Posts by Ava Linker

Animals
January 26, 2026

Stingless Bees Have Become the First Insects To Gain Legal Rights

This may sound like the plot of the animated film Bee Movie, but some bees are now rights-bearing entities in real life. In late 2025 and early 2026, municipalities in the Peruvian Amazon granted legal rights to native stingless bees. No longer an entirely fictional concept, these bees can be legally represented by humans in court for their rights to thrive free from things like pesticides and habitat loss.

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History
January 1, 2026

How People in the Victorian Era Enjoyed Animation Before Its Modern History

Before Walt Disney, the internet, and entertainment as we know it today, Victorian-era children had the phenakistoscope. The name has origins in the Greek word phenakisticos and means “deceiver of the eye.” This ingenious pioneer of animation featured a spinning disk that, when moved, created the illusion of fluid movement, thanks to the evenly spaced slits around the edges.

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Astronomy
December 29, 2025

German Aerospace Engineer Becomes First Wheelchair User To Go to Space

German aerospace engineer Michaela Benthaus always dreamed of being an astronaut. Unfortunately, a mountain biking accident seven years ago resulted in a spinal cord injury that left her paralyzed, making her ambitious dreams even more difficult to achieve. Despite being a wheelchair user now, her disability didn’t stop her from taking necessary steps towards her goals, including working for the the European Space Agency (ESA).

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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.