Mental Floss

LISTS

A reconstruction of Ötzi the Iceman at the South Tyrol Archaeological Museum in Italy.

Nicknamed Ötzi the Iceman, the mummified man was around 40–50 years old when he died in the Copper Age. Here are 13 surprising facts about him.

Kristina Killgrove
How to say “hello” (or something that roughly translates to a greeting) in five conlangs.

A conlang is a constructed language, where someone has intentionally created its grammar, vocabulary, and phonology. Here are five you can learn.

Ciara McLaren






The world is heating up, and things are often on fire—literally. As we do what we can to squelch the flames, check out some old and obscure words people of the past used when they wanted to talk about all things fire.

Mark Peters


How many of these colors did you know about?

A vast vocabulary of words have been invented, borrowed, and accumulated over the centuries to describe almost every color and shade imaginable.

Paul Anthony Jones, Amanda Green, Ellen Gutoskey


Get ready for your next nakation.

Nudist Resorts have some simple—and necessary—rules. Here are a few things to keep in mind should you ever find yourself on “nakation.”

Jake Rossen






Get to squashing!

Over the past decade or so, the spotted lanternfly has become one of the most notorious invasive species in the United States. Here’s how it got here, how to spot it—and most importantly, how to kill it.

Mark Mancini
The Ferris wheel is as beloved today as it was when it first debuted in 1893.

From the Ferris wheel to the Tilt-a-Whirl, carnival rides have some fascinating origin stories. Discover more about the history of these popular attractions here.

Editorial Staff






While your Deaf friends might get a good laugh when you accidentally sign “f**k you” instead of “thank you,” it’s still best to know the correct signs when interacting within the Deaf community.

Dominique Swanson


The great white is one of more than 500 shark species.

Whether you’re a ‘Jaws’ fanatic or just want to live every week like it’s Shark Week, you'll want to read up on these fascinating facts about sharks.

Meredith Danko
Lucille Ball was an August baby.

A number of noteworthy historical figures were born in the month of August. We couldn’t possibly name them all, so here are just a handful of lives we’ll be celebrating.

Caitlin Schneider