Mental Floss

BIG QUESTIONS

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Climate models are predicting that this fall, there's a 75 percent chance that an El Niño will occur. But just what is this weather phenomenon, and how does it affect us?

Hannah Keyser
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There's a good reason seals and sea lions look so similar—they're both members of the pinniped taxonomic group, a name which refers in Latin to their "fin feet." Walruses are also a part of the clade but while their prominent tusks set them apart, seals a

Hannah Keyser




Dolphin Research Center, Grassy Key

Having to come to the surface regularly for oxygen makes dolphins great for reliable viewing. But doesn't it sound a little exhausting? As humans understand it, sleep tends to involve a level of unconsciousness that would seem dangerous to aquatic mammals

Hannah Keyser




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If you're even a casual baseball fan, that second question—why don't more pitchers throw submarine style?—might seem preposterous. Submarine pitchers, whose release point is so low their knuckles practically scrape the ground, are a rare breed in Major Le

Hannah Keyser




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It started with the partnership Forrest Mars and Bruce Murrie. Their partnership would lead to the iconic M & M candy that is so beloved to this day.

Matt Soniak




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Much like “I’ve fallen, and I can’t get up!”, “I’m not a _________, but I play one on TV” became a catchphrase that outshone the original product it was designed to promote. Sure, most of us remember hearing the “I’m not a doctor” line, but how many of us

Kara Kovalchik
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The idea that moss grows on the north side of trees is an old one, says Dan Johnson of the College of Natural Resources at the University of Idaho, "and it makes a lot of sense."

Erin McCarthy




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Whether you prefer Thin Mints or Samoas, the pint-sized entrepreneurs peddling their sweet treats are making an awful lot of dough off of our national obsession with Girl Scout cookies. In fact, all told, the Girl Scout Cookie Program is an $8 million bus

Hannah Keyser




ian-albert.com

In Super Mario Bros., Mario has a pretty rough day. He's forced to rescue a princess completely on his own, which seems suspicious given the fact that most royal families have designated security details at their disposal. What kind of third-rate dynasty

Nick Greene
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In 2001, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) determined that English would, from then on, be the standardized language of air travel, and issued a directive that stated that all aviation personnel—pilots, flight crews, and air traffic con

Kara Kovalchik
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The debate has been raging at least since the 1870s, when our evolutionary theory forefathers Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace disagreed as to how and why the zebra got his stripes.

Hannah Keyser
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Last week, a study by Chinese and American scientists revealed another reason to not pee in pools, which had more to do with chemistry than good manners.

Matt Soniak