From unsolved mystery to felid flatulence , our readers ' thirst for knowledge is wide and wide-ranging — and the same go for our editor and writers . ask proof ? Look no further than our 35 most popular stories of 2017 . In case you were n’t obsessively refreshing Mental Floss all year , here ’s what you lose :
1 . Known Alias : How Stephen King Was Outed asRichard Bachman
For eight years , Stephen King ’s pseudonym went undiscovered . Then a bookshop salesclerk took a walk to the Library of Congress .
2 . TheTrue Identityof Jack the Ripper May Have Just Been Confirmed
Nearly 130 year after the infamous sequential sea wolf ’s gruesome slaying disgorge a shadow over London , research worker believe they ’ve unveil the identity of their perpetrator .
3 . TheHidden RoomBehind Mount Rushmore
In the 14 years he pass contrive the monument , artist Gutzon Borglum harbour a deep concern : that his conception would one day be shrouded in mystery . So he create the Hall of Records .
4 . ThePolish DoctorsWho Used Science to Outwit the Nazis
The fake typhus epidemic spy by Eugene Lazowski and Stasiek Matulewicz during World War II carry through chiliad of life .
5 . 10 Things We Learned AboutKim Jong - UnFrom His Classmates
The great fomenter has always been bed for being slightly erratic . His love of the films of Jackie Chan was also well known .
6 . ExhumationConfirms Gravesiteof World ’s Fair Killer H.H. Holmes
For days , rumors have run that nonparallel slayer H.H. Holmes run away the snare and develop away with slaying . But forensics told the actual story .
7 . Take a looking : An unwritten History ofReading Rainbow
For 23 seasons , the LeVar Burton - hosted show teach generation of kids to enjoy the written parole . Here ’s how they did it .
8.Karen Wetterhahn , the Chemist Whose Poisoning Death Changed Safety Standards
She followed the safety communications protocol , but the female parent of two was all in within a year .
9 . 7 TV CharactersKilled OffOut of Spite
Death is never easy . That ’s especially straight in TV , where the demise of democratic characters can alienate audiences and post a series into a spin .
10 . When Did theDo Not Call ListStop Working ?
There was once a time when pick up a call from an unfamiliar number did n’t guarantee you ’d be babble out to a golem . Then , at the turning of the decade , something convert . So what happened ?
11 . The Quiet Strength ofJulia , the First Muppet with Autism
In April , Sesame Streetviewers get their first glimpse of Julia , the first new Muppet cast member on the series in nearly a decennium , who present a significant milestone for the legendary show .
12 . Opening Your automobile DoorLike the Dutch DoCan Save Cyclists ' Lives
To prevent dooring accidents in the Netherlands , citizenry rely on a simple practice that ’s been dubbed the “ Dutch Reach . "
13 . The Mysterious19th Century ‘ Princess’Who put one over a Ithiel Town
One daytime in 1817 , a woman named " Princess Caraboo " look ostensibly out of nowhere .
14 . TheMost Important ScientistYou’ve Never Heard Of
Clair Patterson determined the age of the Earth — and then he saved it .
15 . I , Darwin : An Oral History of theIKEA Monkey
The Japanese snow macaque managed to unlock a car door and stun bystander at a Canadian IKEA . Things only get weirder from there .
16 . 10 Award - WinningOptical Illusionsand Brain Puzzles
Yes , your mind really is playing tricks on you . Learn how and why .
17 . The Murderer Who Helped Make theOxford English Dictionary
18 . DoCats Fart ?
Certain philosophic questions can infest even the most disciplined of head . This is one of them .
19 . Hollywood ’s Brief Love Affair WithYoung EinsteinStarYahoo Serious
The Australia - born " star " made just three films before vanishing from the public eye .
20 . Researchers Discover New Species ofGiant Spider
diminutive , kickshaw spiders no big than a Tic - Tac probably wo n’t mail your blood pressure uprise . But the 4 - column inch - long , red - fanged Sierra Cacachilas wandering spider is another story .
21 . An ( Almost ) Comprehensive account ofRat King
A formal of furry hysteria , a git male monarch appears when the shadow of rodents become perverted , wrapped , and warped into a knot so impossible that not even the world ’s most fast Boy Scout could unpick it .
22 . Why PeopleWalked Differentlyin Medieval Times
A whole lot about medieval life would feel alien to us now . No indoor plumbing , no commode newspaper publisher , and a whole mint of blood let . But you might not require that you ’d have to take the air other than , too .
23 . There ’s aWire Above ManhattanThat You ’ve Probably Never acknowledge
It ’s gruelling to think that anything literally hanging from utility pole across Manhattan could be consider " veil , " but throughout the borough , about 18 miles of translucent wire stretchability around the skyline , and most masses have likely never noticed .
24 . An Ex - Google Engineer JustReinventedthe Measuring Cup
Recognizing a problem most people did n’t even bang they had , former Google and Facebook software technologist Joshua Redstone has made a bold call for his recent Kickstarter speculation : He ’s educate a dependable measuring cup .
25.Solved : A Jane Doe FromUnsolved MysteriesIs distinguish
For 27 year , investigators at California ’s Orange County Sheriff ’s Department ’s Coroner Division would periodically pull out a case single file that keep nagging at them . In 2017 , their dogged pursuit of the victim ’s identity has finally pay off .
26 . The Man Who Built a40 - Foot Spite FenceAround His Neighbor ’s Home
When Nicholas Yung would n’t sell his land to railroad baron Charles Crocker , Crocker work up a 40 - invertebrate foot fence around his firm and blotted out the Sunday .
27 . scientist May Have Found theReal Cause of Dyslexia — And a Way to Treat It
According to a new study published inProceedings of the Royal Society B , the so - called learning disablement may in reality start in the eyes .
28 . confect infatuation : The Bizarre History of Those'90s Mentos Commercials
29 . HowEclipse ChasersAre Putting a Small Kentucky Town on the Map
The most anticipated eclipse in American account arrived in the summertime of 2017 . At the heart of it was Hopkinsville , which anticipated 100,000 visitors .
30 . The 10Best Sci - Fi Moviesof All Time
How do you narrow down the entire history of science fabrication picture palace into a tilt of only the 10 best moving-picture show ? We ’re here to help .
31 . What ’s thePurpose of the Diamondon the Front of Backpacks ?
It ’s telephone a pig snout . And it ’s there for a reason .
32 . The Men WhoVolunteered to Be Poisonedby the Government
In 1902 , 12 humans check to take miserable doses of toxicant for try their efficaciousness as solid food preservatives . No one pass . essentially .
33 . What Did the MobThink ofThe Godfather ?
Before filming began , man with ties to organized crime made it clean that Paramount would need to encounter sure demands — or else .
34 . How 7 WildGame of ThronesFan TheoriesPanned Out in Season 7
The hit HBO series splice up a smattering of loose end in especially fill way , but left just as many unanswered questions .
35 . Can You ReallyLose Weightby Pooping ?
you could indeed see the effects of a truly satisfying bowel movement think over on your bathroom scale . ( wash off your hands first , please . )
