Jon Mayer

Joined: Aug 21, 2019

Jonathan Mayer is a writer, producer, director and editor, and the Managing Producer at Mental Floss video. His work has been produced by Upworthy and Hatched, and has been written about by Splitsider/Vulture, Jezebel, the Frisky, and Laughspin. His most recent digital series, Aliens, was chosen for screening in SeriesFest and the Catlyst Story Institute Festival.

100 Facts That Will Make You Go “WTF”

The humble bacon, egg, and cheese breakfast sandwich is a more recent phenomenon than you might think.

The Delicious History of the Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Sandwich

The history of pizza is packed with myths and misconceptions—but it sure is delicious.

A Brief History of Pizza

Which offbeat attraction do you want to visit?

The Coolest Offbeat Attraction in All 50 States (and Washington, D.C.)

The cover of 'My Brilliant Friend' by Elena Ferrante.

10 Facts About ‘My Brilliant Friend’

'My Brilliant Friend' kicked of Elena Ferrante's Neapolitan series and inspired an HBO adaptation.

41 Fascinating Phobias, Explained

From acrophobia (the fear of heights) to zuigerphobia (the fear of vacuum cleaners), there are plenty of things to be scared of—rationally or otherwise.

Nope, Rhode Island is definitely not part of New York.

1 Misconception About Each of the 50 States (and D.C.)

We debunk one myth about each state in the U.S., from the Rocky Mountain not-so-high of Colorado to New Mexico. That’s right, New Mexico.

The Interesting Etymologies of 71 Everyday Words

Here’s (at least) one interesting way station each of these common words made on its journey to the present day, whether it’s an analysis of the Latin roots, a hypothesis about a proto-Indo-European origin, or a pivotal change in meaning.

The choices were made with a healthy dose of humility.

4 Foods That Shaped Human History

Which food has done the most to shape human development? Like a lot of interesting questions, it’s kind of impossible to answer.

'Kryptos' at CIA headquarters in Virginia.

8 of History’s Most Mysterious Uncracked Codes

The world of cryptology is full of stumpers. Here are the stories behind eight especially infamous ones.

Don't worry, this really is the Japanese flag.

Misconceptions About Japan

In the minds of many people in the West, Japan is a crowded, tech-obsessed country with unfamiliar habits and unhinged game shows. But how much do those perceptions align with reality?

A small sampling of our 50+ regional dish selections

One Beloved Dish From Each U.S. State

You probably know about Chicago's deep dish pizza and New York City's famous bagels, but what's the signature regional dish in Alabama? Or Idaho?

19 Odd Facts About Animal Sex

From critter-killing copulation to beautiful “bladder songs,” here are some of the strangest facts about sex in the animal kingdom.

DEET might not exist without military research.

9 Inventions That Came From the Military

From bug spray to Epipens, you might be surprised to learn just how many items taking up shelf space in your home were originally developed for the front lines.

A Bewitching History of Magic

As host Justin Dodd discusses in this episode of The History of Fun, magic has transformed from a little-respected sideshow to a multimillion-dollar industry.

11 Facts About the Animals of Chernobyl

Researchers thought the site of the 1986 Chernobyl disaster was unable to support life. But a bunch of wolves, deer, wild boars, bears, and foxes disagreed.