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11 Celebrities Posing with mental_floss

Dateline: Novi, Michigan – Motor City Comic Con 2012. Your intrepid reporter and her ever-patient husband/photographer brave the hordes of Darth Vaders, Dudley Do-Rights, and Daryl Dixons to bring you 11 celebrities posing with mental_floss: 1. Sean Patrick... READ ON

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11 Things You Didn’t Know About America’s Spymasters

© JASON REED/Reuters/Corbis There’s more to being a spy than drinking martinis, talking into shoe-phones, and discarding messages that self-destruct in five seconds. Here are 11 surprising facts about America’s spymasters. 1. The CIA had a mad scientist on the payroll Dr. Sidney Gottlieb sold Christmas trees at a roadside stand, raised goats and was an accomplished square dancer. He also made poisons for the CIA. In the 1950s, the “Company” became interested in mind control. The fear was... READ ON

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Test-Tube-to-Table: 11 Up-and-Coming Genetically Engineered Animals

© Najlah Feanny/CORBIS SABA It's been almost 16 years since Dolly the cloned sheep was born. As she fades from our cultural memory, here’s a look at 11 up-and-coming (and often controversial) genetically engineered animals that might start appearing in backyards and on dinner tables near you. 1. Remote Control Rats Photo: CC bclinesmith By attaching wires to rats’ brains, a group of scientists at SUNY found in 2002 that they could get the little guys to turn left and right by remote... READ ON

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11 Eensy-Weensy Automobiles

Here are 11 cars from today and yesterday that make regular cars look like giants.... READ ON

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11 Variations on "Keep Calm and Carry On"

The now-famous Keep Calm and Carry On poster was produced by the British Ministry of Information in 1939, as a quintessentially British statement of what to do in the event of German invasion. The poster actually wasn't circulated at the time, and only became popular after its rediscovery at a bookstore. Among my friends, it's something of a mantra -- I know one woman who has the phrase sewn into the lining of her coat. But enough with boring history. Let's look at some wacky variations on the poster... READ ON

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11 Scientists Who Experimented on Themselves

Would you inject 50 hookworms under your skin for your job? Or steam in a vomit sauna for a few hours? Hopefully we non-scientists will never have to answer questions like these. But for the 11 brave souls on this list, experimenting on themselves was all in a day's work. 1. Benjamin... READ ON

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11 Broadway Musicals Featuring Characters in the U.S. Military

Not only have the men and women of the United States Armed Forces served their country, they have also served as inspiration for the Great White Way. 1. Carmelina... READ ON

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11 Great Gift Ideas From the mental_floss Store (and They're All 20% Off This Weekend!)

There's a sale going on in the Home & Office aisle of the mental_floss store this weekend. Here are some of the great gift ideas that are 20% off — just use the coupon code HOMESALE. (No, this does not count as one of the 24 '11 lists' you were promised. Now do some browsing! Click on any item for all the details.) 1. Salt and Pepper... READ ON

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11 Famous People Who Started as Lowly TV Writers

Becoming a comedic icon doesn't happen overnight. It takes years and years of hard work. In some cases, this means paying your dues as the low-level member of a sitcom writing staff - a rite of passage for many successful comics, actors and directors. Here are 11 notable... READ ON

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11 Reasons Athletes Change Their Names

Lakers star Ron Artest made waves this summer when he announce he was changing his name to Metta World Peace. Although it's one of the more extreme moves, it's far from the first time an athlete has adopted a strange name. Here are 11 great (and not-so-great) reasons athletes make the switch. 1. To get more... READ ON