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Mental Floss
On September 11, 1937, the Washington Post reported that "D.C.'s Lone Girl Motorcyclist Stormed Loudly To Get Permit." The girl was Sally Robinson (married name: Halterman, as she is identified in photo archives) and after nearly a decade of operating mot
Hannah Keyser|
Leaellynasaura may seem like an unassuming little creature, but it tells a remarkable story—one that involves drifting continents, a snowy wonderland, and the world’s luckiest little girl. Here’s a quick crash course on this dino from Down Under.
Mark Mancini|
Herman Melville had everything a young author could dream of. Then he wrote Moby-Dick and ruined everything.
Lucas Reilly|
Terrible and terrific are both formed off the same root: terror. Both started out a few hundred years ago with the meaning of terror-inducing. But terrific took a strange turn at the beginning of the 20th century and ended up meaning really great, not ter
Arika Okrent|
In the 1990s, the fly Philornis downsi was accidentally introduced to the Galapagos Islands, probably in a shipment of fruit. The adult flies are harmless enough as invaders go, but their kids are a real problem for the islands’ native birds, some of whic
Matt Soniak|
Erik Sass|
DEAR A.J., I’m about to turn 50, and my doctor tells me I should get a colonoscopy. Is this really necessary? It sounds highly unpleasant.—ERICA IN MARYLAND
A.J. Jacobs|
From the Original Six to the current 30 teams.
Rebecca OConnell|
Steven Spielberg’s 'Indiana Jones and the Temple' of Doom has been thrilling audiences for more than 30 years—and grossing us out with monkey brains.
Sean Hutchinson|
Erik Sass|
Popeil Industries filed a number patent requests for subliminal messaging technology and the machinery to implement it.
Nick Greene|
Celebrate the ultimate slow and steady land reptile with these fun facts about tortoises.
Amanda Green|
If the arrival of Days Of Future Past has you thinking more than usual about Marvel's famous mutants, you'll have no shortage of food for thought with this list of 20 things you might not know about the X-Men, the upcoming film, and the story that inspire
Rick Marshall|
A few years ago, Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson pointed out that the best way to expose a German spy would be to ask them to say the word “squirrel,” because “no German, no matter how well they speak English, can say ‘squirrel.’” So naturally, someone test
Arika Okrent|
Climate models are predicting that this fall, there's a 75 percent chance that an El Niño will occur. But just what is this weather phenomenon, and how does it affect us?
Hannah Keyser|
The world’s most perfect weight isn’t so perfect anymore. And that has scientists scared.
Judy Dutton|
We've lost many delightful words and phrases along the way.
Erin McCarthy|
Diplodocus ranks among the most impressive animals that’s ever walked the earth and, thanks to a great philanthropist, it’s also become one of the world’s favorite dinosaurs. So, let’s get a little better acquainted with this captivating creature.
Mark Mancini|
Here we give kudos to a few movies which, even if they didn’t accomplish much else, found logical ways to avoid contrivance in The Case of the Disappearing Cellphone.
Therese Oneill|
IN ONE OF THE WORLD’S BIGGEST CAVES, A SCIENTIST GETS IN OVER HER HEAD.
the mag|
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