders while respecting international diplomatic sensitivities . Now let's dive into our main story of the day .
A new study published in February 2025 by researchers from Penn State University and the University of Munich is challenging long-held beliefs about the evolution of intelligent life in the universe . This research suggests that human-like intelligence may be a more probable outcome of planetary development than previously thought .
For decades , the prevailing theory was the hard steps model proposed by physicist Brandon Carter in 1983 . This model suggested that intelligent life emerged through a series of highly improbable evolutionary events , including the formation of replicating molecules , the evolution of RNA and DNA , the development of multicellular organisms and the invention of sex and language .
The new research proposes that intelligent life may be an inevitable outcome of planetary evolution when certain conditions are met . The study demonstrates strong correlations between the emergence of complex life and gradual changes in Earth's environment , such as oxygen levels , ocean chemistry and nutrient availability .
This new model implies that , instead of evolving early or late , humans appeared on time when planetary conditions were suitable . It suggests that other planets might achieve these conditions at different rates , shifting the focus from random chance to the interplay between life and its environment .
The implications challenge the notion that intelligence is an extraordinary occurrence in the cosmos and suggest that human-like intelligence might be more common than we previously thought . This could have profound effects on our search for extraterrestrial intelligence . Suggest that human-like intelligence might be more common than we previously thought .
This could have profound effects on our search for extraterrestrial intelligence . The researchers suggest that we should focus our search for extraterrestrial intelligence on planets that show similar environmental evolution patterns to Earth , rather than just looking for exact Earth-like conditions .
This could significantly expand our search parameters for potentially life-bearing worlds , but it's still a theoretical model . While it offers an intriguing new perspective , it will need to be tested against observational data as our ability to study exoplanets improves . The debate over the prevalence of intelligent life in the universe is far from settled .
That's it for today . Thanks for listening . For more info on anything we covered today , check out the links in our episode description . And don't forget you can now access Perplexity's AI-powered knowledge base on the go with the mobile app available for both Android and iOS . There's also the Perplexity desktop app for macOS .
In other Perplexity news , the company just launched Deep Research , a powerful new feature that digs deep into hundreds of sources to create thorough research reports . The tool , which is free to try and unlimited for pro users , can tackle complex research questions in just minutes .
Early tests show it's remarkably accurate , making it a promising tool for anyone needing in-depth research assistance . We'll be back with more stories that matter . Until then , stay curious .