Mental Floss

SCIENCE

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Northern U.S. States Might Get a Glimpse of the Aurora Borealis Tonight

Look up, Minnesota!

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Whale Sharks Can Live for More Than a Century, Study Finds

They don't reach maturity until they're 25.

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Scientists Find a Possible Link Between Beef Jerky and Mania

One ingredient in particular is to blame.

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Your First Memory from Infancy Is Probably a Lie

If you think you remember being a baby, your brain is deceiving you.

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Bad Moods Might Make You More Productive

But the boost doesn't apply to everyone.

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7 Reasons Why You Should Let Your Kid Get Bored This Summer

It’s good for them, we swear.

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Animal Welfare Groups Are Building a Database of Every Cat in Washington, D.C.

There will even be an app that lets you photograph them.

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15 Podcasts That Will Make You Feel Smarter

Your education shouldn't end when you graduate.

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How Does Catnip Work?

Not all cats love it.

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A Baby's Cries Might Hint at What the Child Will Sound Like as an Adult

Many of our distinct vocal characteristics may be determined in utero.

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Just Smelling Coffee Can Give You a Brain Boost

Now you have a good excuse for keeping your coffee cup glued to your nose.

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6 Signs You're Getting Hangry

Check yourself before you wreck yourself.

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Astronomers Discover 12 New Moons Around Jupiter

The planet now has 79 moons in total.

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Britain Is in the Midst of a Rare ‘Wind Drought’

Last month, turbines were producing less than 2 percent of Britain’s electricity—the lowest rate in two years.

MARS Bioimaging

The World's First Full-Color 3D X-Rays Have Arrived

The images are remarkably detailed.

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More Studies See Links Between Alzheimer's and Herpes

The common virus might hold a key to understanding the debilitating brain disease.

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'Lime Disease' Could Give You a Nasty Rash This Summer

Squeeze with caution.

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Why Eating From a Smaller Plate Might Not Be an Effective Dieting Trick

It's a popular shortcut to eating less, but does it work?

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Billion-Year-Old Rocks Reveal the First Color Ever Produced by a Living Thing

And it hasn't gone out of fashion yet.

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Heatwaves Can Affect Your Ability to Think Clearly and Make Decisions

High temperatures really do make your brain feel fried.

Fletcher Christian and the mutineers sent Lieutenant William Bligh and 18 others adrift in a 1790 painting by Robert Dodd.

How the 1789 Mutiny on the HMS Bounty May Help Explain—and Treat—Migraine Headaches

On April 28, 1789, Fletcher Christian and 18 other sailors wrested control of the HMS Bounty from Lieutenant William Bligh. They then sent Bligh and his loyal crew members off in a lifeboat in the South Pacific. More than 230 years later, their actions ma

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Drinking Up to Eight Cups of Coffee a Day Could Help You Live Longer

Time to brew another pot.

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20 Obvious Things Confirmed by Science

Brace yourself. These are shocking developments.

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Want to Chat with Your Colleagues? Don't Work in an Open Office

When companies got rid of cubicles, workers stopped talking to each other and started emailing instead.