Mental Floss

BIG QUESTIONS

It’s easier to forecast earthquakes than predict them.

To predict quakes, scientists have to understand how they occur, what happens just before and during the start of one, and whether it shows signs that movement is imminent. So far, none of those things is known.

Erin McCarthy
Perhaps a recall is in order.

A car accident in a movie usually ends in a huge fireball. But what really causes vehicle fires?

Jake Rossen














Nothing lasts forever, especially suds.

Common household cleaning products like dish soap and laundry detergent might get forgotten about for years before being found and used. Will they still be effective?

Jake Rossen


An illustration of the Man in the Moon.

People have been observing faces and figures on the moon for hundreds (if not thousands) of years. There’s a perfectly scientific explanation as to why.

Lorna Wallace
Skylab 2 commander Peter Conrad attempts to take a shower aboard the spacecraft in 1973.

Here on Earth, we tend to take showering for granted. But getting clean isn’t so easy without the force of gravity helping you out.

Tim Brinkhof








Several factors make people more susceptible to the flu in winter.

Like clockwork, flu viruses seem to strike more people in winter than in any other season—and there are several reasons for that.

Matt Soniak