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This article originally appeared in a 2006 issue of mental_floss magazine. Songwriters have found inspiration in all sorts of places, from transvestites to team tennis titans. Maggie Koerth-Baker has read between the liner notes to find out for whom 8 fa
This article originally appeared in the Jan-Feb 2005 issue of mental_floss magazine. by Mark S. Longo Everyone goes through a rebellious phase. You know, that moment when daddy's little girl decides that booze, boys, and the beach are a lot more fun tha
By Mark Fischetti "When we weren't flying, we zipped on our leather flight jackets, crowded around the blackjack tables of the Tonopah Club, drank ourselves blind on rotgut, then staggered over to the local
This article was written by Sam Kean and originally appeared in the 'Future of Sex' issue of mental_floss magazine (March-April 2008). If humans can train (or genetically engineer) themselves to harness pheromones, sexual attraction in the future may dep
by Tony
If you think the Internet came out of Silicon Valley, that NASA planned the first satellite to orbit Earth, or that IBM created the modern computer, think again. Each one of these breakthroughs was conceived at RAND, a shadowy think tank in Santa Monica,
by Brendan SpiegelIf your mother told you never to play with your food, she probably didn't grow up in any of these towns. Whether the food is being worshipped, chased, sculpted, or thrown, we've found 10 spots around the world where picking at your plate
By Eric FurmanUpon seeing the Seagram Building for the first time, you might say it simply looks like a lot of other office buildings. But you'd be wrong; a lot of other office buildings look like it. Located on Manhattan's Park Avenue, Ludwig Mies van de
On May 14, 1804—205 years ago tomorrow—Lewis & Clark began their excellent adventure. The great Michael Stusser is with us to recap America's most celebrated road
Our 8th annual '10 Issue' is on newsstands now. This week, we'll be highlighting some of our favorite lists from past installments. The following article comes from last year's issue. If it puts you in a subscribing mood, here are the details. (Or conside
Whether you're deciphering a cryptic state seal or trying to impress your Catholic in-laws, knowing some Latin has its advantages.
by David
By Sam Boykin It's what makes women wear torturous undergarments and feign interest in preposterous sporting rituals. It's also what makes men hold dainty purses outside of fitting rooms and suffer through hosts of terrible movies. What could be this pow
If you've ever looked at someone's haircut and wondered who could have possibly thought that was a good idea, this one's for you. 1.
Editor's Note: To promote the mental_floss Holiday Subscription Special, I've asked co-founders Will Pearson and Mangesh Hattikudur to select some of their favorite mag articles from 2008. Today's story comes from the '101 Masterpieces: A Guide to Works Y
by Ian Lendler The 21st Amendment to the U.S Constitution was ratified 75 years ago today, repealing Prohibition. Let's celebrate with some good old fashioned drinking stories. 1. Admiral Edward Russell's 17th-Century
by Greg BarnhiselIt's a novel! It's a philosophy! It's the instruction manual for a crazy cult! Atlas Shrugged could be all of those things. Then again, maybe it's just about a little Russian girl who really hated growing up around
By Chris Connolly Any group of malcontents can dress up like American Indians and toss tea into a harbor to protest unfair taxation. But how many armies have actually mobilized over food? Real food—as in, "Leggo my Eggo "¦ or I'll send in the troo
By David A. NorrisPhilately: it's the end-all, be-all of popular hobbies curiously pursued by nobody you know. And while we knew absolutely nothing about stamps when we started this article, we're great at digging up the juiciest dirt on any subject under
by Graeme Wood Forget Apple and Pilot Inspektor. If you really want to give your kid a hard time growing up, just pick from the following list. 1.
By Mark Peters While the meanings of monikers such as Ethiopian, Hobokenite, and Earthling aren't hard to suss out, it's a little tougher to guess where to find a Moonraker or a Zonie. And why the heck are Oklahomans called "Sooners," anyway? Here are t
by Maggie Koerth-Baker & Laurel Mills Sure, you know these five creatures as stinging, biting merchants of death. But isn't it time we put aside our differences and embraced the positive? 1. Poison Dart Frogs: The Heart-Healthy