THE LIST SHOW

Researchers thought the site of the 1986 Chernobyl disaster was unable to support life. But a bunch of wolves, deer, wild boars, bears, and foxes disagreed.

The stories behind these phrase origins are amazing. Too bad they’re not true—and too bad they’re often repeated as fact. Here’s the real scoop behind the expressions.

From the dangers of being a “sexual vampire” to the best ways to charm your in-laws, here’s what relationship advice looked like in the past.

From what causes ice ages and how many we’ve had, to the species that thrived and the ones that died, here’s what you need to know.

Including which legendary film managed to get a PG rating despite double-digit “F-bombs,” and how ‘Bend it Like Beckham’ made history in North Korea.

In this episode of The List Show, Mental Floss editor-in-chief Erin McCarthy shares some clever hoaxes that had people tricked.

Grab your lucky rabbit’s foot and read up on the tales of some of the unluckiest people in history, from the man whose backyard became a battlefield (twice!) to an absurdly accident-prone instrument inventor and beyond.

From the World War II engagement that helped instigate a medical breakthrough to the devastating attack that indirectly contributed to the Renaissance, these battles altered the course of history.

Venus has been called “Earth’s evil twin,” and that's not—sadly—because it looks just like Earth but has a mustache.

From lost pieces of media to irreplaceable works of art to literal pirate booty, these are the amazing and tragic stories behind valuables that seem to be gone forever.

From seriously aged cheese to the world’s first analog computer, shipwrecks have produced some fascinating—and sometimes disgusting—artifacts.

Was Queen Elizabeth I a man? No, but don’t you want to hear why some people thought so?