Colin Ainsworth

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Colin Ainsworth is a writer from Texas living in New York now.

Food Holidays to Celebrate

Whether your dietary tastes stick to the old standards like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches or a liquid diet of absinthe and wine, there's a food and drink holiday for you.... READ ON

Holiday Movie Fan Theories

From 'Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer' to 'Home Alone,' here are some bizarre fan theories about the holiday movies you only thought you knew.... READ ON

5 Fast Facts About Muhammad Ali

The heavyweight champ once saved a man's life, and now he's the star 'What’s My Name | Muhammad Ali,' a new documentary on HBO. Here are five more facts about The Greatist.... READ ON

13 Unusual Road Signs from Around the World

If you're going to be traveling around the world, familiarize yourself with these unusual road signs and their meanings before getting behind the wheel.... READ ON

A Star Is Born Is Coming Back to Theaters With New Music and 12 Minutes of Additional Footage

Bradley Cooper's Oscar-winning movie is returning to theaters for one week only with additional songs and 12 minutes of previously unseen footage.... READ ON

10 Facts About Puffins

With their comical expressions and orange beaks full of fish, Atlantic puffins and their kin are some of the most recognizable birds on the planet. Read on for more puffin facts.... READ ON

J.D. Salinger's Unpublished Work Will Be Coming to a Bookstore Near You

J.D. Salinger continued to write diligently right up until his death in 2010, but little from that last nearly half-century of his life has ever been seen—until now.... READ ON

10 Couple's Gifts That You Can Both Enjoy This Valentine's Day

Forget flowers—buy something you can enjoy together. From ravioli-making kits to date-night games, here are 10 couple's gifts that you will both love.... READ ON

5 Fast Facts about the Lunar New Year

All Chinese New Year celebrations are celebrations of the Lunar New Year, but not all Lunar New Year celebrations are traditionally Chinese.... READ ON

Historians Studying an ‘Ancient’ Scottish Stone Circle Learn It Was Built in the 1990s

Scientists' suspicions were outweighed by the excitement of finding another recumbent stone circle.... READ ON

A Brief History of the Beer Can

It took decades, and a lot of injured feet, to get us to the stay-tab can we know and love today.... READ ON

Book Sales Are Soaring—And Not Just the Digital Kind

According to Publishers Weekly, print sales rose by almost 2 percent in 2017, and continued to rise in 2018, mostly due to the strength of adult nonfiction sales.... READ ON

The 20 Products Mental Floss Readers Loved Most in 2018

Nerdwax, Harry Potter goodies, and pimple-popping games: These are the things Mental Floss readers bought over the course of last year.... READ ON

Yes, You Have Too Many Tabs Open on Your Computer—and Your Brain is Probably to Blame

You're likely suffering from a case of "Internet FOMO."... READ ON

FYI: The FDA Has Ceased Its Food Inspection Operations

Blame the government shutdown. Again.... READ ON

50 Things Turning 50 in 2019

From the first manned Moon landing to Monty Python, here are 50 things marking a half-century on this planet (and beyond).... READ ON

Why Do So Many Airports Have Chapels?

They weren't created for nervous fliers. They weren't really created for fliers at all.... READ ON

131 Essential Movies, According to Martin Scorsese

The Oscar-winning director is a walking, talking film school.... READ ON

Here's the Perfect Temperature at Which You Should Drink Champagne

Make sure you're getting the most out of your bottle of bubs.... READ ON

The Story Behind "The World's Hardest" Crossword Puzzle

The creator once estimated it should take "around two years" to complete.... READ ON

Macaulay Culkin Is Home Alone (Again) in Hilarious New Google Ad

Keep the change(s), ya filthy animal.... READ ON

11 Perfect Pop Chart Lab Posters for Every Person on Your Gift List

There's something for everyone.... READ ON

5 Controversial Facts About Melvil Dewey and the Dewey Decimal System

The library classification system isn't perfect—and neither was its creator.... READ ON

Carvel Made Mental Floss a Gritty Ice Cream Cake

Dreams do come true.... READ ON

Surprise! 62 Percent of People Say Die Hard is Not a Christmas Movie

Yippee-ki ... what?... READ ON

11 Thoughtful Gifts For People Who Love Dogs

Reward your favorite four-legged friend for being a good boy all year with these pup-friendly purchases.... READ ON

Good Luck, Gritty: 8 Sports Mascots that Struck Out

Here and gone, but the team spirit lives on!... READ ON

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