LONGFORM

With one phone call to Moviefone, movie lovers could find out what was playing at local theaters.

'Dick Clark on Crack': How Mr. Moviefone Gave a Voice to Moviegoers

In the old days, you sometimes had to just show up to a movie theater and hope something good was playing. Then Moviefone changed everything.

Lonely at the Top: Protecting Hyperion, the World's Tallest Tree

Redwood National Park is home to Hyperion, the world's tallest tree. But you won't find it marked on any maps—and that's for its own good.

Lonely at the Top: Protecting Hyperion, the World's Tallest Tree

Redwood National Park is home to Hyperion, the world's tallest tree. But you won't find it marked on any maps—and that's for its own good.

Lonely at the Top: Protecting Hyperion, the World's Tallest Tree

Redwood National Park is home to Hyperion, the world's tallest tree. But you won't find it marked on any maps—and that's for its own good.

Venus Flytraps in Peril: Why Everyone's Favorite Carnivorous Houseplant Is Under Threat

The Venus flytrap is a favorite houseplant, but its ubiquity hides a world of threats. Now, some scientists think they have a solution for saving it.

Seward's Folly: The Conspiracy Theory That Has Plagued New York City's William Seward Statue for More Than a Century

For more than a century, a rumor has circulated that the William Seward statue in New York City's Madison Square Park is a composite—Seward's head plopped on Abraham Lincoln's body. Where did the rumor come from and ... is it true?

Illustration for Mental Floss by @kevnyan // Inspired by the cover of Narrative Relating to the Real Embalmed Head of Oliver Cromwell

The Strange Saga of Oliver Cromwell's Head

Death was just the beginning for the embalmed noggin of former Lord Protector of England, Ireland, and Scotland Oliver Cromwell.

Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station in Antarctica

Death at the South Pole: The Mystery of Antarctica's Unsolved Poisoning Case

In 2000, Rodney Marks died suddenly from methanol poisoning in a remote research station in Antarctica. Nearly 20 years later, the circumstances surrounding his death remain a mystery.

Your Friend 'Til the End: An Oral History of Child's Play

How Chucky from 'Child's Play' went from a satire of the Cabbage Patch Kids to a tiny titan of terror.

The Sea Waif: A Murder on the Ocean and the Little Girl Who Stayed Alive

When 11-year-old Terry Jo Duperrault was found in the middle of the ocean, she was hours from death. And she was the only member of her family left alive.

Corpses in the Pig Pen: The Tale of Indiana's Most Notorious Serial Killer

Belle Gunness had some skeletons in her closet.

The Dark Side: An Oral History of The Star Wars Holiday Special

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the biggest tragedy in 'Star Wars' since the destruction of Alderaan. We spoke to the people who witnessed it firsthand.

How Karelian Bear Dogs Are Keeping Wildlife Out of Harm's Way

This fearless breed is helping to reduce conflicts between people and predators.

Welcome to the Body Farm

Beyond the border of an ordinary parking lot lies the most cutting-edge graveyard in the world … and a hands-on lab for cops and forensic anthropologists.

The Most Dangerous Job: The Murder of America's First Bird Warden

His job was to protect the birds. But nobody was there to protect him.

The Enduring Mystery of the Ghent Altarpiece, the World's Most-Stolen Painting

Possible police cover-ups, enigmatic dying words, and the Holy Grail: Inside the quest to find the missing piece of Belgium's national treasure.

Dodo: © Oxford University, Oxford University Museum of Natural History. Background: iStock

Head Case: What the Only Soft Tissue Dodo Head in Existence Is Teaching Scientists About These Extinct Birds

The specimen might be our greatest opportunity to unlock the mysteries surrounding how the bird behaved, how it lived, how it evolved, and how it died.

How Scientists Are Using Plant-Based DNA Barcodes to Bust Counterfeiters

It sounds like science fiction, but it’s already happening.

One With the Junk: On the Scene at "The World's Longest Yard Sale"

Stretching from Michigan to Alabama, "The World's Longest Yard Sale" is 690 miles long. When we sent our reporter to western Ohio to drive 130 miles of it, he found more than he bargained for. 

The Book So Big It Needed Its Own Furniture

John James Audubon dreamed of creating life-sized portraits of every species of bird in North America. The portraits, when bound, became some of the biggest books ever made—and to read them, his customers would need to hire a carpenter.

Oral History: When Tickle Me Elmo Ruled the World

The hottest toy of 1996—which led to concussions, mass hysteria, and one designer becoming a Unabomber suspect—is making a comeback.

The Story Behind John Cage's 4'33"

In a world plagued by Muzak, John Cage needed to find a quiet way to make a powerful statement.

The $383 Million Plan to Save California's Artificial Desert 'Sea'

The Salton Sea was created by accident, is heavily polluted, and can't survive on its own. Why bother to save this strange place?

Fright Fest: The Science Behind Why We Love to Be Scared

Take a deep dive into our darkest impulses to find out why humans love watching horror movies, enduring scream-worthy haunted houses, and otherwise getting scared out of our minds.

PREV NEXT