Mental Floss

ENVIRONMENT





We learned a lot in 2023.

From record-breaking plants and incredible animal news to space superlatives and the awesome power of Taylor Swift fans, here’s the long list of things we learned in 2023.

mentalfloss .com












Permafrost in Eastern Siberia.

About 11 percent of the Earth’s surface is perpetually frozen, though that will surely change as global warming continues.

Tim Brinkhof








Get to squashing!

Over the past decade or so, the spotted lanternfly has become one of the most notorious invasive species in the United States. Here’s how it got here, how to spot it—and most importantly, how to kill it.

Mark Mancini