Awesome Mental Floss

The vast majority of legally blind people don’t use Braille. Miniature horses are great alternatives to guide dogs. People who are totally blind don’t see black, they see nothing at all. All that and more in one of Mental Floss’ most fascinating and informative videos so far.

Did you know that the oldest person to complete the Ironman triathlon was an 82-year-old nun? Or that a woman got her master’s degree when she was 98? How about a teacher who’s literally a hundred years old? All that and more in Mental Floss’ List Show.

Did you know that Memphis is named after an Egyptian city? Or that Atlanta used to have the badass name Terminus? All that and more in Mental Floss’ trivia about the origins of US city names. Mr. Green, say it with us: “Gua-da-lu-pe.”

Mental Floss examines a number of bizarre, superflous, stupid, and downright awful products, some of which we can’t believe were ever made in the first place. On the other hand, we still want an HP-01 watch.

Proving that pretty much anything can be turned into a compelling sounding statistic, Mental Floss walks us through 46 wacky and weird stats. According to our statisticians, 36% of you aren’t actually reading this sentence.

Mental Floss’ List Show points out some of the world’s most intellectuallly stimulating tourist destinations, including the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the Atacama Desert in Chile and its starry night skies, and the otaku paradise known as Akihabara in Tokyo.

Mental Floss gives us a quick tour of the cribs of the powerful, rich and famous and the unique amenities therein, such as the Playboy Mansion’s redwood forest, the Winchester House’s secret passages and William Hearst’s telephone-filled estate.

Did you know that it would literally take you an entire day to ride all of New York City’s subway lines? Or that Wall Street was named after an actual wall? All that and more in Mental Floss’ episode about the Big Apple.

Did you know that tea is second only to water as the world’s most favorite drink? How about the fact that some British tanks have provisions for brewing tea? Or that tea sommeliers exist? All that and more in Mental Floss’ video.

For its latest list show, Mental Floss teaches us a number of things we didn’t know about James Bond and the actors who played him over the years – like the fact that the trademark James Bond theme music might have never been, had a certain musical ever been staged.

Did you know that Wi-Fi wasn’t originally an acronym but a pun on Hi-Fi? How about the fact that most Americans who are online are browsing Facebook? Or that it’s faster to say World Wide Web than WWW? All those and more in this Mental Floss episode.

Mental Floss‘ John Green expounds on some of the many strange and random bits of trivia about famous rock musicians. We’re wondering what ever happened to those stolen Green Day recordings, and in case you were wondering – here’s an excerpt from that Foo Fighters’ rider.

Did you know that there could have been a Bob Ross game for the Nintendo Wii and DS? Or that Bob didn’t actually like his afro? How about the fact that he could finish taping one season of his show in two days? All that and more in Mental Floss’ latest List Show.

Did you know that on average, you’ll lose half of your friends every 7 years? But don’t worry, because you’re also bound to gain the same number of new buddies. All that and more in Mental Floss’ episode about the science of friendship.

Did you know that hockey was not invented in Canada? Or that the black belt is not always the highest rank in martial arts? All that in more in Mental Floss’ final Misconceptions episode. Boooo!

When speaking with someone you like, look them in the eye. If they’re female and their eyes dilate when they’re talking to you, you might have a shot. If you end up together, kiss her in the morning to save your life. All that and more in Mental Floss’ video.

Mental Floss shares trivia about the multitalented Jim Henson and his creations, such as why he kept his beard, his dream of ending the Cold War and how he arrived at his college graduation in a Rolls-Royce that he purchased with his puppet show earnings.

Did you know that Hall of Famer Hoyt Wilhelm, who spent 20 years in MLB, hit his only home run on his first time at bat? Or that college football coaches make bank? Okay we already knew about the latter, but Mental Floss has more sports trivia.

Subway’s footlongs were actually lessthanafootlongs, a man sued himself to get free money and a woman thought Frozen was based on her life. All that and more in Mental Floss List Show’s rundown of absurd and frivolous lawsuits.

Mental Floss fills us in on a bunch of trivia we never knew about our cash, from the earliest forms of currency, to the least valuable bills, to what money stays the cleanest, and where to find an ATM in Antarctica.

Did you know that the upside down squeeze bottle wasn’t invented until 1991? And that electric guitar designer Leo Fender – creator of the Telecaster, Stratocaster and more – never learned to play the guitar? All that and more on this episode of the List Show.

Mental Floss debunks myths about video games, from it being primarily a children’s hobby to making gamers violent or desensitized to violence. And no, blowing into cartridges doesn’t really work and could actually damage the cart.

Did you know that Uncle Sam was a real person? Or that while Minnesota is known for its lakes, Alaska actually trumps it with over 3,000,000 lakes? Learn about those trivia and more in Mental Floss’ Independence Day special.