FUN

Where Did The Rhythmic Clapping Cheer At Baseball Games Come From?

Behind-the-Scenes Pics From Our Daniel Radcliffe Photoshoot

We had tons of photos we loved and couldn't fit in the print edition, so here are a few outtakes from our August 5 photoshoot, a couple of behind the scenes shots, and some more quotes from Radcliffe.

Good, Honest Football: Re-Watching the XFL

It only lasted one season.

A Gorgeous Guide to Musical Notation

Pop Chart Lab's latest poster is bursting with musical marks that will make musicians of all stripes tremolo with joy, turn after inverted turn. Even viola players have reason to celebrate: the chart even gives the maligned alto clef some much-deserved lo

Teenagers Just Can't Figure Out the Original NES

15 Summer Projects and Activities There's Still Time For

On the Scene at the Absolutely Insane Barkley Marathons

Inspired by a flubbed prison escape, the Barkley Marathon is a ludicrously challenging 100-mile race only a handful of runners have completed. Finishing it twice? That's next to impossible.

The Time Muhammad Ali Made a Record About Fighting Tooth Decay

There is a version of this story that is very short and goes something like this: Here is a real thing that exists, now go tell all your friends about it.

Watch Excavators Play Giant Jenga

How Hasbro Created its 6-inch Jabba the Hutt Action Figure

When attendees line up outside Comic Con International for tonight’s preview, there’s one exclusive they’ll be probably more eager to get their hands on than any others: Jabba the Hutt, the first figure in Hasbro’s Star Wars Deluxe Black Series. Here's ho

10 Declassified CIA Cafeteria Complaints

Shameful secrets from the clandestine agency's food court.

11 Retro Grooming Products That Kept Dads Looking Dapper

How many of these products do you remember the ol' man (and his ol' man) using to look and smell his best?

The Print Collector/Print Collector/Getty Images

11 Female Health Products from the 1908 Sears Catalog

A woman’s health, hygiene, and beauty routines have never been simple. Need proof? Check out Sears's1908 catalog, which offers a rare glimpse into how ladies of the early 20th century dealt with some of their most private issues.

How to Clean a 94-Foot Blue Whale Model

Once a year, Brittany Janaszak undertakes her biggest dusting of all, hopping in an aerial lift, strapping on a safety harness, and vacuuming off the museum's 94-foot-long blue whale.

10 Bizarre Food-Related Kickstarters (That Aren't Potato Salad)

People will crowdfund anything these days.

George Takei Reviews 20 Totally Random Products on Amazon

Somehow, one of Mental Floss' favorite Star Trek alums-turned-internet-sensations, George Takei, finds time to write Amazon reviews for products you never knew existed. And we're all so lucky that he does.

10 Dangerous Ways to Amuse Yourself from an 1820 Book

The second edition of Endless Amusement, published in 1820, promises “nearly 400 entertaining experiments in various branches of science.”

Life Lessons From Sharper Image Catalogs

These products were all sold in Sharper Image catalogs in the late '80s. Even the fake cellphone antenna.

A Twitter Scavenger Hunt for Cold Hard Cash

Ron Popeil's Subliminal Messaging Machines

Popeil Industries filed a number patent requests for subliminal messaging technology and the machinery to implement it.

11 Alternative Summer Camps

Beyond kickball.

8 Weird Dance Crazes From '90s TV Shows

Nothing says the '90s like a cheesy dance craze. These dances will bring back some memories—feel free to dance along.

Nikolay Evsyukov/iStock via Getty Images

23 Places Where the Konami Code Lives On

This super-secret Konami Code has a special place in the hearts of the many geeks who grew up with it.

10 Ways Academics Say Comedians Make Us Laugh

Hey, what’re you laughing at? Psychologists debate whether humor arises simply from absurdity and incongruity, from a need to relieve tension, or from a desire to feel superior. Academics have identified 41 humor techniques, 10 of which are listed below.

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