Mental Floss

BIG QUESTIONS





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“The implications [of this question] are… profound,” says entomologist Michael Raupp. “Reckless flying, passing out in frosty beer mugs, hitting on crane flies instead of mosquito babes. Frightening!” Still, no major studies have been conducted to determi

Mark Mancini




Photo by ?? Janko Ferlič on Unsplash

Just like how an older sibling might act out when a new baby joins the family, a study from PLOS ONE suggests dogs get jealous when they perceive there is a rival for their owners' attention.

Hannah Keyser








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One thing is for sure: It’s not because we find it funny. In fact, many people find tickling very unpleasant. So why does it make us laugh?

Erin McCarthy
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All-Stars on contending teams may have cause to try their hardest once they get to the Midsummer Classic, but what motivates them to get there? And I mean that in the most cynical sense.

Hannah Keyser








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Just as we humans cling to our air conditioners and plunge our heads into the freezer in the summer months, koalas have found a source of relief from stifling temperatures.

Jessica Hullinger
Hannah Keyser

Not recently, of course. But what about their ancestors? The question is: Did the flightless birds of today, a family known as Ratites, evolve from flightless birds of yore or did their airborne ancestors lose the ability to fly over the millennia?

Hannah Keyser