Mental Floss

VIDEO









German is known for its extremely long compound words—Mark Twain once complained that some were “so long they have a perspective.” This quick video demonstrates how those words are constructed.

Arika Okrent


*Insert Jaws theme here* / Alexyz3d via Shutterstock

In this episode of Misconceptions, host Justin Dodd debunks some myths about these great beasts of the ocean, from whether punching them in the nose is a valid defense tactic to the events that inspired 'Jaws.'

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Sometimes a picture doesn’t tell the whole story.

From Elvis Presley wearing a velvet suit to meet Richard Nixon to the migrant mother who unwittingly became the face of the Great Depression, these are the true stories behind a few iconic photographs from history.

Ellen Gutoskey


That’s a lot of hungry bats.

The nightly bat exodus, which occurs most early evenings between 5:30 and 6:30 p.m., is one of the most popular attractions at Malaysian Borneo’s Mulu National Park.

Anna Green


Gladiators in the Roman arena

Did Julius Caesar really say “Et tu, Brute?” Did Nero fiddle while Rome burned? What was with the togas? We answer these questions and more.

Ellen Gutoskey






The history of pizza is packed with myths and misconceptions—but it sure is delicious.

The history of pizza is a large pie—half Margherita and half lies. Let’s take a bite out of pizza’s past, covering styles from Neapolitan and New York to Sicilian and St. Louis and beyond.

Jon Mayer