Mental Floss

LISTS

A giant isopod in the Gulf of Mexico in 2017.

Yes, giant isopods are kind of creepy looking. But they're also kind of cute! Here are a few things we know about these internet-beloved creatures.

Erin McCarthy
warnervoduk / Youtube

Movie trailers have a difficult job. They have to condense a full feature film into an exciting, bite-sized morsel without giving away too much. Some do the former great, but blow it when it comes to the latter. Here are 12 trailers that are packed with s

Rudie Obias


Thinkstock

Most of these home remedies work by overwhelming the vagus nerve, which causes hiccups when it becomes irritated, with another sensation.

Hannah Keyser


Thinkstock

Hey, what’re you laughing at? Psychologists debate whether humor arises simply from absurdity and incongruity, from a need to relieve tension, or from a desire to feel superior. Academics have identified 41 humor techniques, 10 of which are listed below.

Judith Herman


pinterest

Tired of giving your kids the same green plastic shreds and dead-eyed chocolate bunnies every Easter? Pinterest has some creative alternatives for you.

Therese Oneill


Getty Images

This once-beloved comedy was suddenly transformed into the most notorious play ever written on April 14, 1865—the night John Wilkes Booth assassinated President Abraham Lincoln.

Mark Mancini


ThinkStock

There's more than the mixing of two great things—booze and food—that makes drunken dishes that much better. The scientific properties of alcohol make the final product even greater than the sum of its parts.

Hannah Keyser


Cindy Larson/iStock via Getty Images

Alligators are pretty cool as they are, but new discoveries about the reptilian ambush predators are adding to their repertoire.

Riley Black




Getty Images

The history hoaxers are at it again. On the heels of “Life in the 1500s”—the viral email filled with phony phrase etymologies—comes another popular email loaded with even bigger whoppers. This time it’s called “Little History Lesson” and it purports to tr

Judith Herman
Wikimedia Commons

Dinosaurs are still with us. They’ve stomped, chomped, and roared their way into our movies, our museums, and our imaginations. So let’s get ready to dig a little deeper. Today, we’re taking a closer look at everyone’s favorite three-horned herbivore, Tri

Mark Mancini
Getty Images

In the days before it was routine to sign contracts worth the GDP of a small country, baseball players often had to put down their bat and gloves during the off-season and earn some extra scratch away from the diamond. Each of these Hall-of-Famers found u

Jake Seiner


Wikimedia Commons

It’s spring, and baby birds will soon be chirping in trees and rain gutters. But not all bird nests are created equal. Whether from mud, leaves, or saliva, here are 10 birds that make some of the most astounding structures in nature.

Joy Lanzendorfer


YouTube

Way back in 1982, Bill Murray was the first guest on Late Night with David Letterman—beginning a tradition of absurdly hilarious appearances from Murray that continues to this day. Here are some of the best.

Sean Hutchinson




Nick Offerman's Twitter Account

The man otherwise known as Ron Swanson took to Reddit today to answer anything, often in his delightfully dirty way. Here's what we learned about Offerman, his facial hair, and woodworking, among other things.

Erin McCarthy