Lucas Reilly

Joined: Nov 21, 2012

Lucas proudly worked on mental_floss magazine for four years, where he served as a senior editor. For two years, he worked as a longform feature writer for the web. He's embedded with professional eclipse chasers in Nebraska, interviewed feudal lords in Britain, hunted for buried treasure in Virginia, and once profiled a man who had tried to turn into a goat. Chances are, you can find him at the library.

A lithograph of Sequoyah by John Guss after an original painting by Charles Bird King.

Sequoyah: The Man Who Saved the Cherokee Language

The OED features 600,000 words over a thousand years of the English language.

13 Fascinating Facts About the Oxford English Dictionary

Why Alaska is Home to America’s Easternmost Point

‘Boo’ didn’t originate as a ghostly saying.

Why Do Ghosts Say “Boo”?

A Forgotten George Gershwin Musical Just Made Its American Debut

The last time anybody saw a fully-orchestrated production of Gershwin's "Primrose," it was 1925.

This kitten is experiencing awe in the traditional sense of the word.

19 Words That Used to Mean Something Negative

Sometimes words move up in the world. Their meanings change with time, becoming more positive—a process linguists call amelioration.

An (Almost) Comprehensive History of Rat Kings

Myth, hoax, or Mother Nature's freak accident? Here's the story of nearly every rat king ever discovered.

Some music literally gives you goosebumps—what's up with that?

Why Does Music Give You Chills?

When your playlist strikes all the right chords, your body can go on a physiological joyride.

When Queen Victoria Employed an Official Rat-Catcher

The story of Jack Black, the eccentric “rat and mole destroyer to her majesty.”

It had a little something to do with syphilis.

The Reason People Wore Powdered Wigs

For nearly two centuries, powdered wigs—called perukes—were all the rage. The chic hairpiece would have never become popular, however, if it hadn't been for a venereal disease, a pair of self-conscious kings, and poor hair hygiene.

Many people have tried to describe durian's taste and smell over the centuries.

21 Attempts to Describe the Taste of Durian, the World’s Smelliest Fruit

Biting into a durian can be an utterly confusing and contradictory experience. Here are some outsider opinions from the past 400 years.

“[They] forced the conqueror of conquerors ... to retreat and leave them in possession of the field.”

The Time Napoleon Was Attacked by Rabbits

History tells us that Napoleon’s most upsetting defeat came at Waterloo. But it may have actually occurred eight years earlier, after the French emperor was attacked by a relentless horde of rabbits.

19 Brilliant Facts About Albert Einstein

Once a simple patent clerk, Albert Einstein changed the world with his theories of special and general relativity.

Flight delayed or canceled? Here's what to do.

12 Things To Do When Your Flight's Canceled or Delayed

The next time you're stranded at an airport because of a flight delay or cancellation, follow these expert tips—and have a better chance at maintaining your sanity.

The Murderer Who Helped Make the Oxford English Dictionary

The story of the OED’s most prolific contributor, a sex-addicted murderer who lived in an insane asylum.

Eadweard Muybridge: The Eccentric English Bookseller Who Created the First 'Motion Picture' Was Also a Murderer

In 1860, a tragic head injury helped turn a quiet bookseller into one of the world's most consequential photographers.