Believe it or not, this sentence is grammatically correct and has meaning: "Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo." First devised by professor William J. Rapaport in 1972, the sentence uses various meanings and parts of speech for the term "buffalo" (and its related proper noun "Buffalo") to make an extremely hard-to-parse sentence. Although most people know "buffalo" as both a singular and plural term for bison, and "Buffalo" as a city in New York, "buffalo" is also a verb... READ ON

Sometimes looking at old photographs makes me think of this exchange between comic-strip hero Calvin and his dad:Calvin: Dad, how come old photographs are always black and white? Didn't they have color film back then? Dad: Sure they did. In fact, those old photographs are in color. It's just the world was black and white then. Calvin: Really? Dad: Yep. The world didn't turn color until sometime in the 1930s, and it was pretty grainy color for a while, too. Calvin: But then why are old... READ ON

There's lots to consider when planning a wedding: dresses, cakes, bands, halls...all of which can add up to a hefty bill for the parents of the bride (or, in some cultures, the groom). But perhaps those bellyaching about the substantial hit their bank account is about to take should pause to consider some of history's most outrageously lavish weddings. Suddenly dropping a few grand on a one-wear gown doesn't seem so bad, does it? 1. Attila the Hun and Ildico (453 CE) Attila the Hun,... READ ON

This morning, subscribers to our newsletter read the story of our wildly embarrassing photo shoot in Central Park. Here's the short version: mental_floss has a book coming out next year called BE AMAZING "“ a how-to guide with tips on tasks like starting your own country and traveling through time. The publisher wants a publicity photo of founding _flossers Will and Mangesh, who had a few different ideas for poses. I did not write a word of this book. But since Will lives in Birmingham, I was his... READ ON