The Best of Mental Floss
10+ most popular Mental Floss articles, as voted by our community.
Home for all things curious, including surprising facts; answers to life's big questions; and untold stories from history, science, pop culture, and beyond.
Mental Floss on Books
13 Authors Whose Deaths Were Stranger Than Fiction
Unusual deaths aren’t just found on the page.
Mental Floss on Food
Cacao vs. Cocoa: What’s the Difference?
‘Cacao’ and ‘cocoa’ started out as synonyms—but there’s a little more to unpack in today’s product labels.
Do Brussels Sprouts Taste Better Now? Yes—Here’s Why
It’s partly thanks to the popularity of roasted Brussels sprouts over boiled ones—but that’s not the whole story.
Mental Floss on Health
Can You Really Laugh Yourself to Death?
In 1975, a woman found her husband dead in a chair after watching a BBC sitcom. He had been laughing for almost a half-hour. Was it merriment that killed him?
Mental Floss on Humor
The 30 Best Comedy Movies of All Time
Comedy generates an immediate, undeniable audience response. If people are smiling and laughing, then there's a good chance you made an effective funny movie.
Mental Floss on Puzzles
The Great Rebus Craze of 1937 (Plus 4 Rebuses to Solve Yourself)
How did Americans make money during the Great Depression? Some sold apples on street corners and others became migrant farmers. But about 2 million Americans tried to strike it rich another way: By…
Mental Floss on Time
28 Fascinating Facts About Time
Every person on Earth is living in the past, and more facts about time that are likely to hurt your brain.
Popular
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Here’s the Best Way to Answer the Dreaded “Tell Me About Yourself” Question During a Job Interview
Hearing "tell me about yourself" is an intimidating way to start a job interview, but there is a right way to answer the question.
Where Did the Term ’Poster Child‘ Come From?
While the exact phrase didn’t enter the language until the 1930s, using children as a means to raise funds for hospitals goes way back.
A Brief History of Pickles
From ancient Mesopotamia to New York deli counters, pickles have played a vital role in the global culinary scene. But where do pickles come from, and how did the cucumber become the standard-issue…
The Russian Family That Cut Itself Off From Civilization for More Than 40 Years
The Lykov family left Russian society under persecution in the 1930s and remained hidden until 1978.
11 Lesser-Known Fairy Tales
Almost everyone knows the classic fairy tales like 'Cinderella' and 'Sleeping Beauty.' But you probably haven't heard of 'Hans-My-Hedgehog.'
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