Mental Floss

NEWS



Venesection on male patient by Cintio d'Amato, 1671

From curing rabies with raw veal to using a red-hot poker to prevent nosebleeds, these treatments of old will make you especially thankful for science and modern medicine.

Meredith Danko














Jim Henson attends the 1985 BAFTA Awards at London's Grosvenor Hotel.

If there’s anyone to thank for your early childhood television obsessions—specifically of the puppet variety—it’s Jim Henson.

Olivia Truffaut-Wong
Steve Martin is The Jerk (1979).

Comedy generates an immediate, undeniable audience response. If people are smiling and laughing, then there's a good chance you made an effective funny movie.

Matthew Jackson








The Afternoon Meal (La Merienda) by Luis Meléndez, circa 1772

In the 17th and 18th centuries, there were as many words for lunch as there were varieties of it. Below is a lexicon of some of these splendid words.

Keith Johnston