Posts by Madeleine Muzdakis

Madeleine Muzdakis

Madeleine Muzdakis is a Contributing Writer at My Modern Met and a historian of early modern Britain & the Atlantic world. She holds a BA in History and Mathematics from Brown University and an MA in European & Russian Studies from Yale University. Madeleine has worked in archives and museums for years with a particular focus on photography and arts education. When she isn’t writing, she enjoys hiking, film photography, and studying law while cuddling with her cat Georgia.
Archeology
May 12, 2024

202-Million-Year-Old Ichthyosaur the Size of a Blue Whale May the World’s Largest Marine Reptile

Today, the blue whale is the king of the oceans, measuring nose to tail about 88 feet long and weighing over 200 pounds. These giants of the waves are the largest creatures on Earth, land or sea. The history of how creatures can grow so large is written in the famous colossal dinosaurs. Prehistoric giants tell us a lot about the evolution of large life, as a new discovery demonstrates.

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Animals
May 7, 2024

New Evidence Suggests Bioluminescence Has Been Present in Animals for at Least 540 Million Years

According to NOAA, “Bioluminescence is the production and emission of light by a living organism.” It is frequently found in ocean creatures who have evolved to have this unique property. According to Andrea Quattrini of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History, the ultimate reason behind the ability is still unknown. Quattrini and his colleagues recently published a paper in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, illuminating the prehistoric past of bioluminescent sea life.

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Illustration
May 4, 2024

Explore Over 3,000 Victorian Illustrations of Shakespeare’s Works

It is commonly said that William Shakespeare‘s works cannot be fully appreciated until they are performed on stage, as the thirty-eight plays by “The Bard” were meant to be seen. Actors trained to convey the pain of Romeo upon finding Juliet in the tomb, the strange humor of the woodland characters who frolic on a Midsummer Night, and the cold cunning of Lady Macbeth.

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Archeology
April 28, 2024

Ancient Rock Art Depicts Psychedelic Music and Dance in Peru

Rock art always presents fascinating—sometimes mysterious—insight into the lives of ancient humans. What did they value enough to carve into stone? What do the patterns and designs mean? Some things, such as paintings or etchings of game and hunters, tell a clearer story. Others may raise questions with more ephemeral implications. Feelings, magic, and music might all lurk behind the engravings of prehistoric hands.

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My Modern Met

Celebrating creativity and promoting a positive culture by spotlighting the best sides of humanity—from the lighthearted and fun to the thought-provoking and enlightening.