Target Canada was so poorly planned that Canadian consumers would continue to cross the border and shop at Target stores in the United States. 10
This Museum Wants to Match You With Your Ancient Statue Doppelgänger
Image credit:
Musée de la civilisation
In addition to supporting the arts and broadening your horizons, a trip to a museum is an opportunity to find your millennia-old look-alike hiding in an exhibit. If you haven’t been lucky enough to make such a discovery on your own, the Musée de la civilisation in Quebec City wants to help you find your match. The museum’s new project, “My 2000-Year-Old Double,” pairs people’s faces with their ancient Greco-Roman or Egyptian sculpture counterparts.
To make the matches, modern photographs are run through a facial recognition software program called Betaface API. After analyzing 123 facial landmark points, the API creates a template based on those features and searches for sculpture templates that compare. Similar technology has been implemented in emotion-reading apps, ATM security systems, and home robots.
The 60 possible doppelgängers are sampled from the Greco-Roman and Egyptian collections of the Musée d’art et d’histoire de Genève and the Fondation Gandur pour l’Art. Thirty winning sets of twins will be selected from public submissions and displayed at the Musée de la civilisation from October 24, 2018 to October 27, 2019. Photos for the exhibit will be captured by François Brunelle, the Quebec photographer known for his work with doubles.
Anyone is free to upload a picture to receive his or her match and be considered for the exhibit. We recommend heeding the museum’s tips for taking an effective photo before you enter.
January 29, 2017 – 4:00pm
10 Fun Facts About Cereal
Breakfast cereal is a big business. Take a walk through any supermarket and you are quite likely to find an entire aisle dedicated to breakfast cereal. There does not seem to be any end to the ideas manufacturers come up with to create new cereal blends. Breakfast cereals have been around as long as most of us can remember, and it’s a pretty good bet that practically everyone in the western world has at least tried one at some point in their life. Like most other things in life, breakfast cereal has it’s wild side, and there are more than
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12 Shocking Secrets Spilled to Oprah
Image credit:
Getty Images
Even after ending her 25-year reign as the Queen of Daytime TV, Oprah Winfrey has remained one of the world’s most famous television personalities. One of her most enduring legacies? Her ability to get high-profile celebrities to discuss their darkest secrets to an audience of millions. Here are 12 stunners that came to light under her sympathetic gaze.
1. WHITNEY HOUSTON ADMITS THAT SHE DIDN’T THINK CRACK WAS SO WACK.
After denying a drug problem in a 2002 interview with Diane Sawyer—the source of her infamous “crack is wack” declaration—Whitney Houston came clean to Oprah seven years later. She said her drug of choice was marijuana mixed with rock cocaine, a.k.a. crack.
2. MICHAEL JACKSON REVEALS THAT HE’S SUFFERING FROM VITILIGO.
After years of public speculation that he was bleaching his skin for cosmetic reasons, Michael Jackson finally explained in 1993 that he was actually suffering from vitiligo, a disease that causes depigmentation of the skin. During the most-watched interview in television history, the King of Pop also confessed that he had, in fact, had plastic surgery—but not as much as everyone assumed.
3. LANCE ARMSTRONG ADMITS TO DOPING ALLEGATIONS.
Seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong’s fall from grace was swift after he finally admitted, after more than a decade of denials, that he had taken banned substances during all of his cycling victories. During his 2013 sit-down with Oprah, he said he felt a need to protect his “mythic” level image, and he got caught up in the momentum of the lies.
4. RIHANNA CALLS CHRIS BROWN THE LOVE OF HER LIFE.
When photos surfaced of how badly Chris Brown beat Rihanna after a pre-Grammy party in 2009, the public turned against him. Over time, though, it became clear that Rihanna was still seeing her attacker. In an interview with Oprah three years later, she stunned the world by saying she was, indeed, still in love with him. Soon afterward, she began posting pictures on Instagram and Twitter of the two of them hanging out in intimate settings.
5. DAVID LETTERMAN TALKS ABOUT HIS SEX SCANDAL AND HIS STRUGGLES WITH DEPRESSION.
For years, Letterman and Winfrey had a long-rumored (though seemingly low-level) feud brewing. They’ve since buried that hatchet, so much so that in 2013, Dave talked candidly to Oprah about the sex scandal that rocked his marriage and career in 2009. He also opened up about a six-month period of depression where he found it difficult to even get out of bed.
6. MACKENZIE PHILLIPS CONFESSES TO HAVING SEX WITH HER FATHER OVER THE COURSE OF MANY YEARS.
In 2009, Mackenzie Phillips, former child star of One Day at a Time, went on Oprah to talk about her autobiography. She read an excerpt from the book about her father—musician John Phillips of The Mamas and the Papaps—raping her when she was a teenager, and said that she continued to have sex with him for years afterward, including after she was married.
7. JAMES FREY ADMITS HE MADE UP KEY PORTIONS OF HIS MEMOIR.
After getting the coveted Oprah’s Book Club bump, author James Frey was outed as a fraud when The Smoking Gun discovered his memoir about addiction and recovery, A Million Little Pieces, was largely fiction. Oprah, as you might imagine, was displeased. She invited him back on the show to explain himself—or, more accurately, to rip him a new one for deceiving her and her legions of followers.
8. LISA MARIE PRESLEY TALKS ABOUT HER MARRIAGE TO MICHAEL JACKSON.
In a sit-down after her 2009 ex-husband’s death, Lisa Marie Presley chatted about the authenticity of their mid-’90s marriage, which many people had viewed as a staged relationship for years. She also talked about how she thought there was possibly suspicious drug use going on while the two were married, which she didn’t notice until shortly before she filed for divorce.
9. MO’NIQUE’S BROTHER ADMITS TO MOLESTING HER AS A CHILD.
Getty
Although comedian and actress Mo’Nique was outspoken about the childhood sexual abuse she suffered at the hands of her older brother (saying she fueled that anger into her Oscar-winning role in Precious), Gerald Imes continually denied it. Until his talk with Oprah in 2010, that is.
“I’m here today to first acknowledge what I’ve been in denial for for 37 years, and that is I did assault and inappropriately touch my sister in manners that were not comfortable for her,” Imes said. “And for that, I apologize and am humbly sorry.”
10. TELEVANGELIST TED HAGGARD CONFESSES TO AN AFFAIR AND DRUG USE.
Ted Haggard was once one of the country’s foremost evangelical leaders and was known to advise George W. Bush on a regular basis. So it was quite the shock when he went on Oprah and announced that all of the rumors were true—he had cheated on his wife with a male escort and was also dabbling with drugs.
11. A FRESH-FROM-PRISON MARION JONES TALKS ABOUT HER STEROID USE.
After spending six months in prison for lying to federal agents about using performance-enhancing drugs, the five-time Olympic medalist insisted to Oprah that she didn’t knowingly lie.
12. STEPHEN COLBERT OPENS UP ABOUT THE DEATH OF HIS FATHER AND TWO BROTHERS.
The public was used to seeing “Stephen Colbert,” the late night comedic pundit character. But when Oprah talked to the real Stephen Colbert, he opened up about the Eastern Airlines crash in 1974 that killed his father and two of his older brothers when he was just 10 years old.
A version of this story originally ran in 2013.
January 25, 2017 – 3:17pm
11 Health Benefits of Juicing
Juicing is not new, and the health benefits associated with it have been known for many years. With more focus on good nutrition and natural health alternatives these days, more and more people are paying attention to juicing. Although there is a bit of work associated with juicing, if you do it yourself, in the long run, it makes it easy to get the maximum health benefits from a number of nutritious fruits and vegetables at the same time. There are tried-and-true juice recipes that have been used by millions, and also the possibility of coming up with your very
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The Great Astronomy Hoax of 1835
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On August 25, 1835, readers of the New York newspaper The Sun were enthralled by reports of life on the moon. An astronomer who had built a huge telescope reported lunar bison, moonscape meadows, and bipedal beavers. Readers ate it up, boosting The Sun‘s circulation—too bad it was a hoax.
January 29, 2017 – 1:00pm
Watch: Malaria and ‘Silent Spring’
Image credit:
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service // Public Domain
In 1962, Rachel Carson’s book Silent Spring highlighted the dangers of synthetic pesticides. Her book was so influential that DDT, previously hailed as a miracle pesticide, was eventually banned. After the ban, malaria remains an epidemic in parts of the world—even parts where DDT was not banned. So what’s going on? Is Carson to blame? (Spoiler alert: The malaria-carrying mosquitos have evolved to resist pesticides, including DDT.)
In this short documentary, the Retro Report team looks back on Carson’s place in environmental history—and considers various outcomes of the DDT ban.
(Photo by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.)
January 29, 2017 – 12:00pm
This Week’s Best Amazon Deals You Can Still Get
Image credit:
amazon / istock
As a recurring feature, we share some amazing Amazon deals we’ve turned up. These items were the ones that were the most popular with our readers this week, and they’re still available.
Mental Floss has affiliate relationships with certain retailers (including Amazon) and may receive a small percentage of any sale. But we only get commission on items you buy and don’t return, so we’re only happy if you’re happy. Good luck deal hunting!
GADGETS, TOYS, AND MEDIA
Bose SoundLink Bluetooth Speaker III for $269.00 (list price $299.00)
Wagan EL2022 Ionic Air Purifier for $10.45 (list price $14.95)
Bose SoundTrue around-ear headphones II – Apple devices, Charcoal for $129.00 (list price $179.95)
SoundBot SB512 HD Wireless Shower Speaker (Gray) for $12.99 (list price $49.99)
HomeSpot NFC-Enabled Bluetooth Audio Receiver for Sound System for $21.96 (list price $39.99)
LEGO Architecture Venice 21026 for $22.99 (list price $29.99)
Funko POP Rides: Game of Thrones – Dragon & Daenerys Action Figure for $21.29 (list price $29.99)
Learning Resources Magnifier & Tweezers for $8.95 (list price $10.99)
LEGO STAR WARS AT-ST Walker 75153 for $31.00 (list price $39.99)
LEGO Star Wars First Order Battle Pack 75132 for $8.99 (list price $12.99)
1byone Noise Isolating Wired In-ear Sports Earphones with Flexible Memory Wire for iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mp4 Players, Tablets, Smartphones and More, Dark Grey for $9.99 (list price $18.99)
Samsung EVO 32GB Class 10 Micro SDHC Card with Adapter (MB-MP32DA/AM) for $11.95 (list price $37.99)
LEGO Star Wars Captain Rex’s AT-TE 75157 for $89.99 (list price $119.99)
KITCHEN
Brita Standard Replacement Water Filter for Pitchers, 3 Count for $14.88 (list price $15.97)
Gotham Steel 3 Piece Nonstick Frying Pan Set, 9.5″/+11″/+12.5″, Brown for $64.99 (list price $89.99)
Presto Bacon Microwave Cooker, Black for $11.31 (list price $14.99)
Bamboo Cooking Utensil-Set (6-Pieces) – Utopia Kitchen for $6.99 (list price $29.99)
Fifth Avenue Crystal Medallion Stemless Wine Goblets, Set of 4 for $17.24 (list price $56.84)
Hamilton Beach 25490A Dual Breakfast Sandwich Maker for $29.90 (list price $39.99)
Francois et Mimi Stainless Steel Black Roll-Top Bread Box for $14.99 (list price $34.99)
AmazonBasics 3-Piece Baking Sheet Set for $12.38 (list price $15.29)
Culina 13″ Splatter Screen, Stainless Steel Fine Mesh. Resting Feet for $9.99 (list price $24.95)
Chef’n Emulstir 2.0, Salad Dressing Mixer for $6.48 (list price $14.99)
Cilio 18/10 Stainless Steel Wine Sealer for $5.93 (list price $7.95)
Cook N Home 9-Piece Ceramic Knife Set for $19.24 (list price $21.38)
Good Cook Classic Safe Cut Can Opener for $10.44 (list price $14.99)
Lodge L8SGP3 Cast Iron Square Grill Pan, Pre-Seasoned, 10.5-inch for $19.97 (list price $26.82)
Lodge L8SK3 Cast Iron Skillet, Pre-Seasoned, 10.25-inch for $15.92
Babycakes Donut Maker, Mini for $14.99 (list price $26.99)
HOME
10 Space Saver Bags for Reusable Long Term Vacuum Storage for $9.99 (list price $49.99)
Graco Affix Backless Youth Booster Car Seat with Latch System, Pierce for $31.08 (list price $34.99)
32” Round Granite White Plastic Bar Height Folding Table for $43.93 (list price $50.58)
Yankee Candle Company Midnight Jasmine Large Jar Candle for $22.79 (list price $27.99)
DreamFoam 2″ Gel Swirl Memory Foam Topper, Made in USA, Queen for $69.99 (list price $119.99)
Cascade Complete Actionpacs Dishwasher Detergent, Fresh, 77 Count for $13.51 (list price $17.98)
Simpli Home Acadian Coffee Table, Rich Tobacco Brown for $122.28 (list price $289.99)
Glad Tall Kitchen Drawstring Trash Bags, 13 Gallon, 90 Count for $10.33 (list price $12.74)
Graco Highback Turbobooster Car Seat, Go Green for $41.39 (list price $49.99)
Honeywell HCE100R Heat Bud Ceramic Heater, Red for $14.99 (list price $24.99)
Miles Kimball Long Handle Tub Scrubber for $13.99 (list price $19.99)
O-Cedar Microfiber Steam Mop for $64.99 (list price $89.99)
OXO Good Grips Soap Dispensing Dish Brush for $8.99 (list price $9.99)
Pinzon 300-Thread-Count Percale Sheet Set – Queen, Spa Blue for $33.14 (list price $38.99)
Trtl Soft Neck Support Travel Pillow, Machine Washable – Black for $29.99 (list price $39.99)
Rubbermaid Small Flexible Storage Bag Tote 5-Gallon, 1802440 for $6.49 (list price $15.11)
Evenflo Position and Lock Tall Pressure Mount Wood Gate for $16.19 (list price $29.99)
HEALTH AND BEAUTY
ACURE Brightening Facial Scrub, 4 Ounce for $8.49 (list price $9.99)
Pre de Provence Marseille Soap 72% Olive Oil Cube – 300g for $11.90 (list price $17.99)
Dr. Scholl’s Corn Cushions 9 ea for $2.60 (list price $3.99)
Benzac Acne Eliminating Cleanser, 6 Fluid Ounce for $6.30 (list price $8.99)
St. Ives Even & Bright Face Scrub, Pink Lemon and Mandarin Orange 6 oz for $3.00 (list price $4.99)
Face Cream Moisturizer (2oz) 95% Natural Anti Aging Skin Care for $16.99 (list price $41.99)
Aveeno Ultra-Calming Makeup Removing Wipes, 25 Count for $5.59 (list price $6.99)
Neutrogena T/Gel Therapeutic Shampoo Original Formula, 16 Fl. Oz for $11.64 (list price $16.39)
Dove Men+Care Body and Face Bar, Extra Fresh 4 oz, 10 Bar for $10.88 (list price $14.99)
Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Stress Control Night Cleansing Pads, 60 Count for $6.97 (list price $10.69)
Polo Blue for Men By Ralph Lauren Eau-de-toilette Spray, 6.7-Ounce for $71.99 (list price $98.00)
Maybelline New York The Rock Nudes Palette, 0.35 Ounce for $7.49 (list price $9.99)
NIVEA Men Sensitive Face Wash 5 Fluid Ounce for $4.45 (list price $5.99)
OFFICE, SCHOOL, AND CRAFTS
EXPO 2-in-1 Dry Erase Markers, Chisel Tip, Assorted Colors, 8-Count for $9.24 (list price $10.98)
Sharpie Pen, Fine Point, Assorted Colors, 6-Count for $6.83 (list price $14.73)
Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils, Manga Colors, 23-Count for $14.08 (list price $42.34)
Officemate Super 2-Way Sorter, Recycled, Black (26252) for $9.72 (list price $18.79)
Darice 80-Piece Deluxe Art Set for $14.97 (list price $39.99)
Watercolor Paint Set 12-Colors (Aluminum tubes, 12 x 0.4oz) for $9.99 (list price $19.99)
OUTDOORS, GARDEN, AND SPORTS
KONG Classic Dog Toy, Large, Red for $9.15 (list price $16.93)
FitDesk Under Desk Elliptical Trainer for $148.41 (list price $158.76)
Zippo Slim Black Matte Pocket Lighter for $13.49 (list price $19.95)
GREENIES Grain Free Dental Dog Treats, Large, 17 Treats, 27 oz. for $25.34 (list price $38.99)
Arm & Hammer Double Duty Litter, 40 Lbs for $12.59 (list price $27.99)
Coleman 45 Can Collapsible Sport Cooler for $33.98 (list price $39.99)
Bickmore Bick 4 Leather Conditioner 8 Ounces for $7.95 (list price $14.99)
Suncast GO3216 Golf Organizer for $49.99 (list price $99.00)
Cuisinart CMD-108 Melting Dome, Silver for $13.83 (list price $19.99)
ELECTRONICS
Sennheiser HD 650 Open Back Professional Headphone for $377.14 (list price $499.95)
SanDisk Ultra 64GB Dual Drive USB Type-C (SDDDC2-064G-G46) for $31.16 (list price $32.99)
Anker Ultra Slim 4-Port USB 3.0 Data Hub for $19.99 (list price $9.99)
KAKA Classic Laptop Backpack Travel Backpack Black for $20.99 (list price $39.99)
Toshiba Canvio Basics 1TB Portable Hard Drive – Black (HDTB310XK3AA) for $54.99 (list price $99.99)
TOOLS
Meguiar’s G13616 Quik Interior Detailer Cleaner – 16 oz. for $5.00 (list price $7.59)
Klein Tools RT210 GFCI Receptacle Tester for $9.99 (list price $13.00)
Kidde Battery-Operated Carbon Monoxide Alarm with Digital Dis for $19.98 (list price $54.49)
Stanley 16-150 150 Series Short Blade 3-Piece Wood Chisel Set for $9.85 (list price $14.50)
Amprobe BAT-200 Battery Tester for $6.26 (list price $7.95)
Bosch MS4091 91-Piece Drill and Drive Bit Set for $34.99 (list price $49.99)
SE CC4580 MilitaryLensatic/Prismatic Sighting Compass with Pouch for $12.35 (list price $14.95)
DEWALT DC970K-2 18-Volt Compact Drill/Driver Kit for $89.00 (list price $99.00)
DEWALT DW2166 45-Piece Screwdriving Set with Tough Case for $14.45 (list price $41.80)
Black & Decker 71-081 Double Ended Screwdriving Bit Set, 10-Piece for $3.49 (list price $4.76)
Stanley 20-526 15-Inch 12-Point/Inch SharpTooth Saw for $13.56 (list price $17.70)
January 29, 2017 – 11:00am
Artist Transforms Old CDs Into Nature-Inspired Sculptures
Image credit:
Courtesy of Sean Avery
Each year, millions of CDs and DVDs end up in landfills and incinerators. To help save the planet, Australian artist Sean Avery upcycles the plastic discs into what he refers to as “sustainable art”—elaborate, spiky sculptures of flowers, birds, woodland creatures, and more.
According to Avery, his 3D figures aren’t actually as sharp as they look. While making them, the artist is actually more likely to burn himself with a hot glue gun than he is to cut himself.
“I use kitchen scissors to cut the shapes I need out of the CDs, then arrange each shard by color and size,” Avery—who’s also a teacher, a designer, and a children’s book author/illustrator—explains on his website. “I then hot glue those shards one-by-one to a wire mesh frame (that I shape by hand) to create a natural fur/feather pattern. My sculptures usually take a week to make, maybe longer depending on how motivated I am to get them done!”
View some of Avery’s creations below, or visit his website for more information.
All photos courtesy of Sean Avery
[h/t deMilked]
January 29, 2017 – 6:00am
Hit the Slopes in Flashy ’80s-Inspired Ski Gear From Tipsy Elves
Image credit:
Tipsy Elves
The holidays are over, but that hasn’t stopped ugly sweater company Tipsy Elves from offering up gaudy and festive options for the winter season. The company’s retro-inspired ski collection features ostentatious ski suits, sweaters, hats, and neck warmers.
Largely inspired by trends from the ’80s and ’90s, and the fashion of famous personalities like Elvis and Evel Knievel, the collection includes splashy designs like rainbows, neon colors, and even an American flag cape.
“Some fashion trends should really stay in the past,” Tipsy Elves says on their website. “But there are some pretty awesome designs that deserve a revival.”
The collection’s one-piece ski suits, made with waterproof fabric, include insulated lining for warmth. There are also retro-inspired long johns, shirts, sweaters, and wind breakers (for warmer days on the mountain).
As the website points out, these bright outfits are not just for humor: They help skiers stay visible against the white snow, and the one-piece feature makes getting dressed in the morning a lot easier.
You can see the whole collection here.
January 29, 2017 – 12:00am