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Maybe you’ve heard a bad bottle of wine being described as “corked.” This is the fault of TCA, a chemical compound that contaminates wine barrels and corks, giving vino an odor similar to Grandma’s dirty basement or a wet dog. Corked wine isn’t pleasant,

Matt Soniak
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You lie down to get some sleep after a long night of drinking, and the room seems to be spinning uncontrollably. Why does this happen?

Matt Soniak


In 2001, Belgian schools waged a new front in the war against childhood obesity. In an effort to keep kids away from sugary drinks, a plan emerged to swap soda and lemonade for a healthy alternative: beer.

Julia Davis


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If you like beer, and like it in large quantities, this might be a familiar scenario: You sit down at the bar, get a beer and drink it. You drink another one. Maybe a third. Things have gone well up to this point, but now you have to pee. So you go. Once

Matt Soniak




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At 1:10 a.m. on May 9, 1945, night owls in the USSR heard a radio report that Nazi Germany had officially surrendered to the Soviet Union. Less than 24 hours later, they faced another crisis: a lack of vodka.

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In the new issue of mental_floss, we reported why bacon is a miracle drug when it comes to dealing with the morning after: Cure Your Hangovers—with Bacon! Ah, bacon. For years, we've devoured it in all its crispy glory without worrying about the si

Mangesh Hattikudur