Mental Floss

BIG QUESTIONS





iStock

For children of a certain age, there are few things more amazing than blowing out a birthday candle only to have it relight—as if by magic!—soon after the flame has been extinguished.

Nick Greene




iStock/HelenL100

What does it really mean when the weatherman says it feels like minus-20 today? Is there a wind chill thermometer somewhere, or is he just using a mathematical formula? Let's answer these and some of the other pressing questions about the ubiquitous winte

Ethan Trex






istock

The most common distinction between hair and fur that people tend to make is usually between you and your pet. You have hair on your head, and your dog Fido has fur all over its body. Easy enough, right? Wrong.

Sean Hutchinson