Animals
January 17, 2022

Study Finds That 65 Different Species of Animals Laugh To Express Happiness

Laughing rats and dogs may seem more like something out of a Disney animated film than of real life, but they do exist. While neither species laughs like a human giggles, each has their own joyful noise. A recent UCLA study published in Bioacoustics discovered that 65 animal species have their own form of “laughter.” Among the species who make such playful vocalizations are seals, dogs, rats, and mongooses.

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Art History
January 16, 2022

Learn About Eugène Delacroix, the Pioneering French Romantic Painter

Towards the end of the 18th century, a new art movement emerged called Romanticism. This widespread cultural period celebrated the spiritual side of humanity, the sublimity of nature, and individualism through dramatic, large-scale paintings. At the forefront of this remarkable style was the French artist Eugène Delacroix. Delacroix and his contemporaries influenced the landscape of painting, which for decades had been dominated by the austere and intellectual aesthetics of Neoclassical art.

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Good News
January 14, 2022

Lost Letter From WWII Soldier Finally Gets Delivered 76 Years Later

When American soldier John Gonsalves was stationed in Germany during World War II, he did what many service people do; he wrote a letter to his mom. Intending it to be delivered in 1945, the correspondence never made it to her. It did, however, get delivered to his wife—76 years later. Gonsalves’ wife, Angelina, was shocked when her mail carrier dropped off the airmail envelope at her home in Woburn, Massachusetts.

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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.