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.

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

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

The Right Way to Pronounce 'Dachshund'

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

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

13 Chill Facts About Sloths

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.

AI Is Tackling Yet Another Creative Medium: Improv Comedy

The bot has been likened to a “completely drunk comedian."

Google Launches World's Largest Digital Collection of Frida Kahlo Artifacts

"Faces of Frida" includes more than 800 items, including personal photographs of the artist, as well as letters and journal entries that she penned.

25 Bizarre Items Uber Riders Have Left Behind

You'd be surprised by the number of Uber passengers who leave their pets behind—including one person forgot their fish tank (with fish and water inside).

Toronto, 'Raccoon Capital of the World,' Is Fighting Its Trash Panda Problem ... and Losing

The city's raccoon-proof trash bins don't exactly work as intended.

Buster Keaton seen with Donald O'Connor on the set of a film in 1957

How to Craft the Perfect Gag, According to Buster Keaton

It's all about perspective.

Are There Any Synonyms for the Word ‘Synonym’?

The answer is a bit complicated.

Here’s how to nail the pluralization of your name—even if there’s a possessive involved.

To Apostrophe or Not to Apostrophe: How to Pluralize Your Last Name

Pluralizing a last name can seem confusing—and it gets even more confusing when you want to make a name both plural and possessive. Here’s how to correctly do both.