Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

Kid, 13, Catches Error at the Met

Museum working to fix Byzantine map

By Matt Cantor,  Newser Staff

Posted May 3, 2012 4:14 PM CDT

(Newser) – There was a mistake in a map at the Metropolitan Museum of Art—but nobody noticed until 13-year-old Benjamin Lerman Coady visited with his mom. The Connecticut seventh-grader and history buff was checking out a permanent exhibit on the Byzantine Empire when he spotted the problem: A map that purported to show the empire at its height was missing Spain and a section of Africa, the Hartford Courant reports. He told a docent, who referred him to the front desk to report his finding on a form.

"The front desk didn't believe me," Coady says. "I'm only a kid"—and not all the error reports the museum receives are correct, says a curator. In this case, however, Coady was on the money. After several months, he got an email from the Byzantine art curator. "You are, of course, correct," it said. The curator invited him to visit again and meet her. He may have "the makings of a young historian," she notes. But he has different plans: "I want to move to Greenwich and open a modern exotic car shop."

A 13-year-old caught a mistake at the Met.
A 13-year-old caught a mistake at the Met.   (AP Photo/Richard Drew)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
My TakeCLICK BELOW TO VOTE
7%
3%
1%
85%
1%
4%
To report an error on this story, notify our editors.
COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 19 comments
RobertsJustin
May 4, 2012 4:54 PM CDT
  like Denise explained I'm impressed that someone able to profit $8653 in one month on the internet. have you seen this web link makecash16.c om
George-Jetson
May 4, 2012 5:37 AM CDT
I hope his parents have deep pockets. This should be on his resume for Oxford or Harvard or Yale or Princeton. He ain't goin' to no community college.
summerfairy
May 4, 2012 5:31 AM CDT
I was being interviewed at an university and they showed me a map of the campus they were very proud of the detail and the artistry.  Without even thinking I said, "it's very nice but there is a glaring error on it." The manager asked me to point out the error which I did and he agreed to the problem.  Little did I know the person responsible for making the map was standing there and was going to help decide if I got the job.  I didn't.
 

NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS
Other Sites We Like:   24/7 Wall St.   |   BuzzFeed   |   Cracked   |   Timelines   |   POPSUGAR Tech   |   Business Insider   |   HuffPost Entertainment   |   NewsOne