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.

Bright ideas come to us in the shower for a reason.

The Reason Why Our Best Ideas Come to Us in the Shower

The Optimal Time to Dunk an Oreo, According to Science

15 Times That Animals or Inanimate Objects Went to Court

7 Explosive Fart Controversies

There was a time when a kilt could get a person in a lot of trouble.

How Scotland’s 35-Year Kilt Ban Backfired in Spectacular Fashion

In 1746, tartan kilts were outlawed in Scotland. That ban would help the garment become world-famous.

The Quest to Break America’s Most Mysterious Code—And Find $60 Million in Buried Treasure

For the past century, the quest to break the Beale Ciphers has attracted the military, computer scientists, and conspiracy theorists. All have failed.

The Dubious Legend of Virgil’s Pet Fly

Did the great poet really build a tomb for a household pest?

11 Surprising Facts About Windsor Castle

Over the past 900-plus years, more than 30 monarchs have called Windsor Castle home. It has also been the site of several royal weddings—including Prince Harry's 2018 nuptials to Meghan Markle.

The Story Behind the World’s Oldest (Pet) Ham

It’s 123 years old. Oh, and it’s still edible.

The court of Kublai Khan, a rival to Kaidu.

The Mongolian Princess Who Challenged Her Suitors to a Wrestling Match—and Always Won

Delve into the history of Khutulun, the 13th-century Mongolian princess—and descendant of Genghis Khan—who challenged marriage suitors to wrestling matches.

Behold! The World’s Largest Beaver Dam

It's twice the length of the Hoover Dam, but it was only discovered with the help of satellite imagery.

King Henry with Cardinal Wolsey, circa 1528.

A 16th-Century Guide to Pooping at King Henry VIII’s Hampton Court Palace

Discover how King Henry VIII and other members of the Tudor nobility handled going to the bathroom in the mid-1500s. (Spoiler: There was velvet involved, but it still wasn’t pretty.)

The spelling is a bit peculiar at times, too.

21 Things You May Not Know About the U.S. Constitution

How well do you really know the U.S. Constitution? Discover things you might not have realized about this influential document, like its dictator-friendly loophole.

The Phony Disease That Helped Researchers Identify Bach’s (Purported) Body

Johann Sebastian Bach was buried in an unmarked grave in 1750. Nearly two centuries later, a doctor identified the composer’s bones from skeletal evidence of “organist’s disease.”

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.

You Probably Have a Favorite Burner—and You’re Probably Using It Wrong

Each burner technically has a name and a specific purpose, which means there's a chance you've been using your stovetop incorrectly this whole time.