TIL the US government once banned sliced bread (www.mentalfloss.com)
Henry Johnson, the One-Man Army Who Fought Off Dozens of German Soldiers During World War I (www.mentalfloss.com)
TIL "A Nightmare On Elm Street" was inspired by a real-life string of unexplained nocturnal deaths among Laotian refugees in the 1970s and 1980s (www.mentalfloss.com)
In 1981, Wes Craven would ultimately find inspiration from an unlikely source: a string of bizarre, sleep-related deaths.
What puts beavers in the mood? (www.mentalfloss.com)
There’s a really cool set of experiments that have been done around this. It seems it’s the sound that compels them to build.
7 of the Most Valuable Board Games From the ‘80s and ‘90s (www.mentalfloss.com)
What Is Vocal Fry? (www.mentalfloss.com)
Vocal fry describes a specific sound quality caused by the movement of the vocal folds—and it’s nothing new.
TIL that in 1800 Alexander von Humboldt found a pet parrot in Amazonia that was the last "speaker" of an extinct language. He documented what it said, and his notes are the only trace of this language (www.mentalfloss.com)
TIL treadmills originated as a form of punishment in prisons (www.mentalfloss.com)
Hence why they're called tread-"mills"—they were used to power mills to pump water or grind grain.
TIL the film industry established itself in Hollywood partly to avoid Thomas Edison's harassements. Edison had patents for key film making technology and enforced them harshly, including hiring thugs. (www.mentalfloss.com)
The Best Pumpkin-Carving Tools and Accessories, According to an Expert (www.mentalfloss.com)
A lot goes into carving the perfect Jack-o’-Lantern, and Maniac Pumpkin Carvers’ co-founder Marc Evan shares his tips and tricks for the best techniques.
How Long Does It Really Take for a Plastic Bag to Decompose? (www.mentalfloss.com)
Technically, they really don't.