Mental Floss

MYTHS

Jack Frost pops up in a number of wintery tales.

Most iterations of Jack Frost see him clad in icy blue and white, and as well as being responsible for nose-nipping, he’s also credited with creating frost. But where exactly did this mythical cold-weather figure originate?

Lorna Wallace








Stenciled human hands in a cave near Rio Pinturas, Argentina, dating from the last ice age.

We break down some common myths about our early human ancestors—and what makes our species, ‘Homo sapiens,’ so different from them.

Kat Long

Those famous white statues weren’t originally white—and that’s just one myth about Ancient Greece we’re covering in the latest episode of Misconceptions.

Bethel Afful




A portrait of the scientists who found and examined the Piltdown Man skull (accompanied by a picture of Charles Darwin on the wall).

From forged artworks to fake mummies and even fraudulent orangutan bones, archaeological hoaxes fool scientists and stir the public’s imagination—until the culprits are forced to come clean.

Stacy Conradt










'OCD' and 'Type A' aren't synonyms.

Having an intrusive thought doesn’t mean you have OCD. Let’s break down some myths about obsessive compulsive disorder.

Kerry Wolfe


“Print is dead?!”

In the latest episode of Misconceptions, host Justin Dodd is investigating some enduring myths about journalism, from its alleged bias to premature reports of its death.

mentalfloss .com
Black sunglasses not required.

From funeral homes only using hearses to transport bodies to having to wear black to a memorial service, we’re laying some common myths about funerals to rest in the latest episode of ‘Misconceptions.’

mentalfloss .com