Mental Floss

SCIENCE

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Why Do Grown-Ups Have Wrinkles?

As we get older, we lose some of the stuff in our skin that helps it to stretch and then return to its normal place.

Mars topography visualized on a rainbow scale

New Color Scale Makes Data Visualizations Easier for Colorblind People to Read

Rainbows aren't intuitive at all.

Chloe Effron

Why Don’t We Fall Off the Earth?

Do you know the saying “what goes up, must come down”? Here is why we don't fall off the Earth.

Illustration by Mental Floss. Images: iStock

12 Facts About Kidney Stones

They’re more common than ever.

Shipton et. al,

Homo Erectus Might Have Been Really 'Lazy'

All that stood between them and better stone tools was a little hill. And yet.

Vollebak

World's First Graphene Jacket Promises to Repel Bacteria and Moisture and Absorb Heat—All for $695

It acts like a radiator you can wear.

iStock

Do Lobsters Really Mate for Life?

The truth behind the trope.

Illustration composite by Mental Floss. Egg carton: iStock

The Anatomy of a Food Recall

Who decides when our food is unsafe, and what happens next?

iStock

Intriguing New Theory Might Explain the Fate of Easter Island's Civilization

It's calling into question what we thought we knew about the mysterious culture.

iStock

11 Facts About ASMR, the Phenomenon Behind Brain 'Tingles'

We look into what neuroscience has to say about ASMR, or autonomous sensory meridian response—one of YouTube's most popular subjects.

iStock

A Team of Cigarette Butt-Collecting Birds Is Keeping a French Theme Park Litter-Free

The six rooks pecking at litter within the Puy du Fou theme park in Les Epesses, France, aren't unwelcome pests: They're part of the staff.

iStock

Online Daters Tend to Be Interested in Partners 25 Percent More Desirable Than They Are

And sometimes, it pays off.

iStock

Allergies Are On the Rise, and Scientists Have a Good Idea Why

Load up on tissues. Allergies are here to stay.

Earth as captured from near the lunar horizon by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter in 2015.

The Science Behind Why the Earth Isn't Flat

Let's review why and how we've known for at least 2300 years that the Earth is round.

iStock

9 Facts About Human Decomposition

Sometimes it can create "soapy" corpses.

iStock

The Blue Light Emanating From Your Smartphone Could Ruin Your Eyes

Here's a convincing reason to cut back your screen time.

iStock

How Much You Need to Exercise for Better Mental Health, According to Science

A landmark study looked at 1.2 million subjects to find out how much exercise is enough for your overall well-being.

Hulton Archive, Getty Images

Marie Curie Has Been Declared the Most Influential Woman in History

The two-time Nobel Prize winner tops the BBC's list of 100.

iStock

Why Tiny Dogs Lift Their Legs So High While Peeing

They're lovable AND limber.

iStock

If You're a Woman Having a Heart Attack, You'll Want a Female ER Doctor

It could be the difference between life and death, a new study finds.

iStock

Want to Take Better Care of Your Contacts? The CDC Is Hosting a Facebook Live Discussion with Tips

If you wear contacts, you can probably improve your hygiene.

NASA/JPL-Caltech

You Can Now Build Your Own Mars Rover for About $2500

Download the plans for free.

iStock

Here’s What Happens to Your Body During Anaphylaxis

This is the science of it, step by step.

iStock

8 Science-Backed Tips to Keep Your Feet From Burning on Hot Sand

The beach is wonderful when it's not giving you third-degree burns.