Mental Floss

LISTS

Interpol allows for global law enforcement connections.

What exactly is Interpol? What can it do? What are its limits? Can it really connect police forces from around the world? Here’s one clue: It’s not actually a law enforcement agency.

Jake Rossen
iStock // Lucy Quintanilla

If we listen across the globe, we’ll hear all sorts of gasping H's and gulping K's, so much so that it almost seems like there’s a universal word for hiccup. Except there are some surprising, er, hiccups along the way.

John Kelly






Prince

You might love his music, but there are probably a few things you don't know about the artist formerly known as The Artist Formerly Known as Prince.

Erica Palan


Fresh fish.

Many euphemisms exist for a state or federal prison stay—and once inside, inmates have to adopt a whole new jargon to navigate incarcerated life.

Jake Rossen
The Oasis in Plainfield, Indiana.

From greasy spoons in small towns to famous restaurants in bigger cities, here are some of the best diners in all 50 states.

Suzanne Raga


Here are a few ways you can help.

It’s easy to feel helpless after a mass shooting. The problem can feel insurmountable, but mass shootings are preventable—and action is an antidote to despair.

Scott Beggs








'Never Let Me Go'

'The Guardian 'named Kazuo Ishiguro’s sixth novel, 'Never Let Me Go'—a subtle, heartbreaking sci-fi tale about clones whose lives are barreling toward a sad and mysterious end—one of its 100 best books of the 21st century. Here's what you need to know.

Erin McCarthy