The Enlightenment | Life & News

Tuesday, February 3, 2026

Virtuous thinking, Kant wrote, is like good carpentry: It builds strong ideas in harmony with one another. Jackyenjoyphotography/Moment via Getty Images

culture

Building a stable ‘abode of thought’: Kant’s rules for virtuous thinking

Staff Writer - October 23, 2025

Alexander T. Englert, University of Richmond What makes a life virtuous? The answer might seem simple: virtuous actions –...

EXPLORING NATURE

The moment you look away from those adorable eyes, these mischievous creatures will sneak out of your lab. Joshua J. Cotten/Unsplash, CC BY-SA

culture

Raccoons break into liquor stores, scale skyscrapers and pick locks –...

Staff Writer - January 18, 2026

Kelly Lambert, University of Richmond When a curious raccoon broke into an Ashland, Virginia, liquor store in December 2025,...

A Chinese visitor looks at condoms at the Beijing International Sex Supplies Exhibition. Zhang Peng/LightRocket via Getty Images

China’s new condom tax will prove no effective barrier to country’s...

January 15, 2026

Phytoplankton blooms, seen by satellite in the Baltic Sea, pull carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere. European Space Agency via Flickr, CC BY-SA

Climate engineering would alter the oceans, reshaping marine life – our...

January 14, 2026

Observing the night sky can get kids interested in astronomy and STEM careers. Jeremy Thomas/Unsplash

Rural areas have darker skies but fewer resources for students interested...

January 13, 2026

SpaceX’s Starship rocket launches in August 2025. Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP via Getty Images

Superheavy-lift rockets like SpaceX’s Starship could transform astronomy by making space...

January 11, 2026