The gist: Albertans went to the polls on Monday to answer a question that could have changed the future of Canada: should Alberta remain a province or begin the legal process toward a binding referendum on separation?

Voters chose to remain in Canada.

Preliminary results show approximately 75% voted to remain, while around 25% supported beginning the separation process.

The vote was non-binding, meaning even a majority in favour of separation wouldn't have made Alberta independent. It would only have started a longer legal and political process.

But separation wasn't the only issue on the ballot.

Albertans were asked 10 questions in total, including others related to immigration and the province's relationship with Ottawa. Official results for the remaining nine questions are expected Wednesday morning.

Premier Danielle Smith called the referendum but publicly supported remaining in Canada. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Mark Carney welcomed the result as a sign of national unity.

Why it matters: Alberta has a long history of tensions with Ottawa, particularly over energy policy, federal spending and provincial autonomy.

The vote was a win for Canadian unity, but the roughly one-quarter of Albertans who supported pursuing separation shows those frustrations haven't disappeared.

And with several other referendum questions addressing provincial powers, the political debate is far from over.

The vote settled the immediate question. It didn't necessarily settle the underlying debate.

Go deeper: CTV News: Albertans reject separation in historic vote

The gist: When you think of SpaceX, you probably picture rockets, astronauts and satellite internet.

But its latest earnings reveal something surprising: artificial intelligence is now its largest business by revenue.

SpaceX reported $14.58 billion in third-quarter revenue, up 161% from the same period last year, alongside a $4.4 billion net profit.

Its AI business generated approximately $7.6 billion, compared with $5.25 billion from its Connectivity division, which includes Starlink and other connectivity operations.

So where is all that AI revenue coming from?

A significant portion comes from renting data-centre computing capacity to companies developing AI technology. Its broader AI operations also include Grok, the X social platform and other AI-related businesses.

But the expansion is expensive. SpaceX spent approximately $19.6 billion on capital investments during the quarter, with more than $16.4 billion directed toward AI infrastructure.

Why it matters: The AI boom isn't just about which company creates the smartest chatbot.

It's also about who controls the infrastructure needed to develop and operate these systems, from computing power and data centres to electricity and connectivity.

SpaceX's results show how valuable that infrastructure has become, while also highlighting the enormous spending required to build it.

And although the company reported a substantial overall profit, that doesn't mean every part of its rapidly expanding AI operation is equally profitable. CNBC reports that the bulk of SpaceX's profits still comes from Starlink.

Sometimes the biggest business opportunity isn't the one a company originally became famous for.

Go deeper: Reuters: SpaceX quarterly revenue jumps, beats estimates as AI business surges

The gist: Archaeologists excavating an 11th-century site in Staraya Russa, Russia, discovered an unusual wooden object.

At first glance, it appeared to be a bread peel, the flat paddle traditionally used to move bread into and out of an oven.

But on the reverse side was something unexpected: a board game.

Carved into the wood were three nested squares, forming the playing surface for a strategy game known as nine men's morris, also called merels.

The game involves two players moving pieces around a board and trying to form lines of three, somewhat like a combination of tic-tac-toe and checkers.

Researchers aren't sure whether the paddle was intentionally made for both baking and playing or whether someone repurposed it after its handle broke.

The excavation team described the well-preserved wooden find as practically unique.

Why it matters: Archaeological discoveries often tell us about rulers, wars and major civilizations.

But ordinary household objects can reveal something equally interesting: how people actually spent their days.

Versions of this strategy game have been played for centuries, with roots thought to extend back to Roman times.

This discovery offers a glimpse into how people in medieval communities entertained themselves using objects already available to them.

Apparently, turning a kitchen utensil into a game board isn't such a modern idea.

Go deeper: Live Science: 11th-century 'pizza peel' discovered in Russia doubled as a medieval game board

Salient SAY-lee-uhnt | adjective

Definition: Particularly noticeable, important or prominent.

In a sentence: The most salient point of her presentation wasn't the price, but how much time the product could save.

Why it's worth knowing: Not every detail deserves equal attention. Calling something salient identifies what stands out or matters most, which is especially useful when you're discussing a complicated issue or trying to make a convincing argument.

The next time someone makes a confident recommendation, ask a slightly different question:

“What would make you recommend something else?”

If a friend insists a certain neighbourhood is the best place to live, ask what circumstances would make them choose another one.

If a salesperson recommends the most expensive option, ask when the cheaper version would actually be the better choice.

And if someone is convinced a particular strategy will work, ask what evidence would make them reconsider.

It's a useful question because it reveals the limits of someone's advice.

A recommendation becomes much more valuable when you understand not just why someone believes it, but when that belief stops applying.

The best advice usually comes with an understanding of its exceptions.

COPY AND PASTE:

I'm currently leaning toward [DECISION OR OPTION].

Here are my reasons: [EXPLAIN WHY].

Act as a thoughtful, well-informed critic of my preferred choice.

Identify the three strongest arguments against it, including any hidden costs, assumptions or alternatives I may be overlooking.

For each argument, explain what evidence would help me evaluate whether it's a serious concern.

Then tell me which criticisms are strongest, which are weaker and what would make my original choice reasonable.

Don't disagree just for the sake of it. I want a fair challenge, not an argument.

One thing you didn’t know you wanted to know.

Imagine you're shopping for a jacket.

The first one you see costs $800. The next costs $350.

Suddenly, $350 might seem surprisingly reasonable.

But if the first jacket had cost $100, that same $350 price tag could feel outrageous.

Psychologists call this anchoring: our tendency to rely heavily on an initial piece of information when making subsequent judgments.

In classic research, psychologists Amos Tversky and Daniel Kahneman demonstrated that even arbitrary starting numbers could influence people's numerical estimates.

The strange part is that the starting point doesn't have to be particularly relevant to affect us.

It's one reason original prices, suggested retail prices and opening offers can be so powerful.

Sometimes the first number doesn't tell you what something is worth. It just changes what everything else feels worth.

Go deeper: Judgment under Uncertainty: Heuristics and Biases — Science