SCIENCE

University Researchers Across the Country Want to Pay You $300 to Eat Avocados

And the avocados come free.

Take Heart, Nerds—Science Says the Cool Kids Don't Stay Cool

A longitudinal study finds that the 13-year-olds with social cachet lose it by the time they're young adults.

Photo illustration by Mental Floss. Illustration: iStock.

10 Scientific Facts About Spite

Acting in a spiteful manner is something everyone engages in at one point or another—and it can be a tool we use to our advantage.

The Mediterranean Sea Could Disappear in the Distant Future

The continents are going to look very different 50 million years from now.

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 Facts About Silicon

If you have a cell phone in your pocket or dirt on your shoes, you’re carrying silicon.

Prudence Upton, © Trustees of the Natural History Museum, London (2018)

A Puppet Drama About Charles Darwin Is Coming to London's Natural History Museum

The museum has one of the largest Darwin-related collections in the world, including some of the specimens he brought back from his voyage on the HMS Beagle.

'Museum in a Box' Brings Interactive Museum Collections to Classrooms

The initiative turns digitized museum collections into classroom exhibits.

How Practicing Simple Rituals Could Help You Stick to Your Goals

A new study suggests there's a way to trick your brain into practicing self-control.

Why Does Food Taste Bad After You Brush Your Teeth?

If you have no idea what we're talking about, go brush your teeth and chug some orange juice.

A Firefly's Twinkle Doubles as a Warning Sign to Predators

The light show is good for more than finding a mate.

Depressing New Research Finds There May Be No 'Safe' Level of Alcohol Use

A global analysis of 28 million people found that alcohol in any amount isn't good for you.

Scientists Have Figured Out Why Marimo Balls Only Float During the Day

Algae have circadian rhythms, too.

How Invasive Crayfish Help More Mosquitoes Thrive

The crustaceans are scaring off the insect's natural predators.

6 Reasons Why We Love Small, Cute Things, According to Science

Here's why you're drawn to puppies, babies, dollhouses, micro-homes, and tiny supermarket foods in tiny grocery carts.

5 Goals of the OSIRIS-REx Mission to the Asteroid 'Bennu'

The spacecraft will use a robotic arm to scoop up a sample of Bennu and then return it to Earth.

Bacteria Can Turn Type A and B Blood Into a Universal Type O

This discovery could have life-saving applications.

Rare 'Unicorn' Plant, Which Hasn't Been Seen in 131 Years, Discovered In Maine

Surprise!

Robots Are Really Good at Applying Peer Pressure to Kids

Kids can be persuaded to believe a robot's filthy lies.

Thick Arctic Sea Ice Near Greenland Has Broken Up for the First Time in History

Scientists are calling the development "scary."

Why You Should Never Flush Your Contacts Down the Drain

Put them in the trash instead.

Debunking 6 Common Home Remedies That Aren't Worth Trying

If you are sick or injured, the treatment isn't usually in your kitchen pantry—despite what your grandmother may have told you.

Scientists Reveal the Most Comprehensive Map of Butterfly Evolution Ever—and It's Gorgeous

Take a deep dive into the butterfly's family tree.

Everything You Need to Know About Activated Charcoal

You don't need it in your toothpaste or croissant.

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