Mental Floss

NEWS

The history of pizza is packed with myths and misconceptions—but it sure is delicious.

The history of pizza is a large pie—half Margherita and half lies. Let’s take a bite out of pizza’s past, covering styles from Neapolitan and New York to Sicilian and St. Louis and beyond.

Jon Mayer






Language is weird.

Some nouns only have a plural form, regardless of how we think of them. They are known as ‘pluralia tantum,’ Latin for “plural only.”

Arika Okrent


These cats went to sea and to space, and inspired artists, writers, and scientists.

Anyone with a cat will probably argue that their feline is the coolest—but there have been at least a few other candidates through the ages, from Able Seacat Simon to Abraham Lincoln’s kitties to the feline that inspired Nikola Tesla.

Kerry Wolfe




You rang?

Cats and “Pspsps” go together like toddlers and the crinkling wrapper of a candy bar that you were trying to eat in secret. What gives?

Ellen Gutoskey




A Furby.

We debunk myths from the last decade of the 20th century, from fraudulent Furby fears to some misinformation around the era’s most famous trial.

Ellen Gutoskey








Kate Beckinsale stars in 'Underworld' (2003).

The movie, which hit theaters September 19, 2003, was a surprise hit: It was made for $22 million but grossed nearly $96 million, kicking off a film franchise that brought in nearly $550 million. Here’s what you should know.

Erin McCarthy