Lucas Reilly
Joined: Nov 21, 2012
Lucas proudly worked on mental_floss magazine for four years, where he served as a senior editor. For two years, he worked as a longform feature writer for the web. He's embedded with professional eclipse chasers in Nebraska, interviewed feudal lords in Britain, hunted for buried treasure in Virginia, and once profiled a man who had tried to turn into a goat. Chances are, you can find him at the library.
The 1925 Cave Rescue That Captivated the Nation
8 Conspiracy Theories and What They Get Right
Sequoyah: The Man Who Saved the Cherokee Language
13 Fascinating Facts About the Oxford English Dictionary
It took more than 70 years and tons of volunteer labor to create “the definitive record of the English language”—including an assist from a murderer. Get to know the Oxford English Dictionary better.
Why Alaska is Home to America’s Easternmost Point
To find the easternmost point in the United States, look west.
Why Do Ghosts Say “Boo”?
If linguistics is any indicator, it would appear that everybody in the spirit realm speaks Scots English.
A Forgotten George Gershwin Musical Just Made Its American Debut
The last time anybody saw a fully-orchestrated production of Gershwin's "Primrose," it was 1925.
19 Words That Used to Mean Something Negative
Sometimes words move up in the world. Their meanings change with time, becoming more positive—a process linguists call amelioration.
An (Almost) Comprehensive History of Rat Kings
Myth, hoax, or Mother Nature's freak accident? Here's the story of nearly every rat king ever discovered.
Why Does Music Give You Chills?
When your playlist strikes all the right chords, your body can go on a physiological joyride.
When Queen Victoria Employed an Official Rat-Catcher
The story of Jack Black, the eccentric “rat and mole destroyer to her majesty.”
The Reason People Wore Powdered Wigs
For nearly two centuries, powdered wigs—called perukes—were all the rage. The chic hairpiece would have never become popular, however, if it hadn't been for a venereal disease, a pair of self-conscious kings, and poor hair hygiene.
21 Attempts to Describe the Taste of Durian, the World’s Smelliest Fruit
Biting into a durian can be an utterly confusing and contradictory experience. Here are some outsider opinions from the past 400 years.
The Time Napoleon Was Attacked by Rabbits
History tells us that Napoleon’s most upsetting defeat came at Waterloo. But it may have actually occurred eight years earlier, after the French emperor was attacked by a relentless horde of rabbits.
19 Brilliant Facts About Albert Einstein
Once a simple patent clerk, Albert Einstein changed the world with his theories of special and general relativity.