Erin Mccarthy Journalist Profile

Articles

Learn Amazing Facts About Historical Escapes with Arturo Castro

1 week ago | mentalfloss.com | Erin McCarthy |Erin Mccarthy

The actor just wrapped up a podcast called ‘Greatest Escapes’—and now he’s dropping amazing facts about those escapes and more on the latest episode of Amazing Facts with Mental Floss. Arturo Castro has some questions for Violet Jessop. The actor—who you might know from Broad City, Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, The Menu, or “that time I played a tastebud in [that] one commercial about toffee”—featured the nurse and stewardess on his podcast, Greatest Escapes.
Why Do We Say “Uncle” When Admitting Defeat?

1 week ago | mentalfloss.com | Erin McCarthy |Erin Mccarthy

One theory says it comes from an Irish word; another says we have the ancient Romans to thank. But the joke is on those theories, because the real story is more complicated than that. Perhaps you’ve been forced to say it while getting noogies from a bully on the playground. Or maybe you’ve heard it used in a movie where one character roughing up another insists that they “say ‘uncle’,” or admit defeat, before they’re set free. But why uncle—why not aunt or mom or some other authority figure?
Learn Amazing Facts About Women Scientists With Kari Byron

1 month ago | mentalfloss.com | Erin McCarthy |Erin Mccarthy

Plus, the former MythBusters host and co-founder of the National STEM Festival tells us what emerging tech she thinks kids today won’t be able to live without—and what we can expect from the podcast she’s launching with fellow MythBuster Tory Belleci. Kari Byron has done some pretty weird things in her career. “I have been locked in a coffin with scorpions … I have jumped offa100-story building,” she says. “I stung myself with a jellyfish.
Who Created Karaoke?

2 months ago | mentalfloss.com | Erin McCarthy |Erin Mccarthy

We have two innovators to thank for our ability to scream-sing Celine Dion’s “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now” in front of a group of strangers. Despite what you may have heard, karaoke isn’t Japanese for “tone deaf.” The word is a portmanteau of the Japanese kara, or “empty,” and oke, the shortened form of okesutora, meaning “orchestra.” But who came up with this delightful concept, anyway?
How Do Two-Way Mirrors Work?

2 months ago | mentalfloss.com | Erin McCarthy |Erin Mccarthy

And how you can tell a two-way mirror from a standard one. It’s a familiar scene from every police procedural: In one brightly lit room, a perp is being questioned. In an adjacent room, officers watch the proceedings in near darkness, downing cup after cup of coffee. Between the rooms is a two-way mirror, which allows the officers to watch the suspect’s questioning without being seen. But how is that even possible? Traditional vs.
15 Gene Hackman Quotes

2 months ago | mentalfloss.com | Erin McCarthy |Erin Mccarthy

The actor and author offered some sage wisdom over the years. Gene Hackman—who was found dead at his house alongside his wife in February 2025 at the age of 95—had a long, prolific career. After retiring from acting, he kept busy by writing novels from his home in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Here are some bon mots he said over the years, on everything from how he chose his projects to the joys of writing.
12 Artifacts Brought Up From the 'Titanic'

Feb 10, 2025 | mentalfloss.com | Erin McCarthy |Erin Mccarthy

Since 1987—two years after the Titanic wreck was discovered—seven trips have been made to the ship's debris field, and more than 5500 artifacts have been salvaged. Here are a few of them!An Alligator PurseVials of PerfumeA Bronze CherubA Bejeweled BraceletThe Deck BellLogometerSheet MusicA Piece of the HullA Bowler HatFirst-Class and Third-Class ChinaA Wool VestMargaret "Molly" Brown's Necklace (Maybe)1.
7 Fascinating Facts About Chinua Achebe’s ‘Things Fall Apart’

Feb 5, 2025 | mentalfloss.com | Erin McCarthy |Erin Mccarthy

He wrote the book partially in response to European writers like Joseph Conrad, who Achebe said depicted Africa “as ‘the other world,’ the antithesis of Europe and therefore of civilization.” Things Fall Apart (1958) has been called “the finest novel written about life in Nigeria at the end of the 19th century” and “a classic of world literature.” The book describes the oppression of the Ibo (now called Igbo) people in Nigeria by British colonial administrators and follows the life of...
Tune Twist Quiz #24

Jan 7, 2025 | mentalfloss.com | Erin McCarthy |Erin Mccarthy

In Tune Twist, we run the lyrics of a hit song through multiple languages, then translate them back into English. Can you figure out what the song is, or who performed it? Test your deciphering skills and your musical knowledge belowTake Our Latest Quizzes:
When the Guy Behind “Escape (The Piña Colada Song)” Wrote a Song About Cannibalism

Jan 6, 2025 | mentalfloss.com | Erin McCarthy |Erin Mccarthy

Rupert Holmes hoped his controversial tune would get banned from the radio. Rupert Holmes is responsible for one giant hit, 1979’s “Escape (The Piña Colada Song),” that might make your mouth water—especially if you like the titular tropical beverage (or getting caught in the rain). But the multi-talented singer, songwriter, playwright, and novelist was the driving force behind another ’70s pop curiosity that’s liable to make your stomach turn.