Emily Petsko

Joined: Apr 10, 2018

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.

NASA Reveals How Living in Space for a Year Affected Scott Kelly’s Poop

The Real Story Behind the Iconic ’Friday the 13th’ Whisper Sound Effect

‘Avocado’ doesn’t mean what you think it means.

11 Common English Words That Come From Native American Languages

AI Is Tackling Yet Another Creative Medium: Improv Comedy

Google Launches World's Largest Digital Collection of Frida Kahlo Artifacts

"Faces of Frida" includes more than 800 items, including personal photographs of the artist, as well as letters and journal entries that she penned.

25 Bizarre Items Uber Riders Have Left Behind

You'd be surprised by the number of Uber passengers who leave their pets behind—including one person forgot their fish tank (with fish and water inside).

Toronto, 'Raccoon Capital of the World,' Is Fighting Its Trash Panda Problem ... and Losing

The city's raccoon-proof trash bins don't exactly work as intended.

Buster Keaton seen with Donald O'Connor on the set of a film in 1957

How to Craft the Perfect Gag, According to Buster Keaton

It's all about perspective.

Are There Any Synonyms for the Word ‘Synonym’?

The answer is a bit complicated.

Here’s how to nail the pluralization of your name—even if there’s a possessive involved.

To Apostrophe or Not to Apostrophe: How to Pluralize Your Last Name

Pluralizing a last name can seem confusing—and it gets even more confusing when you want to make a name both plural and possessive. Here’s how to correctly do both.

Look closely, and you will see Mary Katharine Goddard’s name at the bottom of the Declaration of Independence.

Remembering Mary Katharine Goddard, the Only Woman Whose Name Appeared on the Declaration of Independence

Mary Katharine Goddard was one of America’s first publishers, and she was tasked with printing and delivering the Declaration of Independence to the 13 colonies.

How to Spot Poison Ivy, According to a Scientist

Poison ivy can take many different shapes and sizes. It can appear in small patches, take the form of creeping vines or a bush, and can even mimic the appearance of a tree it has wrapped itself around.

Where does this literary device come from, and why is it named after a fish?

Where Did the Phrase 'Red Herring' Come From?

The figurative phrase is more than 200 years old, but the obscure etymology of a 'red herring' is a fishy story that is itself a red herring.

This man is very much alive—as are misquotations of his famous statement.

Reports of Mark Twain’s Quote About His Own Death Are Greatly Exaggerated

“The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated” is a little exaggerated itself. Find out the real story behind this famous quote.

This dachshund wants you to know you're probably mispronouncing the name of his breed.

The Right Way to Pronounce 'Dachshund'

Dachshund is actually made up of two smaller German words (dachs, which means “badger,” and hund, which means “dog”) and it's not pronounced “dash-hound.”

What Is Bologna Made Of?

If you really want to know …