Mental Floss

NEWS









Uh oh.

The super-contagious gastrointestinal virus is causing outbreaks across the U.S. Here's how to protect yourself (and everyone around you) from norovirus.

Jennifer Billock
The world of medicine is even stranger than you can imagine.

From Alice in Wonderland Syndrome to the real-life version of Benjamin Button’s disease, these rare conditions could come straight out of a storybook.

Bethel Afful




David Lynch

The iconoclastic director behind ‘Mulholland Drive,’ ‘Twin Peaks,’ and more cult classics—who passed away on January 16, 2025 at the age of 78—once drew a comic strip about a furious dog and disliked large furniture.

Scott Beggs




Your lungs expel carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and water vapor every time you exhale.

Taking in oxygen to power your whole body is just one part of your lung function. Altogether, your lungs are a highly efficient machine—and they do a lot more than you might think.

Jordan Rosenfeld
Powerful winds fuel the Palisades and Eaton fires in the Los Angeles area.

Meteorological organizations have strict naming protocols for tropical cyclones and hurricanes. Not so for wildfires, which can end up being named for the local dump.

Nick Keppler