Mental Floss

More Web Proxy on the site http://driver.im/

The hustle and bustle around these events was next level.

HISTORY

6 of History’s Most Tragic Shopping Stampedes

ARCHITECTURE

Notre-Dame Cathedral Is Ready to Reopen Five Years After Fire

WORDS

13 Old-Timey Turkey Terms to Bring Back This Thanksgiving

LOOK UP!

Missed the Northern Lights This Year? Scientists Say They’re About to Get More Active

Grab your magnifying glass.

Grab your magnifying glass.

QUIZZES

Definition Detective Quiz #16

Composite sketches of D.B. Cooper.

Composite sketches of D.B. Cooper.

CRIME

Who Exactly Was D.B. Cooper?

See that crispy texture? That’s the Maillard Reaction.

See that crispy texture? That’s the Maillard Reaction.

BIG QUESTIONS

Why Do We Cook So Many Foods at 350 Degrees?

Concept albums are alive and well in the 21st century.

Concept albums are alive and well in the 21st century.

MUSIC

A History of Concept Albums In 15 Albums

LANGUAGE

1

Where Does the Phrase ‘Beyond the Pale’ Come From?

2

7 Words We Rarely (or Never) Use Without Their Prefixes

3

Why Does ’Phony’ Mean Fake?

4

The Caduceus: The Mistaken Meaning of the Medical Symbol

5

People in the Northern UK and Ireland Can Flag Your Fake Accent

HISTORY

SEE MORE

Keep these tips in mind when discussing politics during the holidays.

Keep these tips in mind when discussing politics during the holidays.

8 Centuries-Old Etiquette Rules for Talking Politics

Charles Dickens is just one person who left a mark on the holiday season.

Charles Dickens is just one person who left a mark on the holiday season.

9 People Who Shaped Christmas

Hip-Hop, Squatch, and the BrooklyKnight have all been retired.

Hip-Hop, Squatch, and the BrooklyKnight have all been retired.

19 Retired NBA Mascots

The “Mother of Thanksgiving.”

The “Mother of Thanksgiving.”

How Sarah Josepha Hale Became the ‘Mother of Thanksgiving’

QUIZZES

SEE MORE

Can You Tell the Real McDonald’s Items From the Fakes?

Ken Jennings.

Ken Jennings.

What’s the Kennection? #142

Can you figure it out?

Can you figure it out?

Can You Solve This Old-Timey Riddle? #13

Can you decipher this twisted tune?

Can you decipher this twisted tune?

Tune Twist Quiz #18

FEATURES

A group of 18th-century anatomists dissect a body.

Hidden Bodies: How a Harvard Chapel Renovation Unearthed Human Remains

Just your average stroll with a baby carriage and knight's helmet.

Iron Man: The Weird Wager of Harry Bensley, Who Walked 2400 Miles in a Helmet

An artist’s rendering of what Lucy may have looked like in life.

On the Origin of Lucy: How One Extraordinary Fossil Helped Alter Our View of Human Evolution

BIG QUESTIONS

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As far as cucumbers go, they're getting the royal treatment.

As far as cucumbers go, they're getting the royal treatment.

Why Do English Cucumbers Come Wrapped in Plastic?

Start counting.

Start counting.

How Many Continents Are There?

Returns can be a costly proposition for retailers.

Returns can be a costly proposition for retailers.

Where Do Online Orders Go When You Return Them?

The computer room, apparently.

The computer room, apparently.

Living Room vs. Family Room vs. Den: What’s the Difference?