Nick Greene

Joined: Sep 10, 2013

Nick Greene is the former Editor-at-Large for MentalFloss.com. He has written about trying to ride the entire New York Subway system in one day, surviving the apocalypse without a spare set of contact lenses, and whether or not Elvis was actually any good at karate. Originally from Chicago, he currently lives in Oakland, California.

The Man Who Saved the Skyscraper

What Is Ed Balls Day?

Flickr User Puparrazi PhotographY // CC BY-ND 2.0

9 Surprising Secrets About Chicago and Its History

Phone numbers with letters look like gibberish to most people making a phone call today.

Why Did Old Phone Numbers Start With Letters?

This list is your Annie Oakley to fitting in at the carnival.

16 Excellent Bits of Carnival Slang to Add to Your Vocabulary

Start slipping these terms into conversation and watch as your friends bally about how great talking to you is.

What's that round thing about to hit that guy?

What 18 Symbols On Your Car’s Dashboard Mean

When something goes wrong with your car, a curious-looking icon illuminates on the dashboard. But what those symbols mean isn’t always obvious.

The cover of Vonnegut's 'Slaughterhouse-Five.'

15 Facts About ‘Slaughterhouse-Five’

Based on his experiences as a POW during the Allied bombing of Dresden in 1945, 'Slaughterhouse-Five' propelled author Kurt Vonnegut, who had been largely ignored and classified as a sci-fi paperback writer, to fame and literary acclaim.

Does Jerry West Get Royalties For Being the NBA Logo?

The silhouette on the NBA logo—a player dribbling and swiveling between a red and blue background—is Lakers legend Jerry West. But how does he benefit, if at all?

The Centennial Light shines on (and on and on) in Livermore, California.

This Light Bulb Has Been Burning Since 1901

The Centennial Light in Livermore, California, has been burning since 1901.

Secrets of the MIT Poker Course

Can a little calculus make a total novice into a gambling pro? Mental Floss did the homework and took a trip to Atlantic City to find out.

Why Is Alabama's Mascot an Elephant, and What Is a Crimson Tide?

How did the University of Alabama get its nickname?

Antoninapotapenko/iStock via Getty Images

What Are the 12 Days of Christmas?

Everyone knows to expect a partridge in a pear tree on the first day of Christmas. But when is that, exactly?

10 Historically Disappointing Time Capsules

Unearthing a time capsule should be an exciting affair. Unfortunately, these buried tubes of old garbage rarely live up to the hype.

If March 15 Is the Ides of March, What Does That Make March 16?

The Romans referred to the days of the month by their relation to the 'Kalends,' the 'Ides,' and the 'Nones.' If Caesar had been killed any other day, his famous warning might have sounded much less ominous.

The American Dentist Who Drilled a Secret Message on Tojo's Dentures

A prank that left "Remember Pearl Harbor" at the tip of the former prime minister's tongue.

15 Fascinating Facts About Pet Sounds

It was The Beatles' <em>Rubber Soul </em>that inspired The Beach Boys to record their groundbreaking album, which then inspired The Beatles to record <em>Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band</em>.