Mental Floss

BIG QUESTIONS

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They're kind of gross, but pretty common—and almost always harmless.

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The answer depends on whom you ask.

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It's a question scientists have been asking for more than 400 years.

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They aren’t actually fainting when they fall over.

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The answer might surprise you.

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Relax. Just do what feels right.

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The facts feeding this freaky follicular phenomenon.

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One of the school's employees created the drink in 1965. You might be surprised how they still profit from it.

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Although they cover only a tiny area, the destruction can be severe.

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It takes a lot of time, patience, and practice.

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The mechanics of car locks are more complicated than you might think.

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There's a very real reason why your grandmother’s chicken soup makes you feel better when you're sick.

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If you have no idea what we're talking about, go brush your teeth and chug some orange juice.

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If you don't rinse your produce, it's time to start.

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The truth behind the trope.

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Diners were the original pop-up stores.

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Clapping is a nearly subconscious act—but when and why did we start standing up to do it?

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If they did, it would be a basketball-sized elimination.

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They're not completely interchangeable.

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On the final day of the typical office workweek, many employers give their workers the opportunity to dress down and loosen the rules on the standard dress code.

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Not all cats love it.

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It's a marvel of poop-related engineering.

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Today, people around the globe will feel uneasy about getting out of bed, leaving their homes, or going about their normal daily routines, all because of a superstition.

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It doesn't always mean you're anxious.