Judy Dutton

Judy Dutton

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Judy Dutton is a regular contributor to mental_floss magazine. She is the author of Science Fair Season: Twelve Kids, a Robot Named Scorch… And What It Takes to Win, as well as Secrets from the Sex Lab. Her books have been favorably noted in the Washington Post, the New York Daily News, and numerous other publications. In addition to her books, she has also published in Wired, Redbook, Biography, Glamour, Maxim, Cosmopolitan, Women's Health, and more.

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Isaac Newton: 17th-Century London’s Dirty Harry

The science titan wasn’t used to being outsmarted. But after two years of trying to shut down English counterfeiting, one underworld kingpin was still getting the better of... READ ON

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The Secret Lives of Kitchen Spices

There’s a warmonger, a cure-all, and a former currency in your cabinet. Do you know which is... READ ON

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Permission to Sin: Why The 7 Deadlies Aren't So Terrible After All

Scientists have found that the seven deadly sins aren't all bad. Consider this your official permission to give in to... READ ON

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The Not-So-Perfect Kilogram and Why the Metric System Might Be Screwed

The world’s most perfect weight isn’t so perfect anymore. And that has scientists... READ ON

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9 Weapons That Failed Spectacularly (and 1 That Possibly Didn’t)

In 2011, the U.S. government spent $76 billion on military research and development. As history has shown, sometimes that investment pays off. And sometimes you end up running from a flaming pig. 1. Roast... READ ON

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In 1945 a Japanese Bomb Exploded in Oregon, Killing Six

Image credit: Southern Oregon Visitors Association In November 1944, fifty years before Predator drones swept on the scene, the Japanese military devised a low-tech method of dropping bombs on foreign soil that didn’t require pilots. All it took was balloons—specifically, 9,000 33-foot-diameter “balloon bombs,” or Fu-Gos, each carrying 35 pounds of explosives. Released from Japanese shores, these balloons were designed to rise to 30,000 feet then ride the jet stream east, making their way... READ ON

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