Mental Floss
  • AMAZING FACTS
  • BIG QUESTIONS
  • ENTERTAINMENT
    • ENTERTAINMENT
    • #TBT
    • MOVIES
    • MUSIC
    • POP CULTURE
    • TV
  • HISTORY
    • HISTORY
    • ARCHAEOLOGY
    • BAD OLD DAYS WITH A.J. JACOBS
    • BIOGRAPHIES
    • BLACK HISTORY MONTH
    • KING TUT
    • TITANIC
  • LISTS
    • LISTS
    • BOOKS
    • FOOD
    • LANGUAGE
    • WORDS
  • LIVE SMARTER
    • LIVE SMARTER
    • HEALTH
    • SMART SHOPPING
    • TRAVEL
    • HACKS
    • FUN
  • QUIZZES
    • QUIZZES
    • KENNECTIONS WITH KEN JENNINGS
    • BRAINTEASERS
  • SCIENCE
    • SCIENCE
    • ANIMALS
    • ENVIRONMENT
    • SPACE
  • ALL STORIES
  • NEWSLETTER
      Mental Floss

      How On Earth

      Mount Saint Helens erupts May 18, 1980 in Washington State. The natural occurrence blew a mushroom cloud of ash thousands of miles into the air.

      11 Explosive Facts About Mount St. Helens

      When it blew on May 18, 1980, Mount St. Helens became the most explosive volcanic eruption in U.S. history. And no, it’s not done.

      Shaunacy Ferro

      A circumhorizontal arc, or "fire rainbow," in Japan.

      What Causes a Rainbow If There Isn’t Any Rain?

      As the saying goes, you can’t have a rainbow without a little rain. But you can have parhelia and circumhorizontal arcs.

      Ellen Gutoskey

      An image of Earth from 1 million miles away snapped on July 6, 2015 by a camera on NASA's Deep Space Climate Observatory spacecraft.

      100 Facts About Earth

      How much do you know about the blue marble we call home? From how our planet formed to just how many species there are, here are 100 things you need to know about Earth.

      Jake Rossen, Justin Dodd, Jonathan Mayer



      Two people can, however, look at the same photo of a rainbow.

      Rainbow Disconnection: Why No Two People Can Ever See the Same Rainbow

      How do rainbows form? It’s all about light waves, water, and angles—and that includes the angle from which you see one.

      Ellen Gutoskey


      jcrosemann/iStock via Getty Images

      8 of the Biggest Tsunamis in History

      The biggest tsunami ever recorded reached 1720 feet high—which is taller than the Willis Tower in Chicago.

      Michele Debczak


      Calving is one way that glaciers lose ice.

      12 Disappearing Glaciers Around the World

      If you want to behold some of the world's most majestic glaciers on six continents, you better act fast.

      Julie Fogerson


      Volcanoes can change the world.

      Blow Hard: 11 of the Biggest Volcanic Eruptions of All Time

      Volcanoes do more than just spew lava. They can usher in revolutions, inspire great works of literature, or even convince people they're seeing ghosts.

      Jake Rossen
      PREVNEXT
      Mental Floss
      ABOUT
      CONTACT US
      NEWSLETTERS
      PRIVACY POLICY
      COOKIE POLICY
      TERMS OF SERVICE
      ACCESSIBILITY STATEMENT
      SITEMAP
      A-Z Index

      © 2023 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved