Meredith Danko

Joined: Aug 15, 2013

Former head writer of mental_floss on YouTube. Also writes for Crash Course and AFC Wimbly Wombly.

The cover of 'Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.'

32 Fascinating Harry Potter Word Etymologies

25 Facts About Stanley Kubrick's 'The Shining'

70 Amazing Facts About Game of Thrones

Operators at the switchboard of the Magneto Exchange of the National Telephone Company.

23 Obsolete (Or Nearly Obsolete) Jobs

Not surprisingly, the Witness Protection Program is pretty mysterious.

23 Facts About the Witness Protection Program

What exactly is the Witness Protection Program, and how does it work? Here's what you need to know about the secretive program.

24 Fascinating Facts About the Solar System

The solar system: It’s big, it’s heliocentric, and it’s got space junk to spare. Here are 24 out-of-this-world facts about the corner of space that’s home to Earth.

21 Ways School Was Different a Century Ago

School has come a long way since the 19th and 20th centuries. From corporal punishment to lunch to recess, here are just a few ways school was different a century ago.

Flipping the pages of a book may trigger ASMR in some people.

22 Fascinating Facts About ASMR

Here's what you need to know about the brain-tingling phenomenon ASMR, or Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response.

The headless horseman has predecessors from all around the world.

The Real Origins of 18 Scary Stories

From possessed dolls and Bloody Mary to the Bunny Man and the Jersey Devil, here are the origins of 18 famous scary stories.

25 Fascinating Facts About Fossils

From giant parrots and penguins to really old poop and The Bone Wars to the difference between body fossils and trace fossils, here are a few fascinating facts about fossils.

Venesection on male patient by Cintio d'Amato, 1671

30 Strange Old-Timey Medical Treatments

From curing rabies with raw veal to using a red-hot poker to prevent nosebleeds, these treatments of old will make you especially thankful for science and modern medicine.

A photo of inventor Thomas Edison, who was born in Milan, Ohio, on February 11, 1847.

35 Lesser-Known Inventions of Famous Inventors

You've heard of the light bulb and the telephone, but what about Thomas Edison's terrifying talking doll and Alexander Graham Bell's metal detector?

Some of Disney's most beloved rides and attractions have gone the way of the Dodo.

21 Defunct Disney Park Rides and Lands

Did you know that Jackie Chan, Whoopi Goldberg, and Cher were once featured in a Disney ride? It sounds fun, but Superstar Limo didn't last long—and neither did these other Disney rides and lands.

31 Facts About Sharks

Whether you're a 'Jaws' fanatic or just want to live every week like it's Shark Week, you'll want to read up on these fascinating facts about sharks.

26 Fascinating Facts About the Human Body

Did you know that people are the only animals with chins? Here are 26 facts about the human body you might not know.