Mental Floss

WEIRD

Wellcome Images // CC BY 4.0

Skull-reading used to be all the rage.

Fears of premature burial were rampant in the 19th century. A coffin designed by a count tried to come to the rescue.

iStock

Some say that in 1940, a secretive coven used a ritual to keep Hitler out of the UK.

Graveaddiction via Find A Grave

He's not underneath the Alabama gravestone that reads "Damn the State Dept."

Chris Yunker via Flickr // CC BY-SA 2.0

The controversial statue in Seattle's Fremont neighborhood now stands outside a Mexican restaurant.

YouTube // Auralnauts

This is the "slow video" you've been looking for.

Juandev via Wikimedia // CC BY-SA 3.0

The village of Lukova is proud of their ghosts.

Edwin Austin Abbey, "The Penance of Eleanor, Duchess of Gloucester," Carnegie Museum of Art // Public Domain

Back in the 15th century, being an astrologer was a dangerous business.

Staten Island Ferry Octopus Disaster Memorial Museum/Facebook

The hoax has managed to fool a few tourists.

Screenshot via The Internet Archive

A retired Civil War general's assertions about the color blue led to what was known as the "Blue-glass craze."

Triclops200 via Wikimedia // CC BY-SA 3.0

They don't actually come from outer space, although they look like it.

iStock

Raejali Buntut missed his flight and decided to vacation in Singapore's Changi Airport.

Paqui Chips

The serving size might seem skimpy, but it's a necessary precaution.

A Seven Society sign outside Old Cabell Hall at the University of Virginia

Some of these societies meet to debate issues, while others focus on philanthropy, fine dining, or hell-raising.

Redfin

Please don't invite us over for dinner.

linton_cynthia via Flickr//CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Belief in the mythical creatures is alive and well.

iStock

Where there's a will, there's a way to make music.

iStock

Don't worry, the event's intended to be ironic.

iStock

Our reporter checks in with a feng shui consultant to give her dating life a helping hand.

PaulDonelson, Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-SA 3.0

There's a celebration for everything.