Mental Floss

Gone but not forgotten.

ART

15 Memorable Crayola Crayon Colors That Have Been Retired

PALEONTOLOGY

Deer Hunter Stumbles Upon Mammoth Tusk on Texas Ranch

HISTORY

New Virtual Museum Lets You Explore Harriet Tubman’s Teenage Home

BOOKS

11 Essential Books by Irish Authors That Are Worth Reading

These majestic creatures keep the ocean under control in many ways.

ANIMALS

Whale Pee Is Good for the Ocean, Study Finds

Bob Dylan, circa 1966.

MUSIC

A Simple Twist of Fate: The Surprising Connection Between Bob Dylan and Nora Ephron

The Milky Way over Monument Valley in Arizona.

SPACE

10 Astonishing Things You Should Know About the Milky Way

Jason Sudeikis is Ted Lasso.

ENTERTAINMENT

18 Fun Facts About ‘Ted Lasso’

LANGUAGE

1

Where Does the Phrase ‘Gift of Gab’ Come From?

2

24 Words From Laádan, a Language Invented to Express a Woman’s Point of View

3

Why Female Dogs Are Called “B*tches”—And How the Word Became an Insult to Women

4

The 20 Most-Searched Text Abbreviations of 2025 (So Far)

5

Definition Detective Quiz #29

HISTORY

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Johann Sebastian Bach plays an organ.

The Phony Disease That Helped Researchers Identify Bach’s (Purported) Body

The ‘school fossil boulder’ originating from Dunn Creek Mining Area, Callide, Queensland.

66 Dinosaur Footprints Discovered on Rock Gifted to an Australian High School Decades Ago

Easter is in April in 2025.

Why Does Easter’s Date Change Every Year?

A mass of shipping containers at the port of Shenzen, China.

How Do Tariffs Work?

QUIZZES

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See if you can decipher this twisted tune.

Tune Twist Quiz #32

A person holds an American flag during a naturalization ceremony on the ship ‘Wavertree’ in New York City. The 20 candidates were from 17 countries and 5 of the candidates were current or former members of the U.S. military.

Could You Pass the U.S. Citizenship Test?

Do You Know the Presidential Line of Succession?

Can you figure it out?

Can You Solve This Old-Timey Riddle? #29

FEATURES

In space, it isn’t just number one and done.

To Boldly Go: The Science Behind Pooping in Space

The Dame of Sark, Sibyl Hathaway, in March 1953.

How the World’s Only Feudal Lord Outclassed the Nazis to Save Her People

Robert Kennicott, pictured against Alaska’s Kennicott Glacier, was a key figure in the Smithsonian’s formative years.

Death of a Scientist: The Mysterious Demise of Smithsonian Pioneer Robert Kennicott

BIG QUESTIONS

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This is a scene you might recognize from every police procedural ever.

How Do Two-Way Mirrors Work?

Believe it or not, soda containers can change how the product tastes.

What Makes Canned and Bottled Sodas Taste Different?

Aldi has a good reason for charging a quarter to use carts.

Why Does Aldi Charge a Quarter to Use Their Shopping Carts?

Room temperature is a frame of reference.

What Exactly Is ‘Room Temperature’?