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.

Illustration of people enjoying wassail, circa 1800.

What Is Wassailing, Anyway?

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

Why Do Ghosts Say “Boo”?

Assault, Robbery, and Murder: The Dark History of “Bedsheet Ghosts”

Dwight Eisenhower Wrote a Letter Accepting Blame for D-Day's Failure, Just in Case

14 Surprising Facts About William Shakespeare

Despite his many contributions to English literature, surprisingly little is known about William Shakespeare's life. Here’s what we do know about the celebrated actor, poet, and playwright.

Photo illustration by Mental Floss. Image: iStock.

The 1925 Cave Rescue That Captivated the Nation

The epic effort to rescue Floyd Collins was a battle between heroism and folly, selflessness and selfishness, and life and death.

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.

8 Conspiracy Theories and What They Get Right

Grab your tinfoil hats. It’s time to get paranoid about mind control, CIA agents in the media, and other conspiracy theories with small grains of truth behind them.

Stephen King owes his career to the support of his wife, Tabitha.

How Stephen King’s Wife Saved ‘Carrie’ and Helped Launch His Career

Take a look back at the surprising origins of “Carrie,” Stephen King’s first book—and more importantly, discover how his wife Tabitha King played a pivotal role in its creation.

The Dame of Sark, Sibyl Hathaway, in March 1953.

How the World’s Only Feudal Lord Outclassed the Nazis to Save Her People

Dame Sibyl Hathaway protected her people with the unlikeliest of weapons: Feudal etiquette, old-world manners, and a dollop of classic snobbery.

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

Sequoyah: The Man Who Saved the Cherokee Language

His innovative alphabet brought literacy to a nation.

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

13 Fascinating Facts About the Oxford English Dictionary

It took more than 70 years and tons of volunteer labor to create “the definitive record of the English language”—including an assist from a murderer. Get to know the Oxford English Dictionary better.

Why Alaska is Home to America’s Easternmost Point

To find the easternmost point in the United States, look west.

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.

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.