Art History
April 30, 2025

Art Historian Rediscovers Lost Portrait of King Henry VIII in Photo Shared on Social Media

Like many art historians, Adam Busiakiewicz has a keen eye, especially when it comes to gilt frames. It’s exactly this skill that allowed him to discover a long-lost portrait of King Henry VIII…in the background of a social media post While scrolling X (formerly Twitter) one day, Busiakiewicz stumbled upon a picture shared by the Warwickshire Lieutenancy, in which a group of people are attending a reception at Shire Hall in England.

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Animals
April 30, 2025

New Study Suggests Chimpanzees May Enjoy “Social Drinking” Just Like Humans

Chimpanzees are our closest genetic relatives among the great apes, sharing many characteristics with us, such as the use of tools, social structures, and even the capacity for empathy. However, a new report by researchers from the University of Exeter reveals another, surprising similarity between us and chimpanzees—our shared talent for consuming alcohol.

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Archeology
April 29, 2025

Bite Marks on Gladiator Bones Are First Physical Proof of Human-Animal Combat in the Roman Empire

The image of a gladiator fighting with animals in the Colosseum is one of the top things people associate with the ancient Roman empire. But while this event was widely documented in official records and inspired art across many mediums, archaeologists had not found physical evidence of this practice—until now. The clue lied in the marks found on the skeleton of a gladiator who was mauled by a lion.

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Installation
April 29, 2025

Tree Stump Lined With Mirrors Hides a Decadent Sauna Inside of It

Nestled in Tochigi’s countryside, just north of Tokyo, is what appears to be a massive, hollowed-out tree stump. Peer inside it, however, and hundreds of mirrors emerge, meticulously lined against the stump’s core. This is the basis of Takashi Kuribayashi’s newest project, Oya Genkiro No. 6, a 59-foot-tall installation composed of raw hinoki, or cypress, trees cleared from the surrounding area.

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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.