Mental Floss

BIG QUESTIONS

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When you cut your skin, your body knows exactly what to do in order to heal the pesky wound as fast as possible. Eventually, a brownish rust colored scab forms over the cut. But what is a scab made of, and why do they just fall off?

Sean Hutchinson
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Most of our abbreviations for units of measurements are pretty straightforward. They are made up of of letters from the words they stand for. So how do we get lb for “pound” and oz for “ounce”?

Arika Okrent




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When a child with chocolate smeared on his face assures Mom that he didn't steal his brother's candy bar, is he telling a bald-faced or bold-faced lie?

Kara Kovalchik






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“The implications [of this question] are… profound,” says entomologist Michael Raupp. “Reckless flying, passing out in frosty beer mugs, hitting on crane flies instead of mosquito babes. Frightening!” Still, no major studies have been conducted to determi

Mark Mancini






Photo by ?? Janko Ferlič on Unsplash

Just like how an older sibling might act out when a new baby joins the family, a study from PLOS ONE suggests dogs get jealous when they perceive there is a rival for their owners' attention.

Hannah Keyser








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One thing is for sure: It’s not because we find it funny. In fact, many people find tickling very unpleasant. So why does it make us laugh?

Erin McCarthy
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All-Stars on contending teams may have cause to try their hardest once they get to the Midsummer Classic, but what motivates them to get there? And I mean that in the most cynical sense.

Hannah Keyser