Michele Debczak

Senior Writer at Mental Floss

Writing and editing @mental_floss. Would love to meet a ghost some day.

Articles

The 10 Best Movies Turning 50 This Year, According to Rotten Tomatoes

2 weeks ago | mentalfloss.com | Michele Debczak

Was 1975 the best year for movie fans? Every generation likes to argue that their decade of film was the greatest, but if you were alive in the year 1975, you may actually win that argument. We’re half a century removed from that cinematic period, and yet its influence on our collective moviegoing experience is still being felt. If you’re planning a marathon of movies turning 50 in 2025, this list of the best of the year according to Rotten Tomatoes is a great place to start.
What Do the Lines on Starbucks Cups Mean?

1 month ago | mentalfloss.com | Michele Debczak

Tall, grande, venti—cups for each drink size have mysterious lines on the sides. What exactly are those markers used for? If you’ve ever ordered an iced drink at Starbucks, chances are you received it in a plastic cup with little black lines along the side. The barista may even have written your name on one of those lines—a practice that is being phased back in after it was halted during the pandemic. But those lines aren’t just for writing.
1 Fact About All 63 U.S. National Parks

1 month ago | msn.com | Ellen Gutoskey |Kat Long |Michele Debczak

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How a Cold War Mission Led to the Discovery of the Titanic

2 months ago | msn.com | Michele Debczak

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Why Do We Say “Right as Rain”?

2 months ago | mentalfloss.com | Michele Debczak

Believe it or not, this silly phrase dates all the way back to Medieval times. It’s always a relief to hear that someone or something will be right as rain—a.k.a., back to normal and doing well. But when you think about it literally, it’s not immediately obvious what being right as rain would mean. So where did we get this curious expression from, and what’s so right about rain, anyway?
11 Items From 'Titanic’s' Final Menus

2 months ago | msn.com | Michele Debczak

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Submarine Expedition Reveals Parts of the Titanic Have Fully Decayed

2 months ago | msn.com | Michele Debczak

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Watch Newly Released Footage of the ‘Titanic’ Wreck Shot in 1986

2 months ago | mentalfloss.com | Michele Debczak

The discovery of Titanic’s remains at the bottom of the North Atlantic in 1985 reignited a cultural obsession with the tragedy. Decades later, the Woods Hole Oceanic Institution (WHOI) has released never-before-seen footage of the most famous shipwreck in history. As the Associated Press reports, the video below was taken in July 1986, less than a year after WHOI oceanographer Robert Ballard and his crew located Titanic 400 miles off the coast of Newfoundland.
Women and Children First: How a Rarely-Used Maritime Practice Caused Confusion On Board the 'Titanic'

2 months ago | mentalfloss.com | Michele Debczak

When it was conceived, the principle of “women and children first” was meant to uphold a sense of order and decency during disasters at sea. In some cases it caused more chaos than it prevented. On board the Titanic, the code of conduct was put to its greatest test as the damaged liner slipped into the Atlantic. The ship’s first and second officers both kept the maxim in mind as they evacuated the doomed vessel, but their interpretations varied.
The Legend of Jenny, the 'Titanic' Cat Said to Have Predicted the Ship's Fate

2 months ago | mentalfloss.com | Michele Debczak

In addition to the 2240 people aboard the RMS Titanic when it struck an iceberg on April 14, 1912, there were roughly a dozen pets. The ship’s dogs—only three of which made it off the sinking ship—have become an interesting footnote in the tragic tale. Less is known about the cat that was aboard the vessel in its final weeks. Like so many aspects of the Titanic saga, the story of Jenny the cat is shrouded in legend.