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
December 26, 2022

4.6 Billion-Year-Old Meteorite Is Shedding Light on Our Oceans’ Origins

Water is a scientific enigma. How did Earth develop its oceans? Do other planets have water? Space exploration may help answer these questions, but others come crashing to Earth in strokes of celestial inspiration. The Whinchcombe meteorite—a meteor that made it through Earth's atmosphere to land in Gloucestershire, England in 2021—is already providing answers. It contains extra-terrestrial water and organic compounds that shed light on the origin of Earth’s oceans.

Read Article

Archeology
December 21, 2022

168 New Geoglyphs Discovered Among the Nazca Lines in Peru

Etched into the pampas in the Peruvian coastal plain are countless figures which can only be seen from the air above. Various animals and humans frolic across the grasslands. These drawings—known as the Nazca Lines—are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Carved into the landscape between 500 BCE and 500 CE, the total number of known geoglyphs keeps increasing as researchers discover new designs.

Read Article

Astronomy
December 17, 2022

James Webb Space Telescope Releases Stunning New Shot of the Pillars of Creation

NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (Webb) has revolutionized the science of astronomy in the year since its launch on Christmas Day 2021. From stunning hi-res images of Jupiter to detailed, sparkling shots of the Tarantula Nebula and the Cartwheel Galaxy, every image returned to Earth has pushed boundaries of beauty and knowledge. Webb's latest image of the Pillars of Creation—gas and dust pillars within the Eagle Nebula—combines Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) and Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI)

Read Article

Endangered Animals
December 1, 2022

New Owl Species Has Been Documented on Príncipe Island off the Coast of Africa

While vanishing species receive a lot of well-deserved attention, new species are also continually being discovered and documented. About 18,000 new species are described scientifically each year. Estimates suggest millions more remain unknown. A new species of the adorable scops owl has recently been documented for the first time, emerging from obscurity. Announced in ZooKeys, the small bird is likely critically endangered, but utterly adorable.

Read Article

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.