Mental Floss

BIG QUESTIONS

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Being able to charge your laptop like you would at home is a perk, but how is the electrical socket grounded when you’re 35,000 feet above the Earth?

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The expression been used as a fable to teach sincere repentance, by Shakespeare to convey false grief, and, more recently, by media mocking tearful politicians or murder suspects.

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The avian high-wire act, explained.

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It has to do with a few seats (and a couple million dollars).

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Tasty for us, deadly for them.

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Libraries often benefit from the extra cash (if they're allowed to keep it).

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Scientists have found the gene that gives the veggie its characteristic hue.

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How does a run-of-the-mill best-of collection sell more than 29 million copies?

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It might be to focus on the subject at hand (or, well, at face).

It works for birds.

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Does not sitting down equal no tip?

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And what happens if we apply them sideways?

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Old Mexico is Mexico. Old York is York. But where is Old Zealand?

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Periodical cicadas have had scientists scratching their heads for centuries.

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Glaciers do the same thing, but on a much larger scale.

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Don't let this question leave you … with anxiety.

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Two words: monopoly and propaganda.

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Evolution, geography, and luck all may have contributed to the long lives of these gentle giants.

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It may look silly, but they do it to keep us safe.

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The maximum soaring height of that lost party favor depends on physics.

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Some enterprising students decided to find out.

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All night skies are not created equal.

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It's loud and sometimes messy, but it gets the job done.

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Scientists say the discomfort of being bored drives us to seek out dopamine-stimulating sweet or fatty foods.