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
November 24, 2022

Here’s What the Monumental Rosetta Stone Says

The Rosetta Stone is one of the most famous ancient Egyptian artifacts. The 1,680-pound granodiorite stone was first discovered in 1799 by a French soldier on Napoleon's Egyptian campaign. The military mission—which also served as a convenient mechanism for colonial pillaging—brought the giant slab to Europe. By 1802, the stone fell into the hands of the victorious British, and it has sat in The British Museum ever since.

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Environment
November 12, 2022

Bring Your Broken Electronics to a “Repair Cafe” To Save Money and the Environment

Microwaves, power drills, and TV remotes are all things that seem to break at the worst possible moments. Although manufacturers prefer that consumers merely replace their items, repairing them could save landfill build-up. While repairs at a standard store might be as expensive as replacing the item, innovative pop-up “repair cafes” around the world offer a cost-effective alternative to waste.

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Good News
November 10, 2022

271 Million People in India Have Been Lifted Out of Poverty in the Past Decade

Poverty is everywhere; no country on Earth is immune, but that doesn’t mean that all hope is lost. The United Nations tracks many measures of hardship around the globe. Their figures on multidimensional poverty—not just lacking money, but lacking access to things like healthcare, clean water, and other resources—are stark and illuminating. As of 2022, 1.2 billion people across 111 developing countries live in acute multidimensional poverty, the UN reports.

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Birds
November 1, 2022

Young Bar-Tailed Godwit Sets World Record for Longest Continuous Flight

Many animal species travel immense distances in search of food or to return to their seasonal breeding grounds. A gray wolf in Mongolia roamed over 4,503 miles in a year, humpback whales swim similar distances as the seasons change, and even salmon swim hundreds of miles against the currents of rivers and streams. The animal kingdom has a new migration-related record.

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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.