MYSTERY

Two Harvard Scientists Suggest 'Oumuamua Could Be, Uh, an Alien Probe

It was the first known interstellar object to enter our solar system.

William Bray and William Upcott, Diary and Correspondence of John Evelyn, F.R.S., Vol. III, Wikimedia Commons // Public Domain

13 Facts About Sir Walter Raleigh

The Elizabethan adventurer never actually sailed to the North American colony he sponsored.

The Legend—and Truth—of Silverpilen, Stockholm's Spooky Ghost Train

Once you board the Silver Arrow, you never get off.

The Enduring Mystery of Pennsylvania's Twin Tunnels and the 'Suitcase Jane Doe'

A disturbing discovery in a piece of luggage only added to the legends.

Revisiting the Mystery of the Great New England Sea Serpent of 1817

The fishermen of Gloucester, Massachusetts thought they had seen everything. Then they were proved wrong.

Tailor-Made Terror: The Mystery of Koumpounophobia, the Fear of Buttons

For a small percentage of the population, buttons aren't just a clasp for clothing. They're a nightmare.

Exposed to the Elements: A Strange 1920s Death on the Scottish Island of Iona

Over the course of a century, several theories have arisen to explain the true cause of Nora Emily Fornario's death.

The grave of the Somerton Man in Adelaide, South Australia

The Body of Australia's Somerton Man—a 70-Year-Old Cold Case—Might Be Exhumed

The victim's identity is just one of the story's many mysteries.

10 Still-Unsolved Mysteries From Unsolved Mysteries

Decades after these segments aired, the producers behind the show are still wondering what happened.

The Palace of Versailles, Paris, France, early 20th century.

The Edwardian Women Who Claimed to Travel Back in Time

Was it ghosts, time travel, or a costume party gone awry?

Joe the Quilter's rebuilt cottage at the Beamish Museum

You Can Now Visit the Recreated Cottage of a Famous Unsolved Murder Victim

Joe the Quilter met a grisly end—and his story is being retold centuries later.

The Roman dodecahedron Brian Campbell found in East London

The Mysterious Bronze Objects That Have Baffled Archaeologists for Centuries

They've been discovered at Roman-era sites, but no one knows what they're for.

The "Impossible" 1930s Murder That Still Fascinates Crime Writers

Did Julia Wallace's husband get away with the perfect crime?

Amateur Sleuths Claim to Have Uncovered D.B. Cooper's Real Identity

The saga of the 1972 skyjacking gets another twist.

Photo Illustration by Mental Floss. Images: iStock

Lies, Blackmail, and Murder: The Mysterious Life—and Death—of ‘Madame X’

Kate Jackson's identity was ever-shifting. But to police and a jury, she was a murder case that has yet to be solved.

Authorities Have Cracked a Bizarre Cold Case That Could Have Ties to the Zodiac Killer

Why did a war hero assume the identity of an 8-year-old boy killed in a traffic accident?

Photo Illustration by Lucy Quintanilla. Image: iStock.

The Quest to Break America’s Most Mysterious Code—And Find $60 Million in Buried Treasure

For the past century, the quest to break the Beale Ciphers has attracted the military, computer scientists, and conspiracy theorists. All have failed.

Photo illustration by Mental Floss. Image: iStock

"Love Forever, Louise": The Mystery of Room No. 1046

When the victim had the chance to name his killer, he refused.

The Great Yanny vs. Laurel Aural War of 2018, Explained

The mysterious sound clip has a perfectly rational and non-demonic explanation.

7 Proposed Explanations for the Loch Ness Monster

Does a mysterious beast really patrol one of Scotland’s deepest lakes? You be the judge.

A Digital Reconstruction Reveals the Face of Famed Murder Victim 'Bella in the Wych Elm'

A forensic anthropologist has recently put a face to a tragedy that has fascinated people for decades.

9 'Scientific Mysteries' the Internet Loves, Debunked

Spoiler: The answer is not "aliens." It's never aliens.

A Library Mystery: Why People Kept Underlining Page 7 in Borrowed Books

The books kept coming back with purposeful, curious markings.

An Astronomer Solves a 70-Year-Old Ansel Adams Mystery

Donald Olson solves mysteries using celestial bodies.

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