Mental Floss

NEWS

The Vietnamese word ‘cột sống’ technically means “spine”—but to the country’s Gen Zers, it’s slang for something else entirely.

Sophie Lau












How else would cats know how handsome they are?

Considering the near-magical function mirrors perform, their construction is surprisingly simple.

Anna Green




They like screens under certain circumstances.

Videos of dogs watching the animated film “Flow” have gone viral recently, and science backs up the adorable phenomenon.

CaLea Johnson






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


Bruce Springsteen, Joni Mitchell, and Marvin Gaye all wrote songs about the Vietnam War.

From a now-regretted counter-counterculture anthem to an oft-misunderstood ’80s hit to the song that allegedly got its singer followed by the CIA.

Kenneth Partridge