Mental Floss

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When The Price of Salt was first published, it gave LGBTQ+ readers something they had never encountered before: a novel that didn’t punish its main characters for being gay and allowed them at least the possibility of a Happily Ever After.

April Snellings






The U.S. Senate chamber and its rows of desks.

The historic moments that happened at these desks—and the Senate VIPs who sat behind them—mean that some have taken on lives of their own.

Stacy Conradt


The Antikythera mechanism.

From seriously aged cheese to the world’s first analog computer, shipwrecks have produced some fascinating—and sometimes disgusting—artifacts.

Michele Debczak
Toilets have been privy to some important events over the years.

From Elvis's near-final resting place to the porta-johns that saved a pilot's life, these are the toilets that altered world events.

Ken Ossea, Jr.


'Game of Thrones' star Peter Dinklage

Peter Dinklage has delivered a slew of memorable roles marked by a sardonic sense of humor. He also managed to survive an eight-season bloodbath in Westeros.

Scott Beggs


Bianca Del Rio performing in Pasadena, California, in 2021.

‘Paris Is Burning’ and ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ have helped bring drag queen colloquialisms to the fore. Here are 11 important ones.

Ellen Gutoskey








Nature's light show.

No summer evening is complete without watching fireflies. Here are some fun facts about lightning bugs—which are technically beetles, not bugs.

Bryan Dugan