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Mental Floss
The Guardian has compiled a list of the greatest interviews of all time, plus some of the more interesting things that happened when the tape was no longer rolling. This week, we're offering a up a few highlights from the series. In 1936, F. Scott Fitzge
Linda Rodriguez McRobbie|
Age fabrication is prevalent in sports, whether the motive is to make an athlete old enough to sign a contract, young enough to be considered an elite prospect, or to meet a minimum or maximum age requirement for competing in an event. Compiling a full li
Scott Allen|
Just when you think the Oscars are oh-so-predictable, along comes a surprise win (or loss).
Mark Juddery|
Baseball has often been described as the thinking man's game. Yogi Berra once said that America's national pastime was 90 percent mental, and the other half physical. If any player could make sense of such a statement, it's one of these guys. C "“ Moe
Scott Allen|
Last week, we addressed which came first, the chicken or the egg. Then we answered five other burning questions about the fowl. Our series concludes today with four more FAQs. How come chickens lay so many eggs? It's
David Clark|
On this planet, there are now more chickens than any other bird, and many, many more chickens than humans. Nevertheless, most people know very little about the fowl they devour nearly every day. Last night, we addressed which came first, the chicken or th
David Clark|
From moviehouses to breweries, these entities faced serious challenges during the Great Depression and lived to tell the tale.
Ethan Trex|
Worms are pretty odd compared to creatures we are more familiar with. Within that already weird group, some worms are weirder than others. Giant Blue
Miss Cellania|
On February 3, 1959, a plane crashed shortly after taking off from Clear Lake, Iowa, killing all four people aboard: pilot Roger Peterson and musicians Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson. The date became known as The Day the
Miss Cellania|
No one knows who recorded the Wilhelm scream, but sound designer Ben Burtt coined its name based on the 1953 Charge at Feather River - the character Private Wilhelm is hit with an arrow and screams the scream. Burtt uses it a lot, but other filmmakers a
Stacy Conradt|
According to legend, the celebration of the Chinese New Year began with a monster called Nian. The beast would arrive on the first day of the new year and devour crops, livestock and people. To protect themselves, people put food outside their doors, hopi
Matt Soniak|
Readers of a certain age might remember Hypercolor or Hypergrafix clothing, the color-changing T-shirts produced by Generra that were all the rage in the early '90s. Now that the '90s are back, it's a good time to finally figure out the science behind the
Matt Soniak|
Plants are a crucial part of the environment, but in many ways they're frustratingly delicate. In the event of a major environmental or political crisis, they can't exactly hop on a plane to get away from the trouble, so we've got to take care of them.
Ethan Trex|
You wouldn't think something as small and mundane as a stamp would be much cause for controversy, but over the years, there are quite a few stamps that have upset more than just collectors.
Stacy Conradt|
The French have been wary, at times, of human kings -- consider the rough way they treated Louis the Last (XVI) -- but they've never shied from crowning kings of cheese. Below are three French contenders for the cheese throne, and the prominent voices tha
David Clark|
American New Year traditions include the ball drop in Times Square, the Tournament of Roses Parade, fireworks, year-end lists, New Year's resolutions, a toast and/or a kiss at midnight, Auld Lang Syne, and predictions for the year ahead. Here are some oth
Miss Cellania|
What did women do before we had People magazine to define ultimate attractiveness and tell us which leading man is the Sexiest Man Alive? Since the sexiness of said men is debatable and so many more worthy contenders are passed over, I suggest adding fict
Sara Newton|
If you're a sports fan, you know the nicknames and mascots of every team in the leagues you follow. If you're a die-hard fan, you probably even know what the teams used to be called. ("Washington Wizards? Please. They'll always be the Bullets to me."
Ethan Trex|
The holiday called Christmas is an amalgam of many winter holidays from around the world. Discover the origins of these bizarre customs.
Miss Cellania|
Presidents as far back as George Washington have waited until their final days in office to sign pardons. Let's take a look at some of history's more notable ones.
Ethan Trex|
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