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.
Astronomy
April 14, 2023

Supermassive Black Hole Speeding Through Universe Is Creating Stars

Black holes are famous for their gravitational power. The celestial phenomenon draws in matter with a powerful gravitational force through a process called accretion. This powerful force can even destroy stars by ripping them apart. NASA has recently discovered a surprising twist on this classic narrative. A supermassive black hole, ejected from its own galaxy, has been streaking across the universe, actually forming stars in its wake.

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Birds
April 9, 2023

Fascinating Discovery Finds That the White-throated Sparrow Species Has Four Sexes

Sex in nature is hardly simple. While “biological sex” is often used in reductive and factually incorrect political parlance, the science of chromosomes is far from a simple dichotomy. In the natural world, some species change their sex as they age. Others such as the white-throated sparrow have a whopping four sexes or genotypes. As described in Current Biology, the species has evolved to have a surprising chromosomal anomaly which makes mating more complex.

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Archeology
March 31, 2023

‘Vesuvius Challenge’ Will Pay Up to $1M to Whoever Can Decipher Charred Scrolls From Pompeii

On a normal day long ago in 79 CE, the volcano known as Mount Vesuvius erupted, covering the town below it in volcanic ash. Pompeii was obliterated with people suffocating under ash and buildings vanishing, not to be unearthed for hundreds of years. Historians today view Pompeii as a valuable time capsule of ancient life, preserved much as it was that fateful day.

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Music
March 24, 2023

Vinyl Surpasses CD Sales for the First Time Since 1987

Media changes fast. From wax cylinders to disc records to cassette tapes and CDs to MP3 files and streaming—the ways we enjoy music have changed a lot since the late 19th century. Since the 1950s, record discs made of polyvinyl chloride have preserved the melodies of everyone from Elvis and Little Richard to The Beatles and Donna Summer.

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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.