Mental Floss

NEWS



People with mind blindness cannot visualize things in their minds.

Aphantasia is a little-understood phenomenon that affects about 4 percent of the population. There are several theories behind what causes it.

CaLea Johnson






Think of them as shields for your wheels.

Hubcaps might seem purely decorative, but they serve an important purpose for your car.

Chris Wheatley
NBC

On March 24, 2005, American audiences got their first look at the scrappy team at Dunder Mifflin’s Scranton branch. Can you hear ‘The Office’ theme song already?

Meredith Danko






An adorable black-capped chickadee posing in a white spruce.

These active backyard birds are more than just cute—they’re hardy survivors that have conquered the continent and are teaching scientists new things about avian evolution.

Rebecca Heisman


Newlyweds have been saving their wedding cakes for hundreds of years.

Freezing a portion of a wedding cake is a centuries-old tradition. If you’re going to freeze the top layer of your wedding cake, make sure you do it right.

Sam Hindman


You can avoid brain freeze with a couple of easy precautions.

Here's what’s happening in your body when you eat ice cream or drink a chilled beverage too fast.

Matt Soniak






Grab your magnifying glass.

We give you an obscure word with four definitions—one correct, three made up. Can you identify the correct one?

Ellen Gutoskey
It’s easier to forecast earthquakes than predict them.

To predict quakes, scientists have to understand how they occur, what happens just before and during the start of one, and whether it shows signs that movement is imminent. So far, none of those things is known.

Erin McCarthy