Mental Floss

Mental Floss, often stylized as mental_floss, is an American media company that creates digital content, print materials, and e-commerce, specifically targeting millennials. Owned by Dennis Publishing, the company operates out of New York City. The website mentalfloss.com features a mix of facts, trivia, and puzzles presented in a lighthearted manner, attracting 20.5 million unique visitors each month. Their YouTube channel hosts three weekly series and boasts 1.3 million subscribers. The print magazine, which has a circulation of 160,000, releases six issues each year. Notably, in October 2015, Mental Floss collaborated with the National Geographic Channel for Brain Surgery Live with mental_floss, marking the first-ever live broadcast of a brain surgery. In October 2016, it was announced that the magazine would discontinue its print version to concentrate solely on digital content.

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#31581

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#7816

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Articles

How Grand Teton National Park Is Using Papier-Mâché Birds to Protect the Greater Sage-Grouse

5 days ago | mentalfloss.com | CaLea Johnson

Papier-mâché art meets wildlife conservation as Grand Teton National Park uses decoys to protect the greater sage-grouse from deadly aircraft strikes. Papier-mâché is a common art medium, but that’s not all it’s good for. According to Popular Science, Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming is using the material in an attempt to protect a vulnerable bird species from planes. The bird in question is the greater sage-grouse, a species native to the western United States and Canada.
Every State’s Favorite Fictional Mom, Mapped

5 days ago | mentalfloss.com | CaLea Johnson

From Lorelai Gilmore to Marge Simpson, discover which iconic fictional moms are most loved in every state. From classic sitcoms to fantasy series, Americans have strong opinions about their favorite on-screen moms. Just in time for Mother’s Day, the online security review website PrivacyJournal recently revealed which fictional mom each state loves most in its latest report [PDF]. The site created this map by first making a list of iconic mothers across generations and genres of media.
Remains of What Could Be America’s First Domestic Cats Came From a 16th-Century Shipwreck

6 days ago | mentalfloss.com | CaLea Johnson

Newly analyzed remains suggest that domesticated cats arrived in America in 1559. Cats are such a prominent part of American culture today that it’s hard to imagine the country without them. But our feline friends arrived on our shores more recently than you may assume. As Smithsonian reports, a new study published in the journal American Antiquity links America’s first domestic cats to a 16th-century shipwreck.
11 Things You Might Not Have Known About ‘Gymkata’

6 days ago | mentalfloss.com | Jon O'Brien

‘Gymkata’ was a flop when it hit theaters in 1985—but today, the so-bad-it’s-good film has a cult following. Here’s what you should know. When the rights for Dan Tyler Moore’s 1957 novel The Terrible Game were purchased in 1960, producers intended to adapt it into a vehicle for Rock Hudson.
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?
Missed the REAL ID Deadline? Here’s What You Need to Know to Fly Without One

1 week ago | mentalfloss.com | CaLea Johnson

The REAL ID deadline has arrived. If you plan on traveling without one, you’ll need to know when to arrive at the airport and what documents to bring with you. Starting Wednesday, May 7, a regular ID won’t cut it for travelers looking to fly within the U.S. Congress passed the REAL ID Act in 2005, and the deadline has finally arrived after about 20 years.
Definition Detective Quiz #37

1 week ago | mentalfloss.com | Ellen Gutoskey

In Definition Detective, we give you an obscure word with four possible definitions. Only one is correct—the other three we made up. Can you identify the real meaning from the fakes? Try Other Definition Detective Quizzes:
The Most (and Least) Stressed States in 2025

1 week ago | mentalfloss.com | CaLea Johnson

Find out which states are struggling the most and which ones are keeping calm. A little stress is a normal part of life, but it’s possible to feel too much of it. A 2022 study by the American Psychological Association found that over three-quarters of adults report stress-related symptoms, including depression and tiredness. If you’re wondering how this problem breaks down by region, check out the most—and least—stressed states in 2025.
A Banksy Wall Tagged By Rival Graffiti Artists Is Heading to Auction

1 week ago | mentalfloss.com | CaLea Johnson

Banksy‘s altered mural “Battle to Survive a Broken Heart“ heads to auction this May, with part of the proceeds benefiting the American Heart Association. Banksy made a name for himself in the early 1990s when he started spray-painting stencils around Bristol, England. Today he’s one of the most prominent graffiti artists in the world. Though he remains anonymous, his often politically-charged works draw huge crowds and sometimes sell for millions.