Mental Floss

LISTS

Caught in action.

Letting your cat walk across the counter can be pretty gross. We had a cat expert offer some advice on how to nip that habit in the bud.

Alexia Kontolemos




Ignorant people are everywhere.

Here are a few words for ignorant people you might want to add to your lexicon, from ‘wantwit’ to ‘dorkmunder’ to ‘ninnyhammer.’

Mark Peters




Nick Frost and Simon Pegg in 'Shaun of the Dead' (2004).

Edgar Wright's horror-comedy 'Shaun of the Dead' has become a cult classic over the years, and in honor of its 20th anniversary, it’s even coming back to theaters.

Matthew Jackson
Ryan Gosling in ‘Drive’ (2011).

Nicolas Winding Refn, who directed, doesn’t even have his driver’s license—and nine other things you need to know about this Ryan Gosling film.

Mike Rampton


A scanning electron micrograph of ‘Mycobacterium tuberculosis’ particles (colorized red), the bacterium that causes TB.

Ailments as diverse as tooth decay and malaria have caused suffering for thousands, even millions, of years—and they’re not done with us yet.

Liz Langley




Everything from ‘Jolene’ to ‘Waterloo’ is hitting the big 5-0 in 2024. Give ’em a spin.

Kenneth Partridge










Walter Matthau in a scene from 'The Taking of Pelham One Two Three' (1974).

Make a list of the greatest movies ever set in New York City, and it should include ‘The Taking of Pelham One Two Three.’ Discover more facts about the 1974 crime drama here, including how producers got the MTA to let them use real subway trains.

Matthew Jackson