Bess Lovejoy

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Bess Lovejoy is a staff editor at Mental Floss, a former editor at Smithsonian.com and Schott's Almanac, and the author of Rest in Pieces: The Curious Fates of Famous Corpses.

How Harry Houdini Might Have Pulled Off His Most Daring Trick

Being buried under 3000 pounds of dirt isn't easy.... READ ON

Belgium Is Home to the World’s Only Sourdough Library

And it's overseen by a Sourdough Librarian.... READ ON

The Time the Church Put a Pope's Corpse on Trial

It's been called "one of the grisliest events in papal history"—for good reason.... READ ON

12 Thoughtful Gifts for Mom

Now that you're old enough to have graduated from macaroni and glitter.... READ ON

Celebrate the Encyclopedia Britannica's 250th Birthday by Checking Out Its First Edition Online

The first edition featured 39 pages on horse diseases.... READ ON

9 Tips for Preventing Food Poisoning

Wash, chill, separate. And thaw appropriately.... READ ON

"Enter and Be Damned!": The Macabre Clubs of Belle Epoque Paris

Get your cholera-themed beverages right here!... READ ON

The Truth Behind Italy's Abandoned 'Ghost Mansion'

It's reportedly been home to a murder, suicide, and Aleister Crowley.... READ ON

11 Allegedly Haunted or Cursed Graves Around the U.S.

As if cemeteries weren't spooky enough.... READ ON

5 Things We Know About Happy Face, a New Podcast About Having a Serial Killer for a Dad

Melissa Moore wondered—could she share a trace of her father's evil?... READ ON

Inside the Great Dismal Swamp, Where Enslaved People Once Roamed Free

The swamp is finally starting to give up its secrets.... READ ON

Why Iceland Gets Its Ice From Other Countries

It's all thanks to modern economics.... READ ON

8 of the Most Intriguing Disappearances in History

It's usually hard to vanish without a trace, but these folks managed it.... READ ON

See What It Was Like to Live in a Secret NYC Library Apartment

These time capsules may not last long.... READ ON

The Palos Verdes Blue: The Beautiful Butterfly That Wasn't Extinct After All

Reports of its demise were greatly exaggerated.... READ ON

Meet the Sisters Who Started a Business Selling Artist-Designed Wheelchair Wheel Covers

You can change them up to suit any mood.... READ ON

The Republic of Indian Stream: The Forgotten Country Between the U.S. and Canada

Paying taxes to one country was enough.... READ ON

Meet Javier Botet: The Actor Behind Some of Your Favorite Monsters

The Spanish actor has always wanted to play creeps.... READ ON

See the World's Only Edible Bioluminescent Species

Bioluminescence? It's what's for dinner.... READ ON

This Bright Blue Tarantula Packs a Mean Bite

It's also called the peacock tarantula, but you may want to think twice before picking one up.... READ ON

How Your Sleeping Position Can Help (or Harm) Your Health

It all depends on who you are.... READ ON

See the Secret Paintings Hidden in Gilded Books

These vanishing paintings will flip you out.... READ ON

Meet Japan's Original (Not-so-Fresh) Form of Sushi, 'Funazushi'

Supposedly it tastes like a cross between prosciutto and caviar.... READ ON

Authorities Have Cracked a Bizarre Cold Case That Could Have Ties to the Zodiac Killer

Why did a war hero assume the identity of an 8-year-old boy killed in a traffic accident?... READ ON

Meet the Feather Artisans Who Adorn Paris's Cabaret Dancers

Dancers flock to their fashion house.... READ ON

Why Does the Sky Look Green Before a Tornado?

And does an emerald hue always mean it's time to run inside?... READ ON

13 Fascinating Items From the History of Magic at the Conjuring Arts Library

Handcuffs owned by Houdini, mind-reading props, and a book about a man who claimed to vomit wine.... READ ON

The Reason There's Over a Hundred Abandoned Giant Arrows Across the U.S.

Being an airmail pilot was dangerous business before these came along.... READ ON

Meet a New Species of One of the Strangest Birds on the Planet

The courtship displays of the Vogelkop Superb Bird of Paradise are out of this world.... READ ON

See the Spot That Inspired Sleeping Beauty's Castle

Neuschwanstein Castle was designed to be dramatic.... READ ON

Watch a 'Bat Volcano' Erupt in Mexico

It's not a literal volcano—but it is a sight to behold.... READ ON

Unraveling the Legend of Polybius, the Most Dangerous Video Game of the 1980s

Supposedly the game caused nightmares, seizures, anxiety—and worse.... READ ON

How Jeremy Bentham Finally Came to America, Nearly 200 Years After His Death

The philosopher believed in making every man his own statue.... READ ON

Watch How a Bioluminescence Expert Catches a Giant Squid

You have to be just flashy enough.... READ ON

How Dazzle Camouflage Helped Keep British and American Ships Safe in WWI

How do you hide an entire ship?... READ ON

The Design Tricks That Make Smartphones Addictive—And How to Fight Them

There's a reason you're so hooked.... READ ON

10 People Whose Hearts Were Buried Separately From the Rest of Them

Strange as it sounds today, heart burial was once a common practice for European aristocrats.... READ ON

Surprising Sculptures Made From Fallen Feathers

Many of the materials for Kate MccGwire's work come from her next-door menagerie.... READ ON

Step Inside the World's Only Museum for Rocks With Faces

Ever seen a rock that looks like Elvis Presley?... READ ON

The Magical—and Endangered—Whistling Language of Oaxaca

It's one of 42 documented examples of whistling languages across the world.... READ ON

9 False Rumors With Real-Life Consequences

Don’t believe everything you read—or everything you hear.... READ ON

A Very Brief History of Chamber Pots

They were once an inescapable fact of everyday life.... READ ON

Tomb Raider: The Story of Saint Nicholas's Stolen Bones

The Santa Claus of folklore doesn't have a skeleton. But his inspiration, Saint Nicholas, does, and people have been fighting over his bones since they were stolen nearly a millennium ago.... READ ON

10 Treasures From the New York Academy of Medicine Library

From "urine wheels" to 16th-century pop-up books.... READ ON

Why Are Glaciers Blue?

The ice inside a glacier has a much different shape than the ice in your drink.... READ ON

11 Smart Gifts $25 and Under

Little luxuries and practical gadgets that won't break the budget.... READ ON

12 Smart Book Ideas for Everyone in Your Life

Here's what to get your friend who loves mystery novels, you friend having surgery, your friend who's loves Abraham Lincoln, and everyone in between.... READ ON

11 Freshly Baked Gifts For Everyone On Your List

Moonshine cake, anyone?... READ ON

The Secret Procedure for the Queen's Death

It's codenamed "London Bridge Is Down"... READ ON

Listen to the Eerie Sounds of a Glass Armonica

Benjamin Franklin invented the device that produces these haunting notes.... READ ON

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