Mental Floss

ALL STORIES

There's a legitimate reason, and it isn't purely aesthetic.

Natural rubber is white, and so were the earliest car tires. So, why are modern-day tires black? The answer is linked to Crayola and carbon black.

Jake Rossen


The bow of the USS ‘Samuel B. Roberts,’ lying more than 4 miles under the surface of the Pacific Ocean.

These are the five deepest shipwrecks ever discovered, including the USS ‘Samuel B. Roberts,’ which went to the depths of the Philippine Trench during the Second World War.

Tim Brinkhof






The African American Civil War Memorial.

These tributes to fallen soldiers may not be as instantly recognizable as the Vietnam Memorial and others, but their stories are no less fascinating—including one that doubles as a mausoleum right in Manhattan.

Jake Rossen
Mold is the last thing you want to see after cracking open one of these.

You might never expect to see mold growing inside a fireproof safe, but it can happen. Here’s how to prevent it, plus how to properly clean it so your valuables don’t get destroyed.

Rudie Obias








Air Force One in flight.

Just as much a symbol of the presidency as the White House itself, Air Force One is probably the world’s most recognizable plane.

Anne Taylor








See if you can figure out 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