History
August 21, 2018

This 4,000-Year-Old Tablet Could Be the World’s Oldest Customer Service Complaint

This Babylonian tablet from 1750 BC goes to show that customer service and client/vendor disputes were happening well before shopping malls and Amazon. The clay tablet comes from the ancient city of Ur, now part of southern Iraq, and is part of the British Museum‘s collection. Though it's just 4.5 inches (11.6 cm) tall and about 2 inches (5 cm) wide, the complaint is rather detailed.

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Science
August 20, 2018

30 Million-Year-Old Praying Mantis Is Preserved in Pristine Piece of Amber

Embedded within a clear piece of amber, a small praying mantis sits at attention, frozen forever in time. The piece, which measures just slightly over one inch tall, was sold via Heritage Auctions for $6,000 in 2016. The pristine piece of amber, which comes from the Dominican Republic, gives a rare view of this incredible mantis. The amber itself derives from the extinct Hymenaea protera, a prehistoric leguminous tree.

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Art History
August 19, 2018

8 Real-Life Locations of Famous Paintings You Can Visit Today

Have you ever wanted to step inside a work of art? Though this may feel like a pipe dream for many, the settings of some of the most famous modern masterpieces exist in real life—and even welcome visitors. From a cafe in the dreamy south of France to an understated cottage in Ohio, these locations have inspired some of the world's most iconic artists, including Vincent van Gogh, Grant Wood, Claude Monet, and Edvard Munch.

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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.