WEIRD

Is the call really coming from inside the house?

15 Origins of Urban Legends

From what inspired Candyman and the Mothman to the tales about alligators in the sewers and killers calling from inside the house, we're breaking down the origins of popular urban legends.

An Edison phonograph exhibit with a talking doll in Paris, 1889.

Listen to Thomas Edison’s Eerie Talking Dolls Speak After More Than a Century of Silence

Modern technology has helped these dolls find their voices—and when they speak, it’s downright creepy.

10 Wild Bigfoot Conspiracy Theories

Sasquatch sightings have been reported in every state but Hawaii over the course of several centuries. In the process, a number of bizarre theories have been put forth to explain how the mysterious beasts came to be—and how they manage to evade us.

This simple cereal has a particularly intriguing backstory.

10 Incredible Things That Were Invented By Accident

Not every great invention was created according to plan. From penicillin to breakfast cereal to popsicles, these everyday items were all invented entirely by accident.

First MUZZY Commercial - Je Suis La Jeune Fille!

Remembering Muzzy, the Clock-Eating Alien Who Haunted ’90s Kids

If you watched television in the 1990s, you probably saw an ad for a green blob that could teach you French.

Search of the Internet Revealed No Evidence of Time Travelers

The researchers analyzed search engines, search data, and social media in hopes of turning up evidence of time travelers.

The Legend of ‘Bum’ Farto, the Key West Fire Chief-Turned-Drug Dealer Who Vanished

In 1975, Bum Farto had it all. A dead body and a drug deal gone wrong changed everything.

'I see, sir. And when did you order the Uber Eats?'

Canada’s Worst 911 Nuisance Calls Include Complaining About a Bad Haircut

Losing your nose ring in the shower is a bummer. It’s not an emergency.

Barbie and Ken are just two members of the Barbie bunch.

Our 26 Favorite Stories of 2023

From Celine Dion’s “erotic motorcycle” to the crafty female platypus who faked a pregnancy in order to bust out of the Bronx Zoo, 2023 was full of some pretty great stories.

6 Strange “Alien” Languages Created by Linguists

Exolangs are constructed languages that imagine how the languages of extraterrestrial beings might look and sound—and linguists have come up with some pretty mind-bending options.

There was something for every type of reader on MentalFloss.com in 2023.

Our 25 Most Popular Stories of 2023

Once again, Mental Floss readers proved to be curious about all sorts of niche topics—and our editors and writers were happy to oblige their interests.

9 Funerals Gone Wrong

From a profane parrot to an exploding corpse to swapped (and dropped) bodies, the funerals on this list went terribly awry.

Secret societies and dark cabals? You'll find plenty of them in these tomes.

From Murders to Mysterious Codes: 6 of the Best Dark Academia Novels

From murder mysteries to secret societies and more, the best dark academia novels from Donna Tartt and other authors capture the macabre in the most unlikely of places.

Lingonberry jam and cream sauce are included, naturally.

Caricature by James Gillray of Perkins Tractors being administered to a patient.

8 of History’s Greatest Charlatans

One scam was convincing enough to fool George Washington.

Everything You Never Wanted to Know About Snail Sex | Deep Look

Watch How Snails Make Baby Snails

Snail mating involves “love darts.”

Library Patrons in Oregon Can Check Out a Robotic Cat for Company

The battery-powdered purr machines are part of the library's collection of unusual items available for lending.

Forget about trying to nab any of these records.

8 World Records Too Dangerous for Guinness

The world's longest saxophone note is too risky to attempt. So is the world's longest kiss.

One of the rooms inside the Explorers Club headquarters.

11 Awesome Artifacts You Can See at the Explorers Club

The Explorers Club keeps some odd artifacts in its collection, including a stuffed whale penis.

The St. Augustine globster washed ashore in 1896.

7 Bizarre Globsters That Have Washed Ashore

Though these marine mysteries are often solved, globsters—unidentified organic masses that wash up on beaches—continue to capture the public’s imagination.

100 Facts That Will Make You Go “WTF”

Weird but fascinating facts about everything from the guy who dragged cars with his nipples to frogs shedding (and eating!) their own skin.

"They want someone to spray the trees so the leaves stop falling."

New York City’s 20 Weirdest 311 Complaints From the Last 20 Years

NYC311 has fielded calls involving everything from goats to ghosts.

11 Surprising Facts About Vampire Bats

Only three bat species, out of some 1100 in the world, actually have a taste for blood.

How Does Sword Swallowing Really Work?

The ancient art of sword swallowing may seem like some sort of elaborate trick—but it’s very, very real (and very, very dangerous).

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