Emily Petsko

Joined: Apr 10, 2018

Emily Petsko is a former staff writer at Mental Floss. Her writing has appeared in Lonely Planet, The Guardian, and several lifestyle publications in Asia.

Airfares are often cheaper on the holiday itself.

10 Tips for Stress-Free Holiday Travel

All this sugar would have horrified the inventor of graham crackers.

Graham Crackers Were Invented to Combat the Evils of Coffee, Alcohol, and Masturbation

You Can Use Your FSA or HSA Card to Pay for Medical Items on Amazon

This Wall Chart Shows Every Species in the Cat Kingdom

Get your new year off to a stellar start.

15 Products to Help You Keep Your New Year’s Resolutions

Here are 15 products that can help you achieve your New Year’s resolutions, including innovative water bottles, notebooks, and more.

7 Surprising Facts About Hans Christian Andersen

Hans Christian Andersen once stayed with Charles Dickens. By the end of the five-week visit, Dickens was so exasperated with Andersen he ended the friendship.

Here’s the Real (No Good) Reason Glasses Are So Expensive

You're getting ripped off, big time.

6 Facts About Sojourner Truth, the 19th-Century Abolitionist and Feminist

While Truth wasn't her real name, 19th-century abolitionist and feminist Sojourner Truth made it her life's mission.

This dachshund wants you to know you're probably mispronouncing the name of his breed.

The Right Way to Pronounce 'Dachshund'

Dachshund is actually made up of two smaller German words (dachs, which means “badger,” and hund, which means “dog”) and it's not pronounced “dash-hound.”

If you swear you’ve seen Bloody Mary, you may have experienced the Troxler effect.

Bloody Mary: Why We Think We See Ghosts in Mirrors

The spooky Bloody Mary phenomenon has a scientific explanation.

Two-toed and three-toed sloths? Not the same thing.

13 Chill Facts About Sloths

Why are sloths so slow? Discover these fascinating facts about sloths, from their unique anatomy to their surprising swimming abilities.

Find out what book was a best seller the year you were born—and add it to your TBR pile.

What Was the Bestselling Book the Year You Were Born? This Online Tool Tells You

Can you guess which author spent the most time on ‘The New York Times’ bestseller list? (Hint: It isn't J.K. Rowling or Stephen King.)

You won't have to worry about running out of ornaments.

This Calculator Will Tell You Exactly How Many Christmas Tree Ornaments You’ll Need This Year

Enter your tree size and shape and your decorating preferences, and this online calculator will do the rest.

NASA Reveals How Living in Space for a Year Affected Scott Kelly’s Poop

Astronaut Scott Kelly used cotton swabs to take samples of his fecal matter. He then sealed it in tubes and sent it back to Earth via rocket.

The Real Story Behind the Iconic ’Friday the 13th’ Whisper Sound Effect

Whether you think it's saying "chi chi chi, ha ha ha" or "ki ki ki, ma ma ma," you know the one we're talking about.

‘Avocado’ doesn’t mean what you think it means.

11 Common English Words That Come From Native American Languages

‘Avocado’ comes to us from Nahuatl—and it doesn’t mean what you might think it means.