Arizona Republic, Dec. 8, 2002
Magazine Review: Mental Floss
By Dan Kincaid

The cover story in the first-anniversary issue of this magazine of ideas and culture debunks an alphabet of myths and errors, from the apple, which is exonerated from being the devil's bait in Eden, to zero, the number of witches who were burned at the stake in Salem, Mass.

Between A and Z, you'll glean such tidbits as these: Walt Disney's noggin doesn't reside in a cryogenic capsule à la Ted Williams; the Japanese didn't invent karate; Van Gogh didn't send his severed ear to a prostitute (not all of it, anyway); and Mama Cass didn't perish by ham sandwich. In another piece, you'll find peak moments of ancient science presented in a cleverly illustrated timeline. Among the world-changing inventions are the sewing needle (22,500 B.C., in Flintstones-era France), acupuncture (2,700 B.C., in China, according to tradition) and the flush toilet (2,000 B.C., in Crete). Other articles look at the history of graffiti (complete with tips on how to become a tagger), and the ins and outs of computer viruses.

Copyright © 2002 Arizona Republic.