Mental Floss

LISTS

Simone Biles performs at the U.S. Olympic trials in St. Louis.

Is it too much to say that Simone Biles is not only the best Olympic gymnast, but the greatest gymnast of all time? We don't think so.

Karin Crompton
Yes, DC Comics takes its name from the Detective Comics book title. But it's a lot more complicated than that.

The history of DC Comics is filled with creator strife, corporate mergers, and award-winning works. Find out more about the iconic comic publisher.

Olivia Popp


An aerial view of Australia's Heart Reef.

From an island infested with snakes to a vault holding a very special secret recipe, these dangerous, mysterious, or otherwise forbidden places are off-limits to the public.

Michele Debczak






Do you want your baby-back-baby-back-baby-back ribs?

While you can probably find pretty good grilled meat no matter where you are, some cities have a reputation for quality barbecue that goes a little beyond a trusty steakhouse or two.

Ellen Gutoskey
A crew of cozy Calico Critters.

Calico Critters—or Sylvanian Families, as they're known outside North America—took the toy market by storm in the 1980s.

Zoë Randolph




Jackie Collins at her home in Beverly Hills, California in 1995.

Before there was 'Sex and the City' or 'Fifty Shades of Grey,' Jackie Collins was delivering unapologetically raunchy tales of glamour and seduction with a treasure trove of erotic novels.

Kristy Puchko




Authors Khaled Hosseini (left), Ralph Ellison (top center), Octavia E. Butler (bottom center), and Toni Morrison (right).

As recent graduates start exploring the job market, they should take comfort in the fact that these noteworthy authors—featured in Mental Floss’s new book, 'The Curious Reader: A Literary Miscellany of Novels and Novelists,' out now—took a sometimes windi

mentalfloss .com
Edinburgh Castle is an iconic part of the city's skyline.

Edinburgh Castle has loomed above the city since the 1100s, surviving centuries of turmoil to retain its perch above Scotland’s capital.

Jane Alexander
pjmalsbury/iStock via Getty Images

They look docile and sluggish in those popular nature documentaries, but hippopotamuses have a violent side.

Stan Shunpike
The Underground Railroad by Charles T. Webber.

During the 1800s, roughly 100,000 enslaved people sought freedom on the Underground Railroad, which stretched from the American South to Canada.

Nayanika Guha






Moussa81/iStock via Getty Images Plus

From how long a "hoax" like the Apollo 11 moon landing could actually stay a secret to the conspiracy theory involving Queen Elizabeth I, here are the actual facts you need to know about conspiracy theories.

Stacy Conradt


Lisa Loeb in 1994.

You may not remember some of these songs from the films for which they were recorded; you may have forgotten about some of these songs (or movies) entirely. But each one captures a very specific moment in the life cycle of the films, the artists, the deca

Todd Gilchrist
Erin McCarthy

Daniel Keyes’s 'Flowers for Algernon' is a poignant science-fiction novella that has won critical acclaim and popularity around the globe.

Kristy Puchko