Mental Floss

Which is your crypto of choice?

MISCONCEPTIONS

11 Misconceptions About Cryptocurrency, NFTs, and More

LIVE SMARTER

There's a Reason Why It Smells Extra Gross If You Fart in the Shower

KENNECTIONS

What’s the Kennection? #162

VIETNAM WAR

9 Key Moments From the Vietnam War

Watch out, Spider-Man.

SPIDERS

Meet the Darwin’s Bark Spider, Weaver of the World’s Largest Webs

This pile of yeast and bacteria could be helpful for scientists.

FOOD SCIENCE

Researchers Are Asking Home Bakers to Donate Their Sourdough Starters to Science

There are several ways you can help make kitten season less chaotic.

PETS

Kitten Season Is Coming—Here’s How You Can Help

India‘s Thar Desert is looking a little greener than this nowadays.

ENVIRONMENT

Indian’s Thar Desert Is Getting Greener, Thanks to Human Activity

LANGUAGE

1

6 Common Terms That Mean Something Different in Courtrooms

2

Why Do We Call a Dollar a “Buck”?

3

Why Do Cowboys Say “Yee-Haw”?

4

23 Hipster Baby Name Ideas From the Dictionary of Medieval Names

5

What’s the Difference Between a Bull and a Bear Market?

HISTORY

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A bowl of phở.

The Delicious History of Phở in 10 Facts

It was inevitable.

Hershey’s Is the Latest Brand to Get a Movie Adaptation

How WWII Saved ‘The Great Gatsby From Obscurity

A museum visitor photographs a painting by modernist artist Georgia O'Keeffe.

15 Colorful Facts About Georgia O’Keeffe

QUIZZES

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Grab your magnifying glass.

Definition Detective Quiz #33

See if you can decipher this twisted tune.

Tune Twist Quiz #36

Can You Match the Moon to the Planet It Belongs To?

Can you figure it out?

Can You Solve This Old-Timey Riddle? #33

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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Look out below!

Where Does Astronaut Poop End Up?

White makes a surprising amount of sense for a painter.

Why Do Professional Painters Wear White?

Where Does the Phrase ‘Going to Hell in a Handbasket’ Come From?

Tick-tock, the deadline is coming up.

What Happens if I Don’t File My Taxes on Time?