Welcome to Discover Daily by Perplexity , an AI-generated show on tech , science and culture . I'm Alex . Today we're exploring a mysterious radioactive anomaly found deep beneath the Pacific Ocean . But first let's look at what else is happening . Elon Musk's XAI launched Grok 3 on Monday .
Musk claims the release surpasses all existing models in reasoning capabilities , leveraging XAI's colossus supercomputer infrastructure and housing 100,000 NVIDIA GPUs . Musk maintains Grok 3 has quote 10 times more compute than its predecessor .
Just days ago , at the World Government Summit in Dubai , musk described the chatbot as scary smart and doubled down on claims of its superior performance . The development team has reportedly focused heavily on synthetic data training , aiming to create more nuanced and contextually aware responses .
This launch comes at a crucial moment in the AI race , as competition intensifies between major players . Groke 3 will be going head-to-head with established platforms like OpenAI's ChatGPT , google's Gemini , anthropic's Claude and the recently emerged DeepSeek R1 .
Moving on to our second segment , microsoft and Carnegie Mellon University have released new research about how generative AI is reshaping critical thinking in the workplace . In the study , researchers surveyed over 300 knowledge workers and analyzed over 900 real-world examples of AI use .
The findings reveal intriguing patterns in how professionals interact with AI tools , specifically among those using generative AI at least weekly .
The research uncovered a nuanced relationship between confidence levels and critical thinking Higher trust in AI is associated with reduced critical thinking effort , while greater self-confidence leads to enhanced critical thinking and more thorough evaluation of AI outputs . This suggests that our relationship with AI tools isn't just about technology .
It's deeply connected to our self-perception and professional confidence . The integration of AI tools has fundamentally transformed how knowledge workers approach tasks . Focus has moved from information gathering to information verification , while problem solving has evolved into AI response integration .
Task execution has transitioned to task stewardship , with workers overseeing AI generated outputs rather than producing them entirely independently .
The study highlights a crucial irony in AI adoption by automating routine tasks , ai inadvertently deprives users of opportunities to practice judgment and strengthen their cognitive musculature , leaving them unprepared for unexpected situations . This isn't just theoretical concern . It's a practical challenge that organizations are already grappling with .
As AI becomes more integrated into daily work processes , researchers and developers are exploring ways to design AI systems that actively promote and enhance cognitive skills . One approach involves creating AI tools that prompt users to engage in reflective thinking and question AI-generated outputs .
Another promising avenue is the development of AI assistants that act as cognitive scaffolds , guiding users through complex problem-solving processes . Rather than simply providing answers , Now let's dive into our main story of the day a fascinating radioactive anomaly discovered deep beneath the Pacific Ocean .
Recent studies published in Nature Communications reveal how researchers have identified an unexpected accumulation of beryllium-10 , a rare radioactive isotope , in seafloor samples dating back to the late Miocene epoch , approximately 10 million years ago .
The anomaly discovered in ferromanganese crusts from the central and northern Pacific revealed nearly double the expected concentration of beryllium-10 isotopes . This increase occurred between 9 and 12 million years ago , presenting scientists with an intriguing geological puzzle .
The consistency of the anomaly across multiple samples and chemical preparations ruled out contamination , confirming its authenticity . What makes this discovery particularly fascinating is beryllium-10's 1.4 million year half-life , which makes it a valuable tool for dating events beyond the 50,000 year limit of radiocarbon dating .
Scientists have proposed two main theories to explain this mysterious phenomenon . The first is an oceanic theory , suggesting that a significant reorganization of ocean currents near Antarctica occurred 10 to 12 million years ago , potentially causing an uneven distribution of beryllium-10 and its concentration in the Pacific Ocean .
The second is an astrophysical theory , proposing that the anomaly might have resulted from cosmic events , such as a nearby supernova increasing cosmic radiation intensity or Earth's passage through a dense interstellar cloud , which could have weakened the heliosphere's protection .
If the anomaly is found to be global in nature , it would lend support to the astrophysical hypothesis , while a regional limitation would favor the oceanic current theory .
The discovery of the Beryllium-10 anomaly represents a potential breakthrough in geological dating methods , addressing the long-standing challenge of establishing universal temporal markers for multi-million year periods .
Scientists worldwide are currently analysing additional samples to map the anomaly's global extent and origin , which could revolutionise our understanding of Earth's geological timeline .
If confirmed as a global phenomenon , this oceanic time marker would not only enhance our ability to synchronize different geological records , but also provide crucial insights into Earth's past environmental conditions and long-term processes . That's it for today . Thanks for tuning in .
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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 .