Understanding | Life & News

Thursday, April 9, 2026

Friends can see and know you in ways that you yourself never can. Stephen Simpson/Stone via Getty Images

culture

The good life requires two things, self‑knowledge and friends – you...

Staff Writer - April 9, 2026

Ross Channing Reed, Missouri University of Science and Technology Friends can help us with all kinds of things in...

Interpreting someone’s thoughts or actions can mean balancing their agency against the good. Kateryna Kovarzh/iStock via Getty Images

Art

I’m a philosopher who tries to see the best in others...

Staff Writer - February 22, 2026

Mark Schroeder, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences Understanding one another can be hard. There is a...

EXPLORING NATURE

The snow drought was evident in Park City, Utah, on Feb. 9, 2026. This golf course is normally used for cross-country skiing in winter. Mario Tama/Getty Images

Environment

2026’s historic snow drought brings worries about water, wildfires and the...

Staff Writer - March 26, 2026

Alejandro N. Flores, Boise State University Across much of the Western United States, winter 2026 was the year the...

Gloves used in the laboratory that led to microplastic overestimation. Madeline Clough

Scientists may be overestimating the amount of microplastics in the environment...

March 26, 2026

Across cultures, languages and economic systems, feeling connected to the natural world is consistently linked to living a more hopeful, purposeful and resilient life. nymphoenix/iStock via Getty Images Plus

A connection to nature fuels well‑being worldwide, according to a study...

March 25, 2026

Mahseer swim in the Ramganga River, a major tributary of the Ganges River in South Asia. Zeb Hogan

The world’s great fish migrations are collapsing – that’s a problem...

March 24, 2026

Bottlenose dolphins are social creatures that use whistles and clicks to communicate with each other. Brookfield Zoo Chicago's Sarasota Dolphin Research Program, taken under NMFS MMPA Scientific Research Permit

How dolphins communicate – new discoveries from a long‑term study in...

March 23, 2026