Shaunacy Ferro

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Shaunacy Ferro is a senior staff writer for MentalFloss.com. Her work has previously appeared in Fast Company, Popular Science, and Architect magazine, among others. She lives in Brooklyn and spends most of her free time taking photos of her cat.

Move Over, Comets: Planets Can Have Tails, Too

New astronomical observations show that exoplanets can have gas tails, like comets.... READ ON

Watch Coral Devour a Sea Slug

When polyps attack... READ ON

The Man Who Invented the Spork

The combo spoon/fork's inventor was a rich New York doctor with a string of wacky patents.... READ ON

A Scarf Knitted With Brain Waves

An art project called NeuroKnitting turns brain activity into fashion.... READ ON

9 of the Most Beautiful Weather Photos of the Year

NOAA’s Weather in Focus contest features spectacular skies and terrifying storms.... READ ON

An Ultrasonic Clothes Dryer Vibrates Clothes Dry

The super-efficient heatless dryer uses up to 10 times less energy than the standard tumble dryer—and may finish the job 20 minutes faster.... READ ON

Science Explains Why Some Movies Make Millions (While Others Flop)

A bankable director is more important than a popular star, a new study finds.... READ ON

The FDA Approves a Device That Lets Blind People 'See' With Their Tongues

The BrainPort V100 communicates visual information through electrodes signals felt by the tongue.... READ ON

Check Out Early Graph Paper Sketches for 'Super Mario Bros.'

Everyone’s favorite brick- and mushroom-based adventure was first drawn on paper grids.... READ ON

Does This Photo Feature the Notoriously Camera-Shy Vincent van Gogh?

Some say this 19th century image of six men drinking includes the rarely photographed Dutch artist.... READ ON

Artists Reveal the Bacterial Beauty of the Human Microbiome

“Invisible You” explores the human microbiome in all its bacterial beauty.... READ ON

Gmail Adds Official 'Undo Send' Button

After years as a beta feature, Gmail is officially allowing users to claw back emails from the digital ether.... READ ON

A New Vaccine for Chlamydia Is in the Works

A successful vaccination for one of the most common sexually transmitted infections has long eluded scientists. Now, they may have figured out a way to get the treatment to stick.... READ ON

Baboons Are Democratic Travel Partners, Study Finds

When deciding where to travel, baboons go with what the group thinks is best.... READ ON

A Giant TV on the Back of Semi Trucks Could Make Passing Safer

Trying to see around a semi truck can be impossible on tight roads. Samsung's Safety Truck aims to improve visibility.... READ ON

Finnish Company Wants to Power the Country With Horse Poop

Early trials show that horse manure could be a viable biofuel for home heating and electricity.... READ ON

The Musicians Who Scared the Soviet Union in the '80s

In 1985, the Soviet propaganda machine accused Western bands of spreading racism, homosexuality, and anti-Soviet myths.... READ ON

How Many Kisses Make a Proper Greeting in France, Mapped

People in Corsica really, really like to kiss each other's cheeks.... READ ON

Color Images of the 1904 Russo-Japanese War

Colorized stereographs give us a glimpse at life in the Japanese army at the beginning of the 20th century.... READ ON

What Playing a Vinyl Record Looks Like Under a Microscope

Ben Krasnow uses an electron microscope to see a record player in close-up action.... READ ON

Maps of Current U.S. Census Data in 19th Century Style

Statistician Nathan Yau makes his own 'Statistical Atlas of the United States.'... READ ON

9 Major Awards Whose Owners Sold Them Off For Cold Hard Cash

Oscars and NBA championship rings can fetch high prices at auction.... READ ON

Simple Landscaping Tricks Can Make Airports Quieter

Plowing fields next to airports can reduce noise.... READ ON

1950s Advice For Curing a Cold Includes Jazz Radio and a Good Book

The 1955 educational film "Sniffles and Sneezes" explores how germs are spread.... READ ON

7 Reasons Sleep Makes You a Better Person

Sleep helps you learn, improves your immune system responses, and can even help you play the piano better.... READ ON

Starfish Can Squeeze Solid Objects Out of Their Bodies Through Their Skin

Starfish tagged for research simply squeeze the injected tags out through the tips of their arms.... READ ON

Fermented Foods Might Reduce Social Anxiety

Can you chow down on kimchi to reduce social anxiety? That's what a new study on the links between gut bacteria, neuroticism, and fermented foods suggests.... READ ON

Google Sheep View Finds All the Sheep on Google Maps

The Internet contains more sheep than you'd ever imagined.... READ ON

The First Time-Lapse Recording of a Dying Blood Cell

When white blood cells die, they eject long strings of useful molecules that the body reuses.... READ ON

7 Body Parts Scientists Can Grow in a Petri Dish

Bioengineered brains, limbs, and organs are being grown in the lab.... READ ON

A Soviet Spacecraft Collects Dust in Kazakhstan

Photographer Ralph Mirebs finds the remains of the Soviet space shuttle in Kazakhstan.... READ ON

Inside the Mysterious Hot Springs Found Deep Below the Gulf of California

The hot-water chimneys found in the Pescadero Basin are like any other hydrothermal vents in the northern hemisphere.... READ ON

After Losing a Limb, Jellyfish Reorganize Their Bodies for Symmetry

Jellyfish don't regrow limbs—they simply work with what they've got.... READ ON

Spectacular Footage of an Erupting Chilean Volcano

A German crew just so happened to be filming at the right place at the right time.... READ ON

Why Are Public Toilet Seats U-Shaped?

Plumbing codes require u-shaped toilets for hygienic reasons.... READ ON

15 Hilarious Hidden Camera Selfies by Animals

A new website called Snapshot Serengeti features a collection of more than 1.2 million images, and more than a few of them might be considered selfies by human standards.... READ ON

A 15-Year-Old Discovered a Planet During a Week-Long Internship

Tom Wagg was three days into a work-study program when he discovered a new planet.... READ ON

Dogs Really Like Looking at Doors

Doors “hold a special social relevance to dogs,” animal behavioral specialists say.... READ ON

Just How Hard Is It to Become Nintendo World Champion? Watch and See

The final match involved this crazy all-new level of Super Mario Bros.... READ ON

15 Amazing Things Aluminum Foil Can Do

It's more than just a handy way to wrap leftovers.... READ ON

People Aren’t Just Afraid of the Dark, They’re Afraid of Nighttime

Nighttime fears aren't just about the lack of light, a new study finds.... READ ON

Being Calm Is Contagious—At Least for Roly Polies

The larger the group of woodlice, the calmer they are.... READ ON

'Smelly' Fruit Tastes Sweeter, Even If It Has Less Sugar

This Device That Tells You When to Pee Is Actually Kind of Brilliant

Brightly alerts people with incontinence of when their bladder is expanding.... READ ON

How Much DNA Is There in the World?

Storing all the genetic information on Earth would require 1 sextillion of the world’s most powerful supercomputers.... READ ON

Ride Out Summer on an Awesome Geodesic Swing

Kodama Zomes are the perfect place to lounge in style.... READ ON

Eerie Polaroids From the Set of ‘The Shining’

Behind-the-scenes photos of Jack Nicholson on the set of Stanley Kubrick's masterpiece... READ ON

The Science Behind Why People Hate the Word 'Moist'

Warning: This article contains lots and lots of mentions of the word "moist." Moist.... READ ON

European Supermarket's Perfume Makes You Smell Like a Barbecue

Lidl's Eau de Grill is designed to evoke memories of Finnish cookouts.... READ ON

There's Glass on Mars, and It Could Hold Ancient Life

Glass deposits detected on Mars could have preserved evidence of ancient life on the Red Planet.... READ ON

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