Emily Petsko

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Emily Petsko is a former staff writer at Mental Floss. Her writing has appeared in Lonely Planet, The Guardian, and several lifestyle publications in Asia.

United Airlines Has Gotten Rid of Tomato Juice, and Customers Are Freaking Out

Here today, gone tomato.... READ ON

Google is Developing an Android App to Help Guide Visually Impaired Users

It can accurately identify a lavender bush and tell you exactly where it is.... READ ON

This Spinning Arrow Might Make You Question Your Sense of Direction

Can you tell which way the arrow is pointing?... READ ON

Yayoi Kusama's New Flower-Filled Installation Has Art Lovers Seeing Red

Subtle she is not.... READ ON

Doctor Weighs In on What May Have Killed Saladin, the 12th-Century Muslim Military Leader

It wasn't battle that did him in.... READ ON

Why Jaipur’s King Painted His City Pink to Impress the Prince of Wales

A law makes it illegal to paint the buildings any other color.... READ ON

New Contact Lenses Could Let You Shoot Lasers From Your Eyes

One step closer to having Superman's powers.... READ ON

The Longest Cruise in the World Takes Seafarers to 59 Countries

Could you spend the better part of a year on a ship?... READ ON

How 'Unconscious Bias' Can Trick Your Brain Into Trusting People (Even if You Shouldn't)

Watch out for confident people—they can fool you.... READ ON

Alan Turing's Last Published Paper From 1952 Inspired the Invention of a New Water Filter

The purifier, which makes saltwater drinkable, is said to work three times as fast as current filters on the market.... READ ON

There's Now a Podcast That Plays Nothing But Laughter for Six Hours Straight

Happy World Laughter Day!... READ ON

The Wild, Wild Story of the 'Sex Guru' at the Center of Wild Wild Country

Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh was a polarizing figure who knew how to grab headlines.... READ ON

May the Forks Be With You: This Is the Star Wars Dinnerware You Didn't Know You Needed

The Lando Calrissian Accents Collection is equal parts classy and geeky.... READ ON

Once-Abandoned Wizard of Oz Theme Park to Re-Open Next Month

The park officially closed in 1980, but that wasn't the end of Oz.... READ ON

The Easy Trick That Will Help You Organize Your iPhone Apps Faster

Spring clean your home screen in a flash with this iOS hack.... READ ON

Apply Now to Join an Archaeological Dig at Colorado's Magic Mountain

Applications close today.... READ ON

The Most Annoying Things You Can Do on an Airplane

Survey respondents say you shouldn't air your problems—or your feet—at 30,000 feet.... READ ON

Here's the Biggest Export From Each U.S. State

Airplanes, oil, and … lobsters? Only in Maine.... READ ON

Scientists Figure Out Why Roses Don't Smell as Good as They Used To

Thanks to new research, we can look forward to sweeter-smelling roses in the future.... READ ON

This Is the Most Cited Academic Paper on Wikipedia

It appears on Wikipedia over 2.8 million times.... READ ON

Days Inn Wants to Pay You $10,000 to Explore America's Sunniest Cities

Dream job alert!... READ ON

Work From the Beach? Hawaii is Handing Out Free Trips to New Yorkers

Trade your Manhattan cubicle for some sea breeze—and not the kind you get at happy hour.... READ ON

15 (Mostly) Normal Foods That Are Banned in Countries Around the World

If you live in the U.S., there's a good chance you've never had haggis, black pudding, or ackee fruit.... READ ON

Zora Neale Hurston's Book on the 'Last Slave' Is Being Published—Nearly 90 Years After it Was Written

"Barracoon: The Story of the Last 'Black Cargo'" was originally written in 1931, but no one wanted to publish it—until now.... READ ON

World's Oldest Spider Dies in Australia at the Age of 43—From a Wasp Sting

RIP, Number 16.... READ ON

25 Foreign Words with Hilarious Literal Meanings

Beware of "paper vampires" and "ghost breath."... READ ON

How Anthony Bourdain Decides Where to Travel to Next for Parts Unknown

He finds inspiration in everything from movies to politics to chance encounters.... READ ON

3 Ways to Tell Whether You Have Allergies or a Cold

They have remarkably similar symptoms, but doctors say there are a few ways to tell them apart.... READ ON

A Robot Called Pepper Can Teach Visitors Swahili at the Smithsonian

His newest job involves helping visitors understand African art's influence on global culture.... READ ON

The Stories and Scandals That Shaped Hollywood's Classic Actresses

From Mae West to Marilyn Monroe, the private lives of some of Tinseltown's most legendary starlets were more captivating than what you saw on the big screen.... READ ON

Fossilized Footprints Show Ice Age Hunters Ganged Up on Giant Sloths

Sloths—those symbols of loafers and loungers everywhere—weren't always so cute and cuddly.... READ ON

Take a Look at What Studio Ghibli's Theme Park Will Look Like When It Opens in 2022

Stroll through Mononoke Village and try not to lose your way in the park's Totoro-inspired forest.... READ ON

Your Next Favorite Handbag Could be Made of Mushroom Leather

Meet Mylo: a new material made from fungi filaments.... READ ON

Ice Age Artists Used Charcoal Over 10,000 Years to Create Europe's Oldest Cave Paintings

Researchers now have a better understanding of how these paintings were created some 35,000 years ago.... READ ON

This Will Soon Be The Longest Nonstop Flight in the World

It lasts 20 hours.... READ ON

NASA's Hubble Telescope Captures the Lagoon Nebula's Explosive Core

At the heart of this nebula lies a star that's larger and brighter than our Sun.... READ ON

Apple Offers Free Battery Replacements for Some MacBook Models

Here's how to tell if your laptop is a candidate.... READ ON

Researchers Uncover What's Believed to Be the Oldest Shipwreck in Lake Erie

The <em>Lake Serpent</em> set sail in 1829 and was never seen again. Now researchers believe they've finally found it. ... READ ON

214 Years After His Death, Alexander Hamilton Is Finally Getting a Law Degree

Better late than never?... READ ON

Cheerleaders and Chicken Suits: Funko is Releasing Several Special Edition Deadpool POPs!

The new line of Deadpool-inspired POP! vinyls will be out this summer, following the release of 'Deadpool 2.'... READ ON

Why Swaziland Was Just Renamed eSwatini

Yes, they were tired of being confused with Switzerland. But that was only part of the problem.... READ ON

World's First Underwater Residence to Open in the Maldives

Take it from the Little Mermaid: It's better down where it's wetter.... READ ON

Billions of Cockroaches Are Bred in China to Create a ‘Healing Potion’

It's said to taste "slightly sweet."... READ ON

11-Headed Buddha Statue to Be Revealed in Japan for First Time in 33 Years

The big reveal on April 23 is part of a festival in Kinosaki Onsen, where the sacred statue is kept inside a religious site which dates back to 738 CE.... READ ON

From A Game Of Thrones to War and Peace: These are America's 100 Favorite Books

How many have you read?... READ ON

Every Emoji Ever, Arranged by Color

Which one is your favorite?... READ ON

The Google Docs Audio Hack You Might Not Know About

It helps you transcribe audio faster, letting you get back to more important things. Like Netflix.... READ ON

Massive Tumbleweeds Invaded a California Town, Trapping Residents in Their Homes

They stand 3 to 4 feet tall.... READ ON

The Surprising Link Between Language and Depression

The overuse of certain words is a marker of depression.... READ ON

8 City Maps Rendered in the Styles of Famous Artists

New York City gets blasted with color in the Warhol-inspired rendering.... READ ON

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