Mental Floss

ALL STORIES



The dish really doesn't have anything to do with primates.

Monkey bread—a sticky pull-apart pastry that’s typically made from canned biscuit dough—is a sugary, cinnamony treat that has nothing to do with primates.

Sam Hindman






Hey, little guy.

From the long legs of the jerboa to basically everything about the duck-billed platypus, evolution has taken some weird turns.

Bethel Afful








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
This scene probably wouldn’t be enough to claim ownership of the moon in space court.

The question of who has a claim to the moon and its resources is less a speculative fiction subject and more one for lawyers. Specifically, space lawyers.

Jake Rossen




Steer clear of the blast zone.

Discover some of history's most hilarious—and unforgettable—controversies that were caused by farts, including regime changes in Ancient Egypt and more.

Lucas Reilly




See if you can decipher this twisted tune.

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
An aerial view of the Great Barrier Reef near Queensland, Australia.

Australia’s biggest natural wonder is a huge draw for tourists and fish alike. Here’s everything you need to know about the world’s most famous reef.

M. Arbeiter