History
March 3, 2024

The Multicultural History of Why the U.S. Has No Official Language

Most countries have an official language. For example, Canada boasts dual official languages: French and English. Switzerland has four, which are largely geographically segmented in their usage. Bolivia boasts the Guinness World Record for most official languages at 37—including Spanish and a litany of Indigenous languages spoken by citizens. Even when not an official language, English is spoken widely across the world and forms a bridge between language divides.

Read Article

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.

Read Article

Animals
March 1, 2024

First Ever Sighting of Humpback Whales Having Sex Features Two Males

Humpback whales are incredible marine animals that researchers have been studying for decades. However, very little is known about their sexual activity, and there are no records of humpback whale copulation—until now. A new study published in Marine Mammal Science describes an incredible encounter off the coast of Maui, where a group of researchers observed two male humpback whales copulating.

Read Article

Sculpture
March 1, 2024

Artist Gives Old Bicycle Chains New Life By Using Them In Imaginative Human Sculptures

One cannot overstate the amount of work that goes into creating one of Young-Deok Seo's sculptures. Aside from their massive appearance and the artist's painstaking attention to detail, a third component of Seo's work makes it especially impressive and sets it apart from his contemporaries. On closer inspection, one realizes that every inch of his sculptures is made of bicycle chains, with each link interconnected to create human forms.

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.