Mental Floss
Mental Floss

THE LIST SHOW

DEET might not exist without military research.

From bug spray to Epipens, you might be surprised to learn just how many items taking up shelf space in your home were originally developed for the front lines.

Jon Mayer
A fox in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone.

Researchers thought the site of the 1986 Chernobyl disaster was unable to support life. But a bunch of wolves, deer, wild boars, bears, and foxes disagreed.

Claudia Dimuro, Jon Mayer
Know how to respond the next time someone tells you the bogus origins of the phrase 'bring home the bacon.'

The stories behind these phrase origins are amazing. Too bad they’re not true—and too bad they’re often repeated as fact. Here’s the real scoop behind the expressions.

Judith Herman
Megafauna like woolly mammoths dominated during the ice age.

From what causes ice ages and how many we’ve had, to the species that thrived and the ones that died, here’s what you need to know.

Kerry Wolfe
We learned a lot this year!

There’s no better way to wrap up 2022 than by sharing a whopping 100 things we learned this year, from interesting AI developments to unintentional art heists—and, of course, the results of the 2022 Kids’ Mullet Championships.

mentalfloss .com
'Die Hard,' starring Frank Sinatra?

Including which legendary film managed to get a PG rating despite double-digit “F-bombs,” and how ‘Bend it Like Beckham’ made history in North Korea.

Jon Mayer
The spaghetti tree in all its glory.

In this episode of The List Show, Mental Floss editor-in-chief Erin McCarthy shares some clever hoaxes that had people tricked.

Jon Mayer
Seven years of bad luck would seem like a walk in the park to these people.

Grab your lucky rabbit’s foot and read up on the tales of some of the unluckiest people in history, from the man whose backyard became a battlefield (twice!) to an absurdly accident-prone instrument inventor and beyond.

Jason Serafino
Luftwaffe Over London

From the World War II engagement that helped instigate a medical breakthrough to the devastating attack that indirectly contributed to the Renaissance, these battles altered the course of history.

Kerry Wolfe
Venus in transit across the Sun

Venus has been called “Earth’s evil twin,” and that's not—sadly—because it looks just like Earth but has a mustache.

Jon Mayer
A number of Fabergé eggs owned by the Romanov family (though not this one) disappeared after the Russian Revolution.

From lost pieces of media to irreplaceable works of art to literal pirate booty, these are the amazing and tragic stories behind valuables that seem to be gone forever.

Michele Debczak
The Antikythera mechanism.

From seriously aged cheese to the world’s first analog computer, shipwrecks have produced some fascinating—and sometimes disgusting—artifacts.

Michele Debczak
Another openin', another show ...

From the time Mae West got arrested mid-performance to the 'Carrie' musical that failed in spectacular fashion, here's what you need to know about the weird and wonderful history of the Great White Way.

Ellen Gutoskey
An Unidentified Flying Object in the sky over Bulawayo, Southern Rhodesia.

From the time the White House had a close run-in with unidentified flying objects (a.k.a. UFOs) to the truth behind what happened at Roswell, New Mexico, these are UFO facts you need to know.

Erin McCarthy
Every person on Earth is living in the past.

Every person on Earth is living in the past, and more fascinating facts about time that are likely to hurt your brain.

Kerry Wolfe
These fun facts will spice up your Tax Day.

Why does Tax Day fall on April 15? How much time do we spend doing our taxes? And which world leader taxed beards? Read on for answers to those questions and other fun facts about taxes.

Stacy Conradt
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