Mental Floss
MENU
CLOSE
BIG QUESTIONS
QUIZZES
BIOGRAPHIES
LISTS
AMAZING FACTS
STORE
SECTIONS
BIG QUESTIONS
JOB SECRETS
HISTORY VS.
KENNECTIONS
LIVE SMARTER
QUIZZES
RETROBITUARIES
SMART SHOPPING
#TBT
BIOGRAPHIES
AUTHORS
SCIENTISTS
ARTISTS
U.S. PRESIDENTS
MILITARY
TOPICS
ANIMALS
ARCHAEOLOGY
ART
CORONAVIRUS
DIY
ENTERTAINMENT
FOOD
HEALTH
HISTORY
LANGUAGE
OLYMPICS
SCIENCE
SPORTS
TECHNOLOGY
TRAVEL
TOPICS
ANIMALS
ARCHAEOLOGY
ART
CORONAVIRUS
DIY
ENTERTAINMENT
FOOD
HEALTH
HISTORY
LANGUAGE
OLYMPICS
SCIENCE
SPORTS
TECHNOLOGY
TRAVEL
TOPICS
ANIMALS
ARCHAEOLOGY
ART
CORONAVIRUS
DIY
ENTERTAINMENT
FOOD
HEALTH
HISTORY
LANGUAGE
OLYMPICS
SCIENCE
SPORTS
TECHNOLOGY
TRAVEL
ABOUT
ABOUT US
AUTHORS
COOKIE POLICY
CONTACT
CUSTOMER SERVICE
PITCH A STORY
PRIVACY
RSS
STORE
TERMS
×
CLOSE
Anna Green
Follow
Women Horror Writers You Need to Read
Women have written some of the most blood-curdlingly scary stories of all time, but they haven’t always gotten the credit they deserve. Explore some delightfully spooky Halloween reading from 11 masters of horror literature....
READ ON
Pizza Facts
Pizza has helped prevent several crimes: In 2008 when a pizza delivery man in Florida was confronted by robbers, he threw the hot pizza he was delivering at them and escaped harm. (It's also pretty delicious.)...
READ ON
12 Brilliant Gifts for the Film Buff in Your Life
From addictive trivia games to giant screens, here are 12 brilliant gift ideas for movie lovers who know their stuff....
READ ON
Read What Happens When a Robot Writes an Episode of Friends
With the help of a recurrent neural network, cartoonist Andy Pandy generated a series of brand-new 'Friends' scripts that are sure to delight fans of the classic sitcom. ...
READ ON
10 Spooky Commercials Starring Vincent Price
Full of haunted mansions and terrifying puns, these commercials use Price's horror pedigree to sell everything from wine coolers to antique furniture....
READ ON
3 Delicious Mac and Cheese Dishes You Need to Try
Love macaroni and cheese? Try these three creative recipes, courtesy of Chef Frank Proto from the Institute of Culinary Education....
READ ON
Game of Thrones Spoiler App Ruins the Show For Your Enemies
If you hold more grudges than Arya Stark, Spoiled.io is an ingenious way to get back at your 'Game of Thrones'-loving enemies....
READ ON
15 Delicious Facts About Doughnuts
7. The French used to call their doughnuts "nun's farts." Oddly, that doesn't make them sound any less tasty....
READ ON
15 Amazing Facts About 15 Birds
In honor of Bird Day, here are a flutter of facts about everything from brilliantly colored hummingbirds to farting thrushes....
READ ON
Canned Pumpkin Isn’t Actually Pumpkin
Cans of pumpkin puree are actually a range of squashes....
READ ON
11 Chilling Facts About Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House
Jackson's husband was too afraid to read it....
READ ON
15 U.S. Town and City Names With Unusual Backstories
While many towns in the U.S. were named after historical figures or nearby topographical phenomena, some monikers have origin stories that are a little more unusual....
READ ON
12 Screwball Facts About Frank Capra
He had a degree in chemical engineering, popularized the word "doodle," and tried to steal another director's Oscar....
READ ON
11 Fun Facts About A Fish Called Wanda
One joke was so funny, an audience member literally laughed himself to death....
READ ON
Why Can Parrots Talk?
Parrots can learn how to say hundreds of words—and even know what some of them mean....
READ ON
A Florida Brewery Created Edible Six-Pack Rings to Protect Marine Animals
Made of barley and wheat, they're safe for animals and humans to ingest....
READ ON
Watch Boris Karloff's 1966 Coffee Commercial
The horror icon, who was born 130 years ago today, definitely had a sense of humor....
READ ON
Your 10 Favorite Horror Directors’ Favorite Horror Movies
Looking to put together the perfect Halloween movie marathon? Listen to the experts....
READ ON
13 Fantastic Museums You Can Visit for Free on Saturday
Get excited for Museum Day Live!...
READ ON
12 Fascinating Facts About Charlie Chaplin’s The Gold Rush
The legendary filmmaker hired hundreds of extras, trekked miles through the snow, and ate an uncomfortable amount of licorice to make his 1925 masterpiece....
READ ON
Here's How Much Space $1500 Per Month Gets You in 30 Cities
Rent Cafe created a nifty infographic to show just how far your rent goes in 30 major cities across the United States....
READ ON
11 Fast-Talking Facts About 'His Girl Friday'
Howard Hawks' beloved film is at once a newsroom drama, a crime story, a romantic comedy, and one of the most beloved screwball comedies of all time....
READ ON
14 Toe-Tapping Facts About Fred Astaire
“Can’t Act. Slightly Bald. Also Dances.”...
READ ON
How the Queen Became the Most Powerful Piece in Chess
The queen was once one of the weakest pieces on the board, and now she's the most powerful. Turns out there might be a historical reason for that....
READ ON
People Like Sharks More When They Swim to Upbeat Music
New research indicates that the ominous music that often accompanies footage of sharks leaves viewers with a negative impression of these great big fish—and that this effect is lessened when upbeat music is played instead....
READ ON
Too Much Tea Could Send You to an Asylum In The 19th Century
Records from a Scottish insane asylum indicate that one woman was admitted to the facility in 1848 partly due to her "abuse of tea."...
READ ON
The Origins of Charles Darwin’s Strangest Discoveries
New studies revelead the identity of some of Darwin's discoveries—the descriptions of which have long baffled scientists...
READ ON
The Sarcastic Jokes Found on Roman Bullets
Ancient Greek and Roman soldiers used football-shaped lead bullets as ammunition for their slingshots. These projectiles could wreak havoc on their targets, but the soldiers weren't content to merely wound their enemies. They also taunted them by inscribing insults and sarcastic jokes on their bullets....
READ ON
How Victor Lustig Sold The Eiffel Tower
Victor Lustig was one of the 20th century's greatest con artists, and the crown jewel of his many ploys was selling the Eiffel Tower to unsuspecting scrap iron dealers—twice. Hit play for Lustig's Ten Commandments for aspiring con men....
READ ON
The Great Astronomy Hoax of 1835
...
READ ON
The Psychological Benefits of Having a Childhood Best Friend
New research suggests that having a best friend throughout childhood can have lasting psychological benefits and improve one's coping abilities in later life. (And you thought all you got out of it was that rusty old BFF necklace.)...
READ ON
Guy Beringer, the Genius Who Invented Brunch
...
READ ON
What's the Best Pizza Cheese?
...
READ ON
10 Game-Changing Hispanic Scientists You Didn’t Learn About In School
From groundbreaking biologists and physicists to innovators in the fields of medicine, botany, and more, here are 10 great minds you probably didn't learn about in school....
READ ON
The 15 Highest-Paying Jobs That Require Only a Bachelor’s Degree
Business Insider has created a list of the highest-paying jobs that require only a bachelor’s degree....
READ ON
In Japan, You Can Sip Classy Cocktails in a Ball Pit
The Ball Pool Bar Dive is a wall-to-wall ball pit bar....
READ ON
New Wind Turbine Harnesses the Power of Typhoons
The design aims to employ the often-damaging energy that comes with powerful tropical storms....
READ ON
Vegans Petition to Rename Non-Dairy Cheese "Gary"
Can we offer anyone a grilled Gary sandwich?...
READ ON
Collector Buys Christian Bale’s Batsuit for $250,000
An anonymous private collector recently purchased Christian Bale's Batsuit at an auction held by The Prop Store....
READ ON
68 Percent of People Feel They Don't Get Enough Rest, Report Finds
A recent survey of more than 18,000 people from 134 countries found that 68 percent of people feel they don’t get enough rest....
READ ON
Dogs Learn to Ignore Bad Instructions Faster Than Humans
When it comes to distinguishing useful instructions from pointless ones, dogs are faster learners than human children....
READ ON
John Malkovich Reinterprets Dale Cooper and Other David Lynch Characters
“Playing Lynch” is an experimental meditation on Lynch’s films and television shows....
READ ON
92 Percent of the Global Population Is Exposed to Dangerous Air Pollution
Nearly 12 percent of all global deaths in 2012 alone could be linked to indoor and outdoor air pollution....
READ ON
RIP: BlackBerry Will No Longer Make New Phones
Like rotary dials, landlines, and flip phones, the once-beloved brand of smartphone has become a technological relic....
READ ON
For Every Chiapas Coffee Sold This Thursday, Starbucks Will Donate a Tree
The National Coffee Day promotion is part of the company's commitment to help wipe out coffee rust—a fungus threatening coffee trees in Latin America....
READ ON
'A Midsummer Night's Dream' Is Currently the Most Performed Shakespeare Play
'A Midsummer Night's Dream' is the most frequently performed Shakespeare work since 2011....
READ ON
Archaeologists Excavate 200-Year-Old Manchester Pub
The find included several intact bottles of brandy....
READ ON
Wondering Whether It's Cheaper to Fly or Drive? Check Out This Website
TravelMath helps travelers calculate the relative expenses of driving or flying to their destinations....
READ ON
Ample Hills Releases New Election Season Ice Cream Flavors
Ample Hills has created deliciously silly ice cream flavors called “Madam President” and “Make America Orange Again.”...
READ ON
Power Pose Effects Aren’t Real, Says Co-Author of Original Study
Adopting a power pose may not actually help you feel more powerful, according to researcher Dana Carney....
READ ON
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
...
next
last
Popular on Mentalfloss
7 Unexplained Mysteries From the World of Science
The Most Popular Disney Movies Around the World, Mapped
The 1958 Assassination Attempt That Left Martin Luther King Jr. a Single Sneeze Away From Death
The 20 Best Places to Retire in America in 2021
MENTAL FLOSS
newsletter
A super-skimmable
daily digest.