Mental Floss

BIG QUESTIONS









Tomatoes can be either fruit or vegetable, depending on who you talk to.

One vendor’s dispute against a 19th-century import tariff led the U.S. Supreme Court to classify the tomato as a vegetable. But botanists disagree.

Jake Rossen








The future?

If humans ever become a multi-planet species, some would have to spend years in space. And researchers have definitely speculated whether space travel would allow for reproduction.

Nick Keppler


You can practically hear this photo.

We know cats purr for a variety of reasons. But the actual mechanics of how they make their signature sound remains unclear.

Matt Soniak


Happy shopping!

Let’s take a look at a few of the rules regarding duties and declarations, and see what's up with the duty-free shop.

Ethan Trex




How else would cats know how handsome they are?

Considering the near-magical function mirrors perform, their construction is surprisingly simple.

Anna Green