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.
Astronomy
February 26, 2024

Photographer Captures Rare “Green Flash” Coming From Venus

Recently in Sweden, photographer Peter Rosén caught a burst of several colors, especially green, around Venus in a dazzling, rare show. To fully appreciate the significance of this, it’s important to understand how light works. Light passes constantly around us and through our solar system, emanating from sources such as the sun. Sunlight—typically the white light we see illuminating our world—comes to us across millions of miles of space.

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History
February 18, 2024

Explore Five Volumes of the History of Cartography for Free Online

What do you know about the history of mapmaking? Cartography is an ancient tradition that has evolved from abstract to highly precise depictions that come from complex scientific readings and satellite images. It takes skill and patience to create a map, but even the best efforts are not free from bias. Maps have long reflected world-views, literally and figuratively.

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Art
February 12, 2024

Painting Stolen Over 50 Years Ago by Mobsters Is Finally Recovered

There are many art heists that remain unsolved, but through chance and research one was recently solved. In 1969, Dr. Earl Leroy Wood's Hoboken home was burglarized and a precious 18th-century artwork was stolen. The painting—known as the The Schoolmistress—is by the English painter John Opie. It depicts a woman hunched over, helping children with their work. For decades, the painting was lost, somewhere in the hands of organized crime.

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Health
February 6, 2024

Research Finds That Playing an Instrument or Singing Helps Keep Your Brain Healthy

Music is a powerful medicine for the soul—and as recent research suggests, the brain. Particularly as one ages, keeping an active, varied mental world alive is critical to preserving cognitive abilities and can help stave off decline. A study out of the UK, recently published in the International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, found that playing music (rather than just listening to it)

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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.