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Colin Gorenstein
Follow @colingorenstein
Colin Gorenstein is a web producer for mental_floss whose work has appeared on Salon, Mashable, Village Voice and npr.org. He is probably running to Trader Joe's. Do you need anything?
Facts About JNCO Jeans
JNCOs were quintessentially '90s jeans, worn largely (at least at first) by skaters and nonconformists and known for mega-wide leg openings—and now, the brand is back....
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Step Inside the World's Worst-Smelling Factory at Your Own Risk
You probably shouldn't be sauntering into this Swedish factory unless you're getting paid to be there....
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Here's Why Your Phone Battery Can Explode
And are we doing anything to fix this phenomenon?...
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Watch a Modern Chocolatier Use an Ancient Technique to Make a Delicious Hot Chocolate Drink
Guatemala's Chocolate D' Taza is using a 3000-year-old Mayan technique to produce a deliciously rich hot chocolate drink....
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Seattle Mariners Fans Are Going Crazy for These Crunchy Grasshopper Snacks
They've eaten about 1000 pounds of grasshoppers since the insects appeared on the concession stand menu less than a season ago....
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Mattel Unveils New Uno Edition for Colorblind Players
Uno's color-coded guidelines may no longer be a barrier for colorblind card game enthusiasts....
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Take a Tour of This Museum Filled With Every Toy From Your Youth
The Strong Museum in Rochester, New York—also known as the “National Museum of Play"—is every toy-loving historian's dream come true....
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What the First Year of Life Looks Like Through the Eyes of a Baby
Until their third month, babies can't actually identify facial features....
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You Can See Right Through This Amazing Cockatoo Squid
You've probably never seen a squid like this—or squinted so much to see one....
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Meet the Reigning World Champion of Competitive Hot Air Ballooning
Yes, competitive hot air ballooning is a real sport....
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The Fascinating Science Behind How Neon Lights Are Made
A neon sign pioneer is spilling the secrets on what was once a secret craft....
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Meet the Largest Dinosaur Ever Discovered
The <em>Patagotitan mayorum</em> weighs as much as 12 African elephants....
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Take a Tour of Singapore's Incredible Supertree Grove
Wow!...
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Inside India's Ancient Tradition of Eye Dancing
Eyes are the window to the soul—and in India, they're also the key to mastering Kathakali, a traditional emotive dance native to the state of Kerala....
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The Amazing Water-Repelling Chemistry Behind Superhydrophobic Materials
To understand how phone cases, windshields, and raincoats are all able to repel liquid, a good place to start is by examining nature—specifically, leafhoppers....
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7 Popular Wine Myths, Debunked
You might want to rethink the shape of your wine glasses....
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Swans Used to Be an Aristocratic Delicacy—Now They're Practically Royalty
Swans are the property of Queen Elizabeth II, who exercises a strict no-eating policy for the birds that dwell on London's River Thames....
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Rare Footage Shows the Cuddly Sleeping Habits of Sharks
Scuba divers in Revillagigedo, Mexico recorded a group of whitetip reef sharks resting in a cozy pile....
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How Thailand 'Disease Detectives' Use an App to Fight Livestock-Borne Outbreaks
Thanks to a group of vets at Chiang Mai University, a "poor man's Instagram" is helping rural Thailand communities fight back against livestock-borne diseases....
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5 Secrets From Craig Bartlett, the Creator of 'Hey Arnold!'
Gabriel García Márquez influenced the creation of the beloved football-headed cartoon....
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Watch This Robot Crack a Safe in 15 Minutes
With one big insight, Nathan Seidle was able to whittle a four-month safecracking job into a 15-minute one....
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These Strange Sea Spiders Breathe Through Their Legs
We know that humans breathe through their lungs and fish breathe through their gills—but where exactly does that leave sea spiders?...
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Meet the Workers Risking Their Lives to Rebuild the Great Wall of China
Since 2005, workers have carried out grueling—and often, life-threatening—physical labor to see the World Wonder restored to tiptop shape....
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What Causes Those Horrifying, Car-Swallowing Sinkholes?
Civil engineer Grady Hillhouse helps put the much-pondered question to bed....
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Baseball-Sized Hail Is Set to Shower North America
Climate change is leading to an increase in the size of the hail that could hit the northern and central plains....
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Watch This Supercut of 150 Memorable Title Drops From Film History
From <em>Guess Who's Coming to Dinner</em> to <em>Dude, Where's My Car?</em>, these films couldn't resist mentioning their respective titles in dialogue....
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Watch These Japanese Elementary Schoolers Set a Guinness World Record for Jump Rope
The school just edged out the previous record, which belonged to their rivals....
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Meet the Beautiful Beetle That Lives in (and Eats) Poop
Don't let the rainbow scarab's love of coprophagy put you off. It's a stunner....
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This Scuba Diver Has Been Visiting the Same Fish for 30 Years
Arakawa has been visiting Yoriko, an Asian sheepshead wrasse—called a kobudai in Japan—in the waters of Hasama Underwater Park....
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What Would Happen If You Always Avoided the Sun?
For starters: a major Vitamin D deficiency....
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Watch How Researchers Are Tracking Polar Bears in Russia
A thorough survey of this population could lend insight into the aftermath of sea ice loss....
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Meet Bas de Groot, the World’s First Milk Sommelier
Who says milk can't be enjoyed like a fine wine?...
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This 'Walking Fish' Has Scientists Puzzled
The footage of the mystery fish was captured by a diver in Bali, Indonesia....
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Only 6 People Know the Recipe for This Delicious 'Top Secret' Tart
The Pastéis de Belém, an original egg custard tart, is one of Portugal's best kept secrets....
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Watching Astronauts Eat Food in Zero-G Never Stops Being Awesome
NASA cuisine has come a long way from thermostabilized yams....
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Take a Tour of Japan's Rare White Strawberry Farm
Don't be fooled by the color: it's even sweeter and juicier than its red counterpart....
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21 Things That Turned 21 in 2016
...
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14 Delicious Latkes From Across the Country
They may not be the most traditional, but these creative latkes are more than worth your time this Hanukkah....
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Do Hats Cause Balding?
...
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29 Spin-Offs That Almost Happened
Were you sad to see Mad Men go last year? Perhaps it'll make you even sadder to learn that the award-winning cable show almost had its own spin-off—twice....
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A Graveyard Smash: Bobby Pickett, The Man Behind the 'Monster Mash'
Just like the Halloween monsters Pickett lampooned in his songs, "Monster Mash" returns from the dead year after year....
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15 Surprising Facts About 'Transparent'
3. The show is exactly two percent autobiographical....
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