Mental Floss

BIG QUESTIONS

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There’s no real consensus.

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Pull apart the word "trivia," and you’ll be left with two fairly familiar Latin roots.

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Researchers set out to find which of the nose’s olfactory receptors are responsible for the stench.

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The answer is just as disgusting as you'd hope for.

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How you define the Yeti, the Abominable Snowman, and Bigfoot has less to do with the creatures themselves than their country of origin.

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Forget everything you thought you knew about "heat lightning."

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Don't try this at home.

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More often than not, detoxing is a job best left to your organs.

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The Random House Historical Dictionary of American Slang pinpoints comedian Jimmy Durante as the first person to use this meaty metaphor.

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What goes on inside a windmill?

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When Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press in 1440, he couldn’t have foreseen how his humble creation would eventually lead to a global industry churning out millions of books each year.

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Can you have a planet that isn't round? And what do potatoes have to do with it?

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The answer may have something to do with your brain's chemistry.

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In a world where previews come before movies, why are they called "trailers"?

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Wally Pipp’s name is a darling cautionary tale. It’s a great story. Too bad it isn’t all true.

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Your orphaned socks are victims of technology and your own deeply rooted psychological issues.

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It can, but because of a different kind of "stress."

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Go ahead and splurge on those industrial-sized boxes of cereal.

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No, it's not to make them more terrifying.

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One carries the water tank, the other transports the firefighters.

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"We may have hit peak crystal."

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The perfect combination of factors made the diving pool a hotbed for algae.

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There's a plan in case someone drops out after a major party nomination.

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Birthmarks? Accessories? A bizarre form of intimidation?