History
February 15, 2022

3,200-Year-Old Egyptian Tablet Shows They Took Attendance at Work and Recorded Absences

Calling in sick to work is apparently an ancient tradition. Whether its the sniffles or a scorpion bite, somedays you just can't make it. As it turns out, Ancient Egyptian employers kept track of employee days off in registers written on tablets. A tablet held by The British Museum and dating to 1250 BCE is an incredible window into ancient work-life balance.

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Toys
February 14, 2022

Barbie: The History and Legacy of the World’s Most Famous Doll

There are few toys—and few fictional characters—as iconic as Barbie. To some, her plastic blonde locks and impossibly cinched waist are symbols of all the wrong messages society sends to young girls. To others, Barbie is an outlet for creativity—in fashion, careers, and role-playing the social scenarios of families and friends that children notice all around them. To the rest of the world, Barbie defies categorization—encompassing the good and the bad.

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Endangered Animals
February 14, 2022

Iceland Will Officially Ban Whale Hunting by 2024

Whaling is an ancient practice. Indigenous peoples have long hunted the giant marine mammals for food, blubber, and other resources. However, commercial whaling efforts to harvest blubber and baleen began in the 17th century and continued through the mid-20th century. By that time, wasteful over-hunting had pushed many species of whale close to extinction. Subsequent conservation efforts and the establishment of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) have since helped repair much of this damage.

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Renaissance Art
February 13, 2022

14 Facts About Leonardo da Vinci’s Incredible Life

From the Mona Lisa to the Vitruvian Man, so much of Leonardo da Vinci‘s artwork is iconic. The original Renaissance Man, Leonardo was not only a painter, but also a scientist, musician, engineer, and mathematician. Many of his scientific musings and theories were later discovered to have a basis in fact and his paintings have made an indelible mark on art history.

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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.