Mental Floss

LISTS



Halloween isn't the only time of year to celebrate these cute kitties.

Black cats do not bring bad luck, and they aren’t necessarily harder to adopt than other cats. Here are more facts about these adorably dark furballs.

Kaitlin Stainbrook






Sailors in the early days of exploration may have believed that manatees were mermaids.

Unicorns, mermaids, vampires, and leprechauns are some of the most widely known mythical creatures, but where did these legendary beings come from?

Erin McCarthy




The way some words are spelled is downright bizarre.

Ever wonder why there’s a ‘k’ in ‘knead,’ or a ‘d’ in ‘Wednesday’? While there isn’t always a good reason for why some English words are spelled the way they are, there are reasons.

Arika Okrent






Robert De Niro and Val Kilmer in ‘Heat’ (1995).

Netflix has plenty of options for the action fan, from martial arts classics to gritty thrillers. Check out some of the best and most explosive movies you can stream right now.

Jake Rossen






Salvador Dalí was not a fan of insects.

“The only thing we have to fear is fear itself”—unless you also fear the number 13. Or insects. Or being buried alive. Here are the fears of just a few of history’s most notable figures, from FDR to Dalí.

Jane Alexander