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Joined: Nov 21, 2012

Stories that appeared in Mental Floss magazine.

Would you spend a few bucks on some gently used homing pigeons?

5 of the Most Bizarre Auctions in History

How One Pilot’s Sweet Tooth Helped Defeat Communism

Forged in the Heat of Battle: The Origin of the Boy Scouts

How Cereal Transformed American Culture

Civil War medical officers including Jonathan Letterman, a surgeon who pioneered the ambulance-to-ER transport of wounded patients during the Civil War.

5 Medical Innovations from the Civil War

Civil War surgeons learned fast. Here are a few of the MacGyver-like medical solutions that have had a lasting impact.

How ‘Monopoly’ Helped Defend The Free World

For some soldiers confined in German POW camps during World War II, ‘Monopoly’ was so much more than just a board game.

Space has a starting point, but where it begins is still a topic of debate for experts.

Where Does Space Begin?

Some experts believe the Kármán Line is the deciding factor, but others aren't in agreement about where the frontier of space really begins.

'Organic' doesn't necessarily mean 'healthy.'

What Does 'Organic' Mean?

To be certified as organic, farmers can’t use prohibited synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, or hormones for three full years before applying. Further, any animals they have must be raised on organic foods.

Arizona judge Sandra Day O'Connor testifies at her confirmation as Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States in 1981.

How Sandra Day O’Connor Beat the Odds, Ruled the Court, and Became the Most Powerful Woman in America

Discover how Sandra Day O’Connor overcame the odds to become the first female U.S. Supreme Court justice.

Carving pumpkins is one of the most famous Halloween traditions.

15 Spooky Halloween Traditions and Their Origins

Love Halloween costumes and spooky decorations? Let’s dig a little deeper and learn the creepy stories behind the holiday's traditions, from carving pumpkins to munching on candy corn.

Why Do We Have Eyebrows?

Eyebrows are the Swiss Army knife of the human face.

The Origins of 12 Horse-Related Idioms

Horses own the winner’s circle in English idioms. But where did these popular phrases originate?

Daniel Radcliffe on Space Travel, Russian Literature, and Napoleon

Harry Potter might have worn the glasses, but the truth is it's Daniel Radcliffe who's a bit of a nerd. A self-professed history buff, lover (and sometimes writer) of poetry, collector of books, and trivia enthusiast who makes quizzes for fun, Radcliffe i

10 Ways the Bicycle Moved Us Forward

How two little wheels spun a revolution in dating, fashion, medicine, and space travel.

12 Moments in the History of the Solo Jazz Cup

You've seen it a million times, but did you ever wonder why? Here's how this beloved little cup came to be.

How Past Generations' Slang Became Today's Vocabulary

What we say today shapes the vocabulary of tomorrow.