Columbus
Mental_Floss
Neanderthals Cared for a Child with Down Syndrome
Archeological evidence has long indicated that Neanderthals cared for sick and injured members of their communities. But experts disagree on whether these close relatives of Homo sapiens did so altruistically or transactionally, under the expectation that they might receive reciprocal care from such members in the future. A new study...
9 Real-Life Sunken Cities
When you think about sunken cities, your mind probably jumps right to Atlantis, that super-advanced island nation mentioned in Plato’s works that became really wicked and hedonistic and was eventually relegated to the bottom of the ocean after getting hit with some earthquakes. Unfortunately for conspiracy theorists and fans...
10 Facts About ‘Parasite’
Parasite was both the first non-English language film to win the Academy Award for Best Picture and one of only three films in history to win both that and Cannes’s highest reward. The movie dazzled audiences with its hilarious, terrifying, genre-straddling social commentary and moral ambiguity. The South Korean movie follows a poor family who con their way into working for a rich one, posing as unrelated tutors and household staff to take what they can—but they aren’t the only ones hiding the truth.
McDonald’s Is Giving Away Free Fries Every Friday in 2024—Here’s How to Claim Yours
While inflation can take a bite out of your wallet everywhere you go, its effects are especially apparent in the fast food market. In the past several years, patrons have endured markedly increased prices on what are supposed to be affordable menu items. Wary of the bad press, McDonald’s is...
6 Famous Guitarists Who Lost Their Instruments (And Sometimes Got Them Back)
Clothes may make the man, but when it comes to rock music, it’s all about the guitar. Many famous guitarists—including Eddie Van Halen, Brian May of Queen, Trey Anastasio of Phish, and Annie Clark (a.k.a. St. Vincent)—use a particular one to play most of their music. But...
8 Interesting Interpretations of Famous Artworks
Not all artists make comments or leave documentation confirming the intended meanings of their work—which means that some of the most famous creations in the history of art have been subject to multiple interpretations. Here’s a chronological look at some notable artworks that have been interpreted in many different (and sometimes controversial) ways.
‘Mikey Likes It’: The Origins of Life Cereal’s Most Famous Slogan
Say the phrase Mikey likes it to anyone between the ages of 40 and 100, and chances are good they’ll get the reference. It immediately brings to mind an incredibly popular commercial from the 1970s of a cute, round-faced toddler shoveling down Life cereal. The slogan was never actually...
Mental_Floss
10K+
Posts
114M+
Views
Mental Floss delivers smart, fun and shareable content in an upbeat and witty environment. An encyclopedia of everything, we answer life’s big questions and uncover stories so interesting our readers absolutely must share them.
It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency:
Our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. As a platform hosting over 100,000 pieces of content published daily, we cannot pre-vet content, but we strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation.