Sunday was mental_floss contributor Brett Savage's 30th birthday. To celebrate, we were going to post 30 of his greatest quizzes. Upon further reflection, that seemed like an excessive amount of fanfare, so we settled on these three. Mark the end of Brett's twenties by clicking on any banner and taking that... READ ON
Ben and Terri sent in this pic of their cat who apparently preordered the book on Amazon (at least that's what the photo and bad grammar led us to believe). Thank you so much for showing your support. Thanks to this cat and all of you, the book has actually climbed to #2 on the world history bestseller list. And while we're ecstatic about the numbers, we're even more happy that we're finally breaking into that elusive cat demographic. If you haven't preordered the new mental_floss book yet, the deal's... READ ON
Do you love learning about history, but lack the proper outlet to show off just how much you know? Well my friends, today is going to change your life. (Or at least give you a brand new way to kill time at work.) To coincide with the release of The Mental Floss History of the World, we're launching a whole new section of our site—'The Ultimate Brain Challenge.' The game is filled with hundreds of history-based trivia questions. We've also hired a surly sensei to nudge you toward becoming a black... READ ON
It seems a lot of you are taking us up on our new special at Amazon (if you preorder our new History of the World book, we'll give you a free 6-month subscription to the magazine). For anyone who ordered, we just wanted to say thank you! In the past few days, we've risen from the hundred-thousands to #38 on Amazon, which puts us just ahead of such Western classics as the I Can Has Cheeseburger book (#41) and Ted Nugent's Ted, White and Blue (#47). Of course, we're still way, way behind Dewey: The... READ ON
Our very first hardback, The Mental Floss History of the World: An Irreverent Romp Through Civilization's Best Bits goes on sale on the web today! And if you can't tell from all the extra exclamation points, we're pretty darn excited. In fact, we can't stop talking about all the great stories that are crammed into the thing: from why getting slapped across the face and then crying in public was the most important thing a Babylonian king could do to keep his job, to why Queen Elizabeth cursed Walter Raleigh... READ ON
No purchase or payment necessary to enter or win. A purchase will not increase your chances of winning. Void where prohibited by law. The Contest: In 750 words or less, explain why you (as the most deserving person on the planet) should win a $10,000 prize for tuition/books in the fall of 2009. The contest is open to full-time students pursuing an undergraduate degree at an accredited two-year or four-year college or university in the U.S. or Canada in the fall of 2009. Essays must be original work... READ ON
Are you a Big Ten scholar? Let's find out. Take the Quiz: Name the Big Ten in 2 Minutes We're celebrating Labor Day by not working. Instead, we're posting some of our favorite Daily Lunchtime Quizzes from yestermonth. Stop by every day at 11:30am Eastern Time for a new... READ ON
We know, the banner may not look like typical mental_floss (the world-peace-promoting musician Nassiri has kindly funded the challenge). But we assure you the content is pure Sandy and Kara (you know them as the geniuses behind 5 Questions, True Crime, TV-holic, the Daily Brain Game). Take the quiz here, and let us how you did in the comments... READ ON
...the first VP from Delaware. ...the first Catholic Vice President. (John F. Kennedy was the first Catholic President, but to date we haven't had a Catholic in the second slot.) ...the first VP who graduated from the University of Delaware. UD alums have, of course, taken plenty of other fields by storm (notable alumni include rocker George Thorogood, MVP quarterback Rich Gannon and Dutch-born astronaut Lodewijk van den Berg, who flew on the 1985 Challenger mission). Biden wouldn't be the only alum... READ ON
Just visit the store, and enter the word "teeparty" as the discount code. But be quick! The sale ends at... READ ON
5 Questions: Now with "Wings"
How Many Vice Presidents Can You Name in 10 Minutes?
Opossums don't "play dead." When frightened, they become overexcited and pass out.
