Mental Floss

ALL STORIES

So many of them are in danger of going extinct.

These flowers made famous by the internet may become extinct if we don‘t act now.

You might be stumped by these devilish Halloween history questions.

Kiwi at the Wellington Zoo.

The answer involves World War I soldiers and a cute bird.

Sin-eater, hokey-pokey man, and pure finder are all actual jobs from the past that no longer exist.

We might have co-living spaces to thank for this strange idiom.

Remote Mt. Shuksen in Washington’s North Cascades National Park is the one of the least-visited locales in the system.

For those who prefer the road less traveled, these parks are worth the journey.

All five answers to the questions below have something in common. Can you figure it out?

A relic of a bygone era

At their peak, over 14,000 covered bridges were scattered across the U.S. Roughly 500 remain.

Harold (second from left) grasps the arrow that is apparently in his eye.

The exact number is hotly debated—but there are dozens.

Losing your job is never fun.

Losing your job doesn’t have to spell financial ruin (or a diet of ramen noodles).

Andy Warhol

How the pop art pioneer applied his bright and bold style to the music television of the mid-1980s.

Look at them go.

Which states seem to have the kids’ best interests in mind?

Absolutely gorgeous.

Here‘s why chimera cats look like two different furballs stitched together.

Stoker scribbled his notes for ‘Dracula’ on any random piece of paper.

Bram Stoker’s creative process behind his iconic Gothic novel was shrouded in mystery for nearly a century.

Harry Reichenbach brought a circus barker's attitude to movie marketing.

Harry Reichenbach would do anything to get publicity, even if it meant staging deaths.

For residents in these states, quick meals are never far away.

Can you figure it out?

This riddle comes from a book published in 1884—can you figure out the answer?

The Salem witch trials were a troubling time in Colonial America.

A witch may not always dress in a pointy hat and fly on a broomstick, so start paying attention to things like how many pets they have, how many times they’ve been married, and if they weigh more than a stack of bibles.

Here’s a rare chance to own some rare coins.

An auction house is giving away valuable coins and banknotes to those who can solve their riddles.

Try wrapping your head around these facts.

Need an interesting fact to drop at parties? Look no further.

The hole is authentic, but it likely didn’t come from a rat.

Was it a rat? Probably not.

Harry Potter and the Corn Maze of Secrets.

Design firms turn acres of grain corn into pop culture art you can get lost in.

Which versions of ‘Matilda,’ ‘The Witches,’ and ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’ will make the cut?

Cowabunga.

Here are the details about the new ‘Magic: The Gathering’ set featuring the famous Ninja Turtles.