Kevin Kampwirth

What's the Longest Word in the World? Here are 12 of Them

Antidisestablishmentarianism is still regarded as the longest non-medical, non-coined, nontechnical word in the English language, yet it keeps some robust company.... READ ON

Can Animals Really Anticipate Natural Disasters?

For centuries, anecdotal stories have circulated about animals possessing some primal sixth sense that alerts them to an imminent natural disaster, but does science back it up?... READ ON

What Determines What Your Voice Sounds Like?

As a marker of singularity, our voices are as effective as our fingerprints. Though people may share a similar pitch or certain vocal characteristics, under close examination, no two voices are alike. Height, weight, hormones, provenance, allergies, structural anomalies, emotions, and environmental factors all play a role in determining how your voice ultimately emerges, which means not only is your voice yours alone, but that you’ll have a few variations on that voice throughout your life.... READ ON

6 Surprising Examples of Human Vestigiality

People have speculated over the nature of seemingly useless physical characteristics in living things for thousands of years.... READ ON

Can Stress Really Cause Hair Loss?

People have long been known to willfully pull out their own hair owing to anxiety, but it’s widely believed that chronic stress can cause inadvertent hair loss as well.... READ ON

Why Do We Get Emotional When We Drink?

At one time or another, though, we’ve all been the emotional drunk, a condition typically marked by ill-timed espousals of affection (or reprisal), acute introspection, and an incontrollable urge to cry in the middle of a crowded bar.... READ ON

Why Are Whole Foods Typically More Expensive Than Processed?

Close perusal of a Wonder loaf’s list of ingredients reveals some 29 tongue-tying components, while the whole grain loaf has five or six, none over two syllables. So why are more heavily processed foods and those with more ingredients typically less expensive than whole foods?... READ ON

7 Antiquated Illness Names and Their Meanings

Throughout the ages, people have hung some pretty weird names on what’s ailed them. Here are the monikers of a few of the more strangely-named illnesses, and how we know them today.... READ ON

Why Did Eating Horsemeat Become Taboo?

Despite the notion of horses as pets and companions, horsemeat is widely and willingly consumed in countries ranging from Mexico to China to Italy. So how, exactly, did eating horsemeat become taboo for the rest of us?... READ ON

How Was the Top-Secret Coke Formula Determined to Be Kosher?

Few products in civilized history can match the mythology and ubiquity of Coca-Cola. In the 1930s, Coke’s inscrutability found itself at odds with a niche, but rapidly growing consumer base: Orthodox Jewish immigrants whose dietary restrictions prevented them from consuming anything that didn’t meet rigid rabbinical guidelines. How was Coke ultimately kashered while keeping its prized formula a secret?... READ ON

Popular on Mentalfloss