Mental Floss

HEALTH

English bulldog today and English bulldog circa 1930

These breeds aren’t what they used to be.

This ancient symbol, also called the Staff of Hermes, depicts two snakes intertwining around a stick that is capped by wings. It’s used as a medical logo, but for almost all its roughly 5000-year history, the caduceus had nothing to do with medicine.

Members of Robert Falcon Scott's 1910-1913 expedition to reach the South Pole.

Here's how to tell frostbite symptoms from hypothermia symptoms.

The website expands the feature to non-Premium users.

The feature—once only available to Premium users—pauses videos automatically after a set time.

Foot pain and sprained ankles are just a few of the common problems affecting our ill-adapted feet.

From back injuries to difficult childbirth, here are six annoying parts of being human that you can blame on evolution.

Don’t do this.

Here’s another reason to rethink bringing your phone into the bathroom with you.

Going on “fart walks” can alleviate digestion issues.

“Fart walks” could be the answer to your gastrointestinal woes.

Don’t you feel better already?

You’ve heard of therapy dogs, but maybe not therapy llamas and alpacas.

This kid is in for a bad time.

As anyone who has seen ‘A Christmas Story’ knows, licking a cold metal object can be dangerous. Here’s why you should never stick your tongue to a metal pole in winter.

Maximize your PTO so you can catch up on your reading.

Americans get an average of only 11 vacation days per year. Use them wisely.

Nitrous oxide (also known as laughing gas) is a common anesthetic that only requires a mask over the mouth and nose.

Anesthesia is a complex mixture of medications that lessen pain during procedures. Different types affect the body in different ways.

You may experience better sleep if you use the military method.

Are you having trouble falling asleep? Try the military method that helped Navy pilots fall asleep in under 120 seconds.

Scurvy decimated sailors, explorers, and regular citizens for centuries before a cure for the vitamin deficiency was discovered.

A case study of a man in Australia is highlighting the return of a disease associated with Elizabethan sailors and polar explorers.

Get a better sense of how illnesses have shaped history in these gripping reads.

Get a better sense of how illnesses have shaped history with these gripping reads about history’s most notorious diseases.

Keep these antioxidant-rich fruits firm and fresh for longer with these tips.

These tips can help extend the shelf life of your grapes and keep them fresh for weeks to come.

It's important to wash your dishes before the first use. Here's why.

Experts say you shouldn't skip cleaning new cookware.

L.A. is at the top of the list of the best vegan and vegetarian cities.

Whether you’re vegan, vegetarian, or veggie-curious, these cities are worth a visit.

Traveling with a peanut allergy isn't the flight risk you think.

The idea of peanut dust being carried through a plane cabin has always worried those with serious allergies. New research should ease their concerns.

Apple cider can be dangerous.

Fresh apple cider is delicious. It’s also potentially teeming with bacteria.

A safe time is a good time.

Impaling your own hand while carving for your kids is not a good look. Here’s how to avoid it.

Wipe away!

Let’s just say you’ll be super grateful for your toothpaste and toilet paper after watching the latest episode of The List Show.

There's a certain technique that could be worth mastering.

There is an art—and perhaps even a science—to putting on Band-Aids correctly.

Don’t expect 120th birthdays to become the norm anytime soon.

Barring some dramatic medical advancements, living into your eighties remains the best-case scenario.

Sneezing is gross, but it’s also normal.

Many people underestimate the damage that suppressing a sneeze can cause.