Unidentified Flying Objects, or UFOs, have been fascinating humanity since ancient times (though strange things in the sky weren't always referred to as UFOs, of course). From bizarre early sightings and the time the White House had a run-in with UFOs...
Space
During the early days of cell phones, it seemed like designers focused heavily on trying to make the devices as small as possible and compact enough to fit in clutches and pockets. But they’re no longer just for calling and texting: You can work from your...
61 years ago, on November 3, 1957, the Soviet Union launched the satellite Sputnik-2 with Laika Space Dog on board. This experiment proved that living creatures can survive in weightlessness.As the scientist and inventor Konstantin Tsiolkovsky wrote, the ...
If you like your night sky to look like the cover of a 1960s sci-fi novel, you’re in luck. The next total blood moon eclipse is coming this weekend.According to NASA, a lunar eclipse—when the sun, Earth, and moon align and the moon passes into Earth’s sha...
This article contains affiliate links to products selected by our editors. Mental Floss may receive a commission for purchases made through these links.One of the best parts about summer is the ability to cook outdoors, but finding an affordable grill can...
People always want to make money. Most people are also fascinated by outer space and space travel. It takes a special type of person to combine those two desires and attempt to make money from spaceflight and space research. But some people have done just...
For a successful space journey and colonization of another planet, we need only 98 people. This figure is taken from a study by French astronomers and physicists. Meanwhile, a Harvard physicist has a better idea: instead of transporting people to a new pl...
This article contains affiliate links to products selected by our editors. Mental Floss may receive a commission for purchases made through these links.Some kitchen appliances are so sought after, they rarely go on sale online. Case in point? The Breville...
HBO Max is the premium streaming service from the Warner-owned media giant. For $14.99 a month, subscribers can choose from a vast library of movies and television shows. If you’ve already made your way through their superhero slate and simultaneous day-a...
Antidisestablishmentarianism, everyone’s favorite agglutinative, entered the pop culture lexicon on August 17, 1955, when Gloria Lockerman, a 12-year-old girl from Baltimore, correctly spelled it on The $64,000 Question as millions of people watched from ...
This article contains affiliate links to products selected by our editors. Mental Floss may receive a commission for purchases made through these links.Whether you want to keep up with your pandemic bread-making hobby, are assembling your wedding registry...
In what will undoubtedly be the premise for a future action movie, plans are underway for a hotel in space that will allow people to luxuriate in orbit. And it could be coming far sooner than you might think.According to Smithsonian, the futurists at Orbi...
Want to really see stars? The key to really enjoying a dazzling night of stargazing is finding a remote place with little to no light pollution. If you’re in pursuit of incredible stargazing, these destinations are worth the journey.1. Death Valley Nation...
This article contains affiliate links to products selected by our editors. Mental Floss may receive a commission for purchases made through these links.Summertime means staying outdoors as long as possible. However, pesky mosquitoes can ruin the fun. Find...
The next time you’re anxiously awaiting the results of lab tests from your doctor, be thankful they weren’t routed to NASA. The space agency is just now getting around to testing samples of the moon’s surface that were collected 50 years ago.The samples w...
In August 1967, two children tending a herd of cows outside a village in central France reported seeing “four small black beings,” flying from the ground and slipping headfirst into a sphere that shot skyward in a flash of light and trail of s...
If you're like many people, you may have accumulated a few new houseplants since the start of the pandemic two years ago. Tricks like lining your pots with coffee filters and maintaining a humid environment can help flora thrive in the short term, but...
Many people have probably noticed that astronauts do not wear tight-fitting spacesuits like in science-fiction films.Normally, films show us spacesuits that fit an astronaut’s body quite tightly. However, in reality, space suits are quite “puffy” and much...
In 2016, Iraqi Transport Minister Kazim Finjan made a sensational statement during his business trip to Dhi Qar. According to him, the Sumerians had their own spaceport and actively traveled, including outside the solar system.The Sumerians were one of th...
This article contains affiliate links to products selected by our editors. Mental Floss may receive a commission for purchases made through these links.Cooking at home is the responsible, adult thing to do, but it can also be tedious, messy, and far more ...
