Mental Floss

These majestic creatures keep the ocean under control in many ways.

ANIMALS

Whale Pee Is Good for the Ocean, Study Finds

MUSIC

A Simple Twist of Fate: The Surprising Connection Between Bob Dylan and Nora Ephron

SPACE

10 Astonishing Things You Should Know About the Milky Way

ENTERTAINMENT

18 Fun Facts About ‘Ted Lasso’

Everybody gets to be Irish after they smooch this stone.

BIG QUESTIONS

Where Does the Phrase ‘Gift of Gab’ Come From?

It’s not just women who will find these terms useful.

LANGUAGE

24 Words From Laádan, a Language Invented to Express a Woman’s Point of View

It treads a fine line between stupid and clever, but we love it anyway.

ENTERTAINMENT

16 Facts About ‘This Is Spinal Tap’

The Shamrock Shake flavor is a national favorite overall.

MAPS

The Most Popular Green Foods By State, Mapped

LANGUAGE

1

Why Female Dogs Are Called “B*tches”—And How the Word Became an Insult to Women

2

The 20 Most-Searched Text Abbreviations of 2025 (So Far)

3

Definition Detective Quiz #29

4

Why Does ‘Boilerplate’ Mean “Standard”?

5

5 Common Terms That Double as Logical Fallacies

HISTORY

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Johann Sebastian Bach plays an organ.

The Phony Disease That Helped Researchers Identify Bach’s (Purported) Body

The ‘school fossil boulder’ originating from Dunn Creek Mining Area, Callide, Queensland.

66 Dinosaur Footprints Discovered on Rock Gifted to an Australian High School Decades Ago

Easter is in April in 2025.

Why Does Easter’s Date Change Every Year?

A mass of shipping containers at the port of Shenzen, China.

How Do Tariffs Work?

QUIZZES

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See if you can decipher this twisted tune.

Tune Twist Quiz #32

A person holds an American flag during a naturalization ceremony on the ship ‘Wavertree’ in New York City. The 20 candidates were from 17 countries and 5 of the candidates were current or former members of the U.S. military.

Could You Pass the U.S. Citizenship Test?

Do You Know the Presidential Line of Succession?

Can you figure it out?

Can You Solve This Old-Timey Riddle? #29

FEATURES

In space, it isn’t just number one and done.

To Boldly Go: The Science Behind Pooping in Space

The Dame of Sark, Sibyl Hathaway, in March 1953.

How the World’s Only Feudal Lord Outclassed the Nazis to Save Her People

Robert Kennicott, pictured against Alaska’s Kennicott Glacier, was a key figure in the Smithsonian’s formative years.

Death of a Scientist: The Mysterious Demise of Smithsonian Pioneer Robert Kennicott

BIG QUESTIONS

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This is a scene you might recognize from every police procedural ever.

How Do Two-Way Mirrors Work?

Believe it or not, soda containers can change how the product tastes.

What Makes Canned and Bottled Sodas Taste Different?

Aldi has a good reason for charging a quarter to use carts.

Why Does Aldi Charge a Quarter to Use Their Shopping Carts?

Room temperature is a frame of reference.

What Exactly Is ‘Room Temperature’?