Mental Floss

BIG QUESTIONS

There's a good reason you don't see baby pigeons.

To city dwellers, it might seem that pigeons multiply magically: All the birds swooping down at us, or scurrying out of the way when we walk, are fully grown. How come we never see baby pigeons anywhere?

Erin McCarthy
















How loud a fart is depends on a couple of factors.

Farts can make a lot of different noises. Some are high and squeaky, while others explode like a car backfiring—and some don’t make any noise at all.

Autumn Spanne








How did ‘Scrabble’'s makers decide how many points each letter was worth? It started with an unemployed architect during the Great Depression, and it has stayed the same ever since.

Ellen Gutoskey

The Wilhelm Scream sound effect has been heard in everything from 'Star Wars' to 'Avatar.' But why do so many filmmakers use it?

Sean Hutchinson