Posts by Madeleine Muzdakis

Madeleine Muzdakis

Madeleine Muzdakis is a Contributing Writer at My Modern Met and a historian of early modern Britain & the Atlantic world. She holds a BA in History and Mathematics from Brown University and an MA in European & Russian Studies from Yale University. Madeleine has worked in archives and museums for years with a particular focus on photography and arts education. When she isn’t writing, she enjoys hiking, film photography, and studying law while cuddling with her cat Georgia.
Birds
June 10, 2024

Scientists Discover That Crows Can Actually Count Out Loud

Crows are incredibly intelligent animals. Scientifically known as the genus Corvus with many subsidiary species around the globe, these birds frequently impress scientists and amateur bird watchers alike with their brilliance. One rescued crow visited his savior every day to sip coffee, while researchers have uncovered crows' understanding of water level displacement. They can play ball and solve puzzles.

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Renaissance Art
June 6, 2024

Stolen Painting Returned to Chatsworth House After More Than 40 Years

Sometimes things turn up when you least expect them to. Such is true in the art world too, where pieces once feared to be lost to time or theft can reappear in unlikely places. Charles Darwin's notebooks returned themselves to Cambridge University, while the FBI recovered a stolen painting with mobster ties. Other works—looted or lost—have reemerged over the years and been returned to their rightful owners.

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Endangered Animals
June 2, 2024

Sperm Whales Vocalize a Phoenetic Alphabet Hauntingly Like Humans

Sperm whales are fascinating creatures. Endangered and still recovering from being hunted by whalers in the 19th century, sperm whales were long targets for their spermaceti, which, according to NOAA, is “an oil sac that helps the whales focus sound.” While this oil was a commercial product to humans, to the whales, it assists communication among pods of whales that live in different regions.

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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.