In the Beginning

Joined: Nov 21, 2012

3 Foods With a Religious Connection

A Brief History of Staples

A Brief History of Braces

The Tone-Deaf Man Who Invented Karaoke

Clothing Time: The Stories Behind 4 Famous Uniforms

This marks the first time we've lumped together priests, soldiers and Playboy bunnies in one article. Common element: they all dress for success. 1. School

Newspaper & Magazine Origins

Here's a look at the early days of some popular newspapers and magazines. We'll save the story of the humble dormitory origins of mental_floss for another time. The New York

The Origins of the Periodic Table

It's Elemental Contrary to schoolyard rumors, no one created the periodic table just to torture you—it all started with the elements. As early as 330 BCE, Aristotle created a four-element table: earth, air, fire, and water. (We'd sign up for a test

A Brief History of Breast Implants

To get the real story on fake breasts, let's open In The Beginning: A Mouthwatering Guide to the Origins of Everything and turn to the page on

The Truth About Lie Detectors

With the possible exception of politicians and small wooden puppets named Pinocchio, most people have a hard time lying with a straight face—and an even harder time lying successfully when their every move, breath, inflection of speech, and variatio

The Origins of Credit Cards, Checks, Coins and Bills

With the financial world in a state of flux, we thought now was a good time to explore the early history of credit cards, checks, coins and paper money. Credit Cards In the 1800s, you could pick your poison if you needed money: pawnbroker, realtor, frie

The Early History of LEGO

Simple, block-shaped toys have been around for hundreds of years, but it took a 20th-century Danish genius to invent the interlocking pieces we know today as LEGO bricks.

Pass the Knowledge: The Origins of Your Favorite Condiments

Next time someone asks you to pass the ketchup, mustard, mayo or Worcestershire sauce, you can wow them with your knowledge of the condiments. Ketchup The word "ketchup" comes from the Chinese "ke-tsiap," and if you're wondering why ketchup isn't used

The Early History of Bungee Jumping

Talk about a serious leap of faith. The first land divers plunged head first toward hard soil, all in the name of agriculture.

VELCRO: The Humble Origins of the Greatest Thing to Ever Happen to My Sneakers

It was inspired by a hike in the woods.

5 Superhero (and Supervillain) Origins

We've read their comics, watched their movies, TV shows and cartoons, and dressed like them for Halloween. But where did our favorite superheroes come

The Origins of American Political Debates

From the Revolution up to the turn of the 20th century, America preferred that its presidential candidates be seen and not heard. The presidency was regarded as so solemn an office that it was considered indecent and prideful to aspire to. Instead, candid