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
March 5, 2024

Astronaut Takes Photo of Pyramids During His Last Day on ISS

The International Space Station is a triumph of human dreams and engineering. It has orbited the Earth for over 25 years now, and it has been visited by over 270 astronauts hailing from around the world. It has hosted an impressive 269 spacewalks, but it mainly serves as a laboratory in space for the conducting of high-tech research that has illuminated the far reaches of the galaxy.

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History
March 2, 2024

8,000-Year-Old Patagonia Cave Art Illuminates Ancient Climate Change

Cave art left behind by ancient humans has created many scientific mysteries. Who drew what when—the answers can tell us a lot about the early movement and the lives of humans and our ancient relatives. Sometimes cave art records human-ness such as handprints, or activities such as hunting. Sometimes the designs discovered painted in caves or carved into rocks are geometric in nature.

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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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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.