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This may not give you the best reading of your body composition.

Why Body Composition Scales Aren’t the Best Way to Measure Fitness

Body comp scales claim to measure how much fat and muscle you have, but they may not give an accurate picture of health. Here’s why.

How “We Built This City” Went From No. 1 Hit to “Worst Song Ever”

The public once made the rock anthem a chart-topping hit. Then we all seemed to change our mind.

Aging might seem scary, but you probably don’t have all of the facts.

3 Common Misconceptions About Aging, Debunked

The idea that older people need less sleep is just one common misconception.

Recall Alert: Your Walmart Frozen Shrimp May Be Radioactive

Consumers are being warned their frozen shrimp may have something in common with the Chernobyl disaster: a radioisotope.

Overhead view of Pit 157 from Bergheim Saulager, showing a late Middle Neolithic violence-related bone collection analyzed in the study.

Smashed Skulls and Severed Limbs Suggest Stone Age Armies Brutalized Their Victims

According to a new archaeological study of human bones showing evidence of violent “overkill,” war was hell even in the late Stone Age.

The Best State Parks for Picnics, According to Visitors

Looking for the perfect picnic spot? Reviewers say these state parks are top-tier.

Definition Detective Quiz #51: Guess the Meanings of These Obscure Words

We give you an obscure word with four definitions—one correct, three made up. Can you identify the correct one?

A hiker crosses a ravine on a log through Olympic National Park’s rainforest.

Why Is the Pacific Northwest So Rainy?

Two factors explain why Seattle, Portland, and surrounding areas get all that precipitation.

11 of the Best Waterfall Trails in the U.S.

From a Yosemite icon to a Grand Canyon hidden gem, there are epic waterfall hikes to be found across the country.

When it comes to adult literacy, not all states are equal.

Mapped: The States With the Highest and Lowest Adult Literacy Rates

A major survey is spelling out trouble for the country's literacy rates.

23 Cities Hit Hard By Inflation in 2025

See the U.S. metro areas where inflation is making life expensive, based on fresh Consumer Price Index data.

Google‘s newest feature lets you choose how you want to navigate the internet.

How to Take Control of Your News Feed With Google’s Preferred Sources Feature

Follow these steps to add your favorite sites (like Mental Floss) to your Preferred Sources list.

No one wants to go through a nuclear war.

Could Cockroaches Really Survive a Nuclear War?

Cockroaches have a reputation for being indestructible. But they may not be as totally immune to radiation as people think.

We've got the stories behind all these photos.

20 Fascinating Photos of Historical Figures at the Beach

Find out what brought these historical figures to the beach—and what they wore while there.

See if you can decipher this twisted tune.

Can You Decipher These Translated Song Lyrics? Tune Twist Quiz #54

It’s time to play Tune Twist, where we translate the lyrics of popular songs into multiple languages and then back into English. Can you figure out what the song is, or who performed it?

Best to avoid using the air fryer to cook bacon or kale.

10 Things You Should Never Put in an Air Fryer

Air fryers are a game-changer for many home cooks. But unfortunately, there are still several types of food they can’t quite handle.

Cold Spring Harbor: The Long Island Lab that Brought Eugenics to America

Charles Davenport’s Eugenics Record Office collected data on thousands of Americans, hoping to support a pseudoscientific theory that would create a more perfect human race. It led to unspeakable tragedy.

Map of America’s Top Last Meal Requests by State

Americans have a strong preference for what they want to eat before they shuffle off this mortal coil.

The 20 Most Commonly Confused Word Pairs in America, According to Google Data

If you’ve ever Googled any of these words to figure out the difference between them, you are far from alone.

Some pretty strange laws are still on the books.

Quiz: Can You Identify Which Weird Law Is Totally Real?

It doesn't matter if they're outdated or unreasonable: Some laws refuse to go away. Guess which wacky rules are still on the books.

10 Things You May Not Know About Skunks

Skunks get a bad rap, but there’s amazing chemistry and behavior behind these adorable animals.

Egress windows are built for one very specific purpose: keeping you alive.

What’s an ‘Egress’ Window—And Why Is It Important?

Brushing up on some boring window terminology could mean the difference between life and death. (Seriously.)

‘Star Trek’ wasn't host to TV’s first interracial kiss, but it’s the one people tend to remember.

The ‘Star Trek’ Interracial Kiss That Made TV Executives Panic

William Shatner’s lip lock with Nichelle Nichols wasn't TV’s first interracial kiss, but it might have been the most controversial.

Hint: No presidents were born in the White House.

Quiz: Match the President to His Hometown in This Fiendishly Tricky Game

It’s easy to name the state most associated with a president, but can you name his actual birthplace?