SCIENCE

Archaeologists Need Your Help to Study 100+ Graves in Philadelphia

With enough funding, they will analyze—and then reinter—the remains of people buried between 1707 and 1859 in a Baptist cemetery—and mental_floss will be in the lab with them.

Study Sheds Light on Why Salty Snacks Are So Addictive

Salty food doesn't make you thirsty, but it might make you hungry.

DRI Science via Flickr Creative Commons // CC BY-ND 2.0

Freezer Malfunction Melts Precious Arctic Ice Samples

“I’ve had better days, let’s say that.”

New "Super-Earth" Exoplanet May Have Water—and Life

The planet resides in its star’s habitable zone, the slim "Goldilocks" orbit at which water can exist as a stable liquid.

The Deepest Shipwreck Ever Found

We are only just beginning to find ways to explore the deepest trenches.

How Do Tics Develop in Tourette Syndrome?

A new study models the brain interactions that could be behind the tics.

Study Finds Women in Academia Do More Unpaid "Service" Work

This phenomenon is not unique to academia, but can be seen across many major career fields, from finance to medicine.

Solar-Powered Dehumidifier Pulls Fresh Water Out of Thin Air

It's not that difficult to collect condensation in a humid climate, but squeezing H20 from arid, thin air is another story.

New Test Uses Gene Editing Technology CRISPR to Detect Disease

SHERLOCK is fast, cheap, and can accurately detect infections like Zika virus and Dengue fever and even cancer-causing mutations.

Marcos André via Flickr Creative Commons // CC BY 2.0

Scientists Explain How Your Shoes Untie Themselves

The combination of two forces tugs at the knot until the lace slips free.

Hidden Figures Is Coming to Classrooms

The real-life story behind the hit movie doesn't end once the credits roll; for educators, there's now a free curriculum to use in the classroom that shines a light on the pioneering African-American women of NASA's space program.

Bastique via Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-SA 3.0

Scientists: Jellies Are the Oldest Animals on Earth

There’s evidence to support both sponges and comb jellies' claim to the title, but the latest research, published in the new journal Nature Ecology and Evolution, lands hard in favor of Team Jelly.