Tag Archives: Mental Floss

Debunking Alcohol Myths

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Ready for your fix of triva-tastic information? This week, Hannah Hart from “My Drunk Kitchen” guest hosts this edition of Mental Floss, which takes a look at 29 Misconceptions About Alcohol. Among the nuggets in this segment is the myth that tequila makes you happy, wine makes you sad and whiskey makes you angry. Wrong again! Says Hart, “There is no evidence that the type of alcohol you’re drinking can make a different type of drunk. Studies show that the number of drinks and speed of drinking have a much greater effect on your mood than what you happen to be drinking.”

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Witchy Woman at Ohio U.

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John Green, of Mental Floss, returns with 33 quirky facts about colleges for all you trivia junkies. Among the most interesting facts: Did you know that Ohio University is considered the most haunted university? Green says, “There’s even a closed dorm room–No. 428 in Wilson Hall–because it’s allegedly haunted by a girl who practiced witchcraft and died there.” Check out the other 32 fun facts about our colleges and unviersities.

The Cold, Beer Facts

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Want to sound like a genius next time your pounding down a beer at your favorite bar?

In this edition of Mental Floss, John Green  provides 26 facts and tips about beer that you probably weren’t aware of, such as beer and marijuana are basically plant cousins. You probably know that FDR ended Prohibition, but it was President Carter who legalized home brewering in 1978. Check in as Green takes us through 24 more amazing facts.

Bizarre College Classes

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Host John Green presents another episode of trivia-tastic information for all you starved knowledge junkies. In this edition of “Mental Floss,” Green takes a look at some of the most bizarre classes in our institutions of higher learning. Take Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts, which offered a class titled “Things That Go Bump in the Night” in 2011. “Though it sounds like its about the boogie man and creepy crawlies, in fact, it’s about all the strange things that your brain can be the cause of, such as the phantom limb phenomenon and out-of-body experiences,” Green says. Listen in on the other 25 weird college courses.

Origin of Superstitions

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For all you trivia-hungry junkies, John Green cooks up a doozy in this edition of “Mental Floss,” when he takes a look at the origin of 32 common superstitions. For example, the lucky rabbit’s foot superstition dates back to 600 BCE in western Europe, because of the popularity of totemism, the belief that animals were the ancestors of humans. Check out the other 31.

Pronounce it Correctly

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Get your fill of triva-tastic information as John Green presents 79 of the most common mispronounced words in the English language. Among the doozies you hear every day are the word crepe, pronounced “crep” not “crape.” Or caramel, pronounced in three syllables, “ca-ra-mel” not “carmel.” Listen to 77 more correct pronunciations on this version of Mental Floss.

50 Weird Laws

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Did you know that it’s illegal to lie down on sidewalks in Reno, Nevada? Street photographers are not allowed to stay at one place for more than five minutes to take pictures in  Washington D.C., and it’s against the law to swear at players or officials at sporting events in Massachusetts. Tune in to learn of any strange laws in your state, as  John Green reveals 47 more weird rules and guidelines across the country.

Familiar Things, Odd Names

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Did you know that when you’re playing chess and every possible move is to your disadvantage, the situation is called a zugswang. Or were you aware that barm is the foam in a beer. And if you ingest a lot of barm, chances are you will  experience the zings, or a hangover. Join John Green as he defines 48 things you didn’t know had names in this episode of Mental Floss.