Mental Floss

ALL STORIES

Delivery!

There comes a point in every child’s life when they ask where babies come from, and some parents—not wanting to explain the details of reproduction just yet—turn to the story of storks. We explore the origins of a myth that has been around for centuries.

Lorna Wallace








Its value as the key that unlocked the meaning of Egyptian hieroglyphs is world-famous—but the turbulent history surrounding the Rosetta Stone’s discovery and translation is more obscure.

Jeff Wells
Grab your magnifying glass.

We give you an obscure word with four definitions—one correct, three made up. Can you identify the correct one?

Ellen Gutoskey








James Cowan Smith really wanted people at the National Gallery in Edinburgh to see this painting of his deceased dog, Callum.

People donate artwork, objects, and even money to the institution of their choice. But sometimes, museums and galleries wind up receiving something odd—or something fairly normal, but with strange stipulations attached.

Jane Alexander








It’s time to play Tune Twist, where we translate the lyrics of popular songs into multiple languages and then back into English. Can you figure out what the song is, or who performed it?

mentalfloss .com