![Whitewater rafters carry the Olympic torch on its way to Paris. Whitewater rafters carry the Olympic torch on its way to Paris.](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_4284,h_2409,x_0,y_0/c_fill,w_1080,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/GettyImages/mmsport/mentalfloss/01j3r0h6t6nwgyc5szf6.jpg)
![Stacy Conradt Stacy Conradt](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_180,ar_1:1,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/voltaxMediaLibrary/mmsport/mentalfloss/01fw71t8thrcdxsyyndc.jpg)
Stacy Conradt
Joined: Nov 21, 2012
Stacy Conradt has been contributing to Mental Floss since 2008. As an avid board game lover, she is especially fond of her work on Split Decision and Mixed Nuts. In her spare time (ha) she likes to run badly and visit roadside attractions that make most people cringe. She never met an Abe Lincoln tribute she didn't love. If you have one to suggest, let her know at twitter.com/stacy_writes.
![Whitewater rafters carry the Olympic torch on its way to Paris. Whitewater rafters carry the Olympic torch on its way to Paris.](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_4284,h_2409,x_0,y_0/c_fill,w_1080,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/GettyImages/mmsport/mentalfloss/01j3r0h6t6nwgyc5szf6.jpg)
![Vice President Charles Dawes. Vice President Charles Dawes.](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_3728,h_2097,x_0,y_250/c_fill,w_1080,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/GettyImages/mmsport/mentalfloss/01j3d9r9xw1x0skxw5gz.jpg)
The Vice President Who Wrote a Hit Song
![The Radcliffe Camera at the University of Oxford, the oldest university in the English-speaking world. The Radcliffe Camera at the University of Oxford, the oldest university in the English-speaking world.](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_2128,h_1197,x_0,y_94/c_fill,w_1080,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/voltaxMediaLibrary/mmsport/mentalfloss/01j2evpwz8nw8e4qpxrp.jpg)
10 of the Oldest Universities in the World That Are Still Operating
![Barack Obama supporters hold posters with his campaign slogan in 2008. Barack Obama supporters hold posters with his campaign slogan in 2008.](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_1024,h_576,x_0,y_75/c_fill,w_1080,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/voltaxMediaLibrary/mmsport/mentalfloss/01j1dc3drfmd6mja3h4a.jpg)
The Origins of 10 Presidential Campaign Slogans
The Quick 10: People With Fake Middle Initials
Maybe fake isn't exactly correct - some of the people on this list really have initials for middle names, they just don't mean anything. But others have made them up entirely. Read on to see what I mean. 1. Harry S. Truman. His parents were trying to p
14 Things You Owned in the ‘70s That Are Worth a Fortune Now
Discover which of these rare 1970s toys, albums, and housewares could make garage sales worth your while.
10 Facts About the Mall of America
2. The shopping center has its own zip code.
Why Do We Call a President’s Wife “First Lady”?
Presidents have had a lot of titles and nicknames, but the wife of every president has one common honorific. Why do we call her “first lady”?
Mount Everest: The World’s Highest Graveyard
Mount Everest’s bitter temperatures, unpredictable weather, icy terrain, and lack of oxygen make climbing it so difficult, in fact, that many don’t survive to tell the tale.
Why Do People Drink Mint Juleps at the Kentucky Derby?
How the bourbon-mint concoction took the horse-racing world by storm.
Yves Klein: The Artist Who Invented a Color
Picasso and his Blue Period have nothing on Yves Klein, who created art almost exclusively in a shade of his own invention.
10 Interpretations of Popular Nursery Rhymes
You’ve probably grown up your entire life without putting much thought into the nursery rhymes drilled into your head. But there are tales behind each of them—some pretty dark.
Why Does Weed Make You Hungry?
Marijuana really does give you the munchies—here's the science behind why.
14 Very Valuable Coins That May Be Sitting In Your Coin Jar
Got a double-ear Lincoln penny or a coin that reads "In God We Rust"? You're in luck: They're worth money.
The Surprising Stories Behind 6 Famous Advertising Slogans
Here's how 'Just Do It' and five other iconic slogans came to be.
11 Amazing Things Invented by Kids
The 5-year-old who created transforming toy trucks was the youngest person to hold a patent.