While some people may define literacy in strict terms as proficiency in reading comprehension, there’s often much more to it than that. To be literate opens the door to parse information, think and ...

The San Diego-Carlsbad area in California trails behind, with the CPI change reaching .80 percent in the last two months and 4 percent over the last year. Many typical expenses, such as state taxes, ...

Historical figures are just like us: Sometimes, they go to the beach. Whether it’s to kick back and relax, to shoot a movie, or to stay far away from a regime that exiled them—well, that depends on ...

In Tune Twist, we run the lyrics of a hit song through multiple languages, then translate them back into English. Here’s a hint: This song, which came out in 1999, was the first single from a ...

The Eugenics Record Office thought pseudoscience could make more perfect humans. It led to unspeakable tragedy.

Recently, Mental Floss broke down the state names that Americans find the hardest to pronounce, based on a study by language ...

Because basements are partially below grade, or under the ground, an egress window is often installed near a window well, which provides space to maneuver once a person has exited through the window.

A science fiction writer called it an “artifact of such utter simplicity and perfection that it seems it must be either the ...

These little spaces often spark curiosity and nostalgia, though few people know their history.

But of all the English language’s possible sources of difficulty, easily confused and muddled word pairs—from there and their to e.g. and i.e. —surely rank among the most troublesome. Now, a new ...

With 1985 now 40 years gone, Mental Floss is taking a look at the people who were making headlines and emerging as cultural ...

When you roll down one rear window while driving, the car essentially turns into a massive version of an empty soda bottle.