Travel
August 8, 2019

This Saharan Village Is Home to Thousands of Ancient Texts Preserved in Desert Libraries

Nestled in the Sahara, the medieval village of Chinguetti in Mauritania is an incredible jewel of Berber culture. Once an important outpost on trade and pilgrimage routes, the desert village contains wonderful examples of Berber Saharan architecture. It is also an important center of learning thanks to its desert libraries, which are filled with scientific and Qur'anic texts dating to the Middle Ages.

Read Article

Photography
August 7, 2019

Photographer Transforms 20-Year-Old Computer into Functioning Camera

Inspired by ideas of recycling and reusing, Iranian photographer Alireza Rostami created a very special camera. By combining old computer parts with the lens and back of a large-format camera, he was able to build a functional “Frankenstein” camera. This ingenious use of materials is part of Rostami's bigger message about living without waste and finding new meaning in old technology. The project started with Rostami's very first computer, which he purchased in 1999.

Read Article

Science
August 6, 2019

Research Shows the Incredible Way Trees Help Each Other Survive in the Forest

When you're walking through the forest and see a tree stump, you might think you're looking at a dead organism. But researchers have reason to believe there's more to tree stumps than meets the eye. In fact, thanks to the help of other trees in the forest, they may still be alive. Researchers in New Zealand have recently published a study on the phenomenon, which they call hydraulic coupling.

Read Article

Animals
August 5, 2019

Perfectly Timed Photo Shows Singing Blackbird Creating Vortex Rings with His Breath

This year, amateur bird photographer Kathrin Swoboda achieved a career-changing shot. Like many photographs of birds, her portrait of a blackbird stars a perched, singing subject. What sets this photograph apart from others, however, is that viewers can actually see his song—an element expertly captured by the strategic photographer. Early on March 17, 2019, Swoboda set out toward Huntley Meadows Park, an island in Virginia favored by nature photographers for its  wildlife-friendly wetlands.

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.