Animals
March 27, 2025

18th-Century Portuguese Library Has Bats That Protect the Priceless Books Housed Inside

Stashed inside the Biblioteca Joanina at the University of Coimbra, Portugal, are more than 60,000 books, many of which are first or historical editions dating back hundreds of years. Preserving such precious volumes demands care, attention, and, in this case, bats. Every night, colonies of bats emerge from behind the towering bookshelves, swooping across the 18th-century library in search of the beetles and moths that would otherwise chew up manuscript pages.

Read Article

Art
March 27, 2025

Expressive Charcoal Portraits That Play With Chaos and Uncertainty

Charcoal can easily be considered a chaotic medium: it smudges, it’s difficult to erase, it’s soft enough to break under too much pressure, and, because of this, it can feel uncontrollable. For Josh Hernandez, these features are part of the draw. Throughout his artwork, he seamlessly manages both the volatile and expressive aspects of charcoal, creating scenes that teem with movement and personality.

Read Article

Travel
March 26, 2025

$8 Billion Tunnel Will Connect Denmark and Germany, Cutting Travel Time in Half

Despite being bordering countries, there aren’t many direct routes between Denmark and Germany. To ameliorate this, the two countries have embarked upon an ambitious collaboration: the Fehmarnbelt tunnel. This tunnel will dramatically reduce travel times between major cities like Copenhagen and Hamburg, and will serve not only as Denmark’s largest infrastructure project but also the world’s longest immersed tunnel at 11 miles.

Read Article

Watercolor Painting
March 26, 2025

Watercolor Artist Creates Stunning Large-Scale Canvases Filled With Lifelike Flowers

It’s not often you see watercolor paintings on a grand scale, yet Ukrainian artist Janet Pulcho masterfully uses these versatile pigments to create larger-than-life flower paintings. Each petal, stem, and leaf is incredibly detailed. Her work feels almost alive, as if you could reach out and feel the texture of each bloom. Now based in Florence, Italy, Pulcho draws endless inspiration from the region’s stunning natural beauty and rich art history.

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.