Mental Floss

BIG QUESTIONS

A Juneteenth flag at Fenway Park.

On June 19, 2025, the United States will celebrate Juneteenth and the anniversary of Black emancipation. Here’s the meaning behind the holiday’s official flag.

Michele Debczak




You‘ll never guess how big this creature is.

Think the shark in ‘Jaws’ was huge? Find out how big great white sharks really get and how they compare to megalodons and whale sharks.

CaLea Johnson




Make sure you know how to properly fly your flag.

Ingloriously crammed between Memorial Day and the Fourth of July, Flag Day tends to get overlooked. Here’s a brief history of the patriotic day. 

Kate Erbland




When life gives you lemons, return to the dealership.

Cars aren’t a piece of fruit, so how did they come to be associated with lemons? Discover how this slang term got adopted in the automotive world and what it really means.

Jake Rossen


The lore behind America's favorite ballpark snack is pretty fascinating.

Discover the curious origins of America’s favorite ballpark snack and why it’s called a “hot dog” to begin with. (Spoiler: It doesn’t involve any literal dog meat.)

Lauren Dana


The dish really doesn't have anything to do with primates.

Monkey bread—a sticky pull-apart pastry that’s typically made from canned biscuit dough—is a sugary, cinnamony treat that has nothing to do with primates.

Sam Hindman
This scene probably wouldn’t be enough to claim ownership of the moon in space court.

The question of who has a claim to the moon and its resources is less a speculative fiction subject and more one for lawyers. Specifically, space lawyers.

Jake Rossen






You might not want to eat a hot dog after reading this.

You’ve probably wondered what’s really inside a hot dog before. We have the answer—though we don’t recommend reading it before your next cook-out.

Jake Rossen


The Dakotas didn't get along.

If the colony of Carolina and the Dakota Territory hadn’t decided to split themselves up, we’d have only 48 states right now. But why did these particular places become geographic variants of each other?

Leah Beckmann