Issue Contents

Mar-Apr 2006: American Genius

Cover Story:

American Genius

Some people get all misty-eyed over military victories and record-breaking athletes. Some wave the star-spangled banner every time a politician kisses a baby. Not us. We reserve our nationalistic fervor for America’s greatest resource—its smartypants. In this awe-inspiring issue, mental_floss tips its hat to every mind-blowing genius on the American block. From the corn-fed farm boy who invented the television to Martin Luther King’s openly gay ghostwriter, we’re giving you 25 stories you need to hear about 25 minds that changed the way we live.

Features:

Falling Up: Shel Silverstein’s Unlikely Rise to Kid Lit Superstardom

By Mark Peters
There’s the Shel Silverstein you know: the sing-song, rhyming illustrator who drew his way into every kid’s heart. And then there’s the guy who dropped out of school, got court-martialed for his cartoons, hung out with Johnny Cash, and published his work in Playboy. Everyone knows Where the Sidewalk Ends; isn’t it time you found out where it began?

Houseguests From Hell: 6 Horrifying Parasites Guaranteed to Overstay Their Welcome

By Chris Connolly
If you think you’ve got your irrational fears under control, then allow Chris Connolly to tear open a whole new can of worms for you. Future nightmares may now include parasites that eat your tongue and three-foot-long creatures that tunnel out of your foot to lay eggs. Yup, dousing yourself in Lysol® has never sounded so good.

Fowl Ball: How an Island Full of Landmines Led to a Thriving Penguin Population

By Hank Green
Many an important philosopher has pondered, “War, what is it good for?” Turns out, penguins had the answer all along. It seems our fine flightless friends in the Falkland Islands are getting along just swimmingly ever since Argentina and Great Britain battled it out over the birds’ homeland. So why is combat so good for penguins? Hank Green’s got the scoop, and he’s willing to share.

scatter_brained:

Disco

By Doug Cantor, John Green, & David K. Israel
To paraphrase Joan Jett, we sure do love rock ‘n’ roll. But sometimes, even the most rock-steady among us get flush with Saturday Night Fever. That’s why we grabbed some of our favorite writers by their giant lapels and demanded they put together a disco-theme edition of Scatterbrained. From (election) platform shoes, to con men who’ve perfected The Hustle, to trends that blazed across the nation like a Disco Inferno, our writers have laid down the sort of facts that make you wanna boogie oogie oogie all night long.

Six Degrees of Ken Jennings:

Lint and Lent

By Ken Jennings

left_brain:

How Gas Prices Work

By howstuffworks.com
The first awkward question you ask your parents is “Where do babies come from?” The second one: “Why are gas prices so high?” Good thing the fine people at How Stuff Works are better at answering that second question than your folks were (and with less blushing and stuttering). From crude oil to OPEC, they explain the mysteries behind the pump. But you’re on your own with that baby thing.

spinning_the globe:

50-Cent Tour:

Argentina

Argentine Idol: How the Rebel Gaucho Cowboys Went From Outcasts to Icons

By Giordana Segneri

right_brain:

Underground Education:

Four Score and Seven Lattes Ago

By David A. Norris

Six Degrees of Ken Jennings:

Kevin Bacon and Canadian Bacon

By Ken Jennings

Masterpieces:

Henri Cartier-Bresson's "Place De L'Europe"

By Elizabeth Lunday

Jasper Johns’ “Flag”

By Robert Cumming After another white Christmas has passed and before the next green spring can dawn, we tend to get a little blue. Luckily for us, we’re friends with that rouge-cheeked rogue Paul Davidson, who sprinkles golden sunshine everywhere he goes. Thanks to him, our lives are no longer colorless. Paul stuffed this issue’s Scatterbrained with a rainbow of facts—from the history of yellow journalism to the fine art of being “maroon-ed.” The result should leave you tickled pink.