![A child witnessing the will-o’-the-wisps. A child witnessing the will-o’-the-wisps.](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_1920,h_1080,x_0,y_0/c_fill,w_1080,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/voltaxMediaLibrary/mmsport/mentalfloss/01jkej693h2x0y89admt.jpg)
![Lorna Wallace Lorna Wallace](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_180,ar_1:1,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/LWPhoto-30d9c3e278f99f855e21e7dd7692cfb5.jpg)
Lorna Wallace
Joined: Mar 24, 2022
Lorna Wallace has a Ph.D. in English Literature and is a lover of all things science fiction and horror. She lives in Scotland with her rescue greyhound, Misty.
![A child witnessing the will-o’-the-wisps. A child witnessing the will-o’-the-wisps.](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_1920,h_1080,x_0,y_0/c_fill,w_1080,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/voltaxMediaLibrary/mmsport/mentalfloss/01jkej693h2x0y89admt.jpg)
![There are some pretty bizarre conspiracy theories about the sinking of the ‘Titanic.’ There are some pretty bizarre conspiracy theories about the sinking of the ‘Titanic.’](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_2666,h_1499,x_0,y_0/c_fill,w_1080,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/voltaxMediaLibrary/mmsport/mentalfloss/01hng2k3bqgxkjk3fxm7.jpg)
10 Wild Conspiracy Theories About the Sinking of the ‘Titanic’
![Edward Gorey. Edward Gorey.](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_4800,h_2700,x_0,y_0/c_fill,w_1080,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/GettyImages/mmsport/mentalfloss/01jk9ew3rym8kgwq2jdz.jpg)
11 Fascinating Facts About Edward Gorey
![Delivery! Delivery!](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_1919,h_1079,x_0,y_0/c_fill,w_1080,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/voltaxMediaLibrary/mmsport/mentalfloss/01jjpxv7azrx17vshrbx.jpg)
Why Do We Say Storks Deliver Babies?
10 Things You Need to Know About the 1925 Serum Run to Nome, Alaska
From January 27, 1925 until February 2, 20 mushers and 150 dogs heroically transported desperately needed diphtheria antitoxin to the remote town of Nome, Alaska, saving countless lives in the process. But the event wasn’t without controversy.
Meet Caren Marsh Doll, the Oldest Living Cast Member of ‘The Wizard of Oz’
Caren Marsh Doll was Judy Garland’s stand-in for ‘The Wizard of Oz’. At age 105, she’s one of the last living actors from the Golden Age of Hollywood.
What’s the Difference Between Dracula and Nosferatu?
Ahead of Robert Eggers’s adaptation of ‘Nosferatu,’ here’s a breakdown of the differences and similarities between the two iconic bloodsuckers.
14 Gifts That Changed the World
These gifts made a huge impact.
10 Winter Solstice Celebrations From Around the World
Cultures around the world performed rituals on the winter solstice for the return of the sun. While some of these celebrations have been left in the past or absorbed into other winter festivities, others are still celebrated to this day.
Who Is Jack Frost?
Most iterations of Jack Frost see him clad in icy blue and white, and as well as being responsible for nose-nipping, he’s also credited with creating frost. But where exactly did this mythical cold-weather figure originate?
9 Festive Facts about Hogmanay, Scotland’s New Year’s Celebration
Celebrating the New Year is a big deal in Scotland.
20 Maps That Changed the World
The Mercator Projection, Ptolemy’s ‘Geographia’, the Fra Mauro Map, and even Google Maps have all shaped how we experience the world around us.
Why Christmas Music Sounds So Distinct
Sleigh bells certainly help make Christmas music sound so Christmassy. But it’s a little more complicated than just that.
11 Chilling Facts About the 1972 Andes Plane Crash
Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 crashed in a remote location in Chile’s Andes Mountains on October 13, 1972—and those who made it through the crash would need to resort to desperate measures to survive.
How Did Mary Jane Shoes Get Their Name?
Mary Janes have an early-20th-century comic strip to thank for their name.
7 Historical ‘Wars on Christmas’
Christmas has been canceled a fair number of times throughout history.