Mark Mancini is a freelance writer currently based in New Jersey. Over the years, he’s covered every subject from classic horror movies to Abe Lincoln's favorite jokes. He is particularly fond of paleontology and has been reporting on new developments in this field since 2013. When Mark's not at his writing desk, you can usually find him on stage somewhere because he loves to get involved with community theater. And if you ever feel like trading puns for a few hours, he's your guy.
Recent Contributions
We take the mystery out of reporting the percent error correctly and show you how to use it in real life.
By Mark Mancini
You use solenoids every day without ever knowing it. So what exactly are they and how do they work?
By Mark Mancini
Legend says that jackalopes roam the plains of Wyoming and even like to sing campfire songs. How much truth is there to this mythical creature?
By Mark Mancini
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The Hays Code was a set of rules that stifled the American film industry for more than three decades. Was it just legal censorship?
By Mark Mancini
Researchers think the Chicxulub crater was caused by the massive asteroid that also killed off the dinosaurs 66 million years ago. What else do we know about this peak-ring crater?
By Mark Mancini
Like something out of a horror film, this parasitic worm invades a snail's eyestalks, where it pulsates to imitate a caterpillar, attracting the ultimate target, a bird.
By Mark Mancini
The ocean is so deep, it puts the height of Mount Everest to shame.
By Mark Mancini
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Treasure hunting may be dangerous, but it sure is super exciting. Here are five treasures people are hunting down right now.
By Mark Mancini
Generations have grown up watching "A Charlie Brown Christmas." But what does baseball legend Willie Mays have to do with this beloved animated special?
By Mark Mancini
You can find the distance between two points by using the distance formula. It's an application of the Pythagorean theorem. Remember that from high school algebra?
By Mark Mancini
Anne Bonny was an Irish marauder whose brief period of piracy in the 18th century Caribbean enshrined her in legend as one of the few documented female pirates in history.
By Mark Mancini
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The Bechdel Test was created in 1985 and has been used ever since to gauge how women are represented in film and on screen. But how accurate is it and does it really still matter?
By Mark Mancini
Scientists are concerned that the Thwaites Glacier is melting at a rapid pace, though some don't love the name "Doomsday Glacier." What does the rapid melt of this huge glacier mean for the future of our planet?
By Mark Mancini
The Atacama skeleton has sparked intense controversy and, based on its appearance, speculation of alien origin since its discovery in 2003. But what is the real story behind this little skeleton?
By Mark Mancini
It's a slippery proposition, to be sure, but bees do it, birds do it and you can bet that eels do it too. The question is, how do eels reproduce?
By Mark Mancini
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Boas and pythons and rattlers, oh my! There are lots of big snakes on this planet, but which one wears the crown of biggest snake in the world?
By Mark Mancini
Everything we do is controlled and enabled by electrical signals running through our bodies. But how are those signals produced?
By Julia Layton & Mark Mancini
The nine films were released in an unusual order. To get the best viewing experience, should you watch chronologically or in the order they debuted in theaters?
By Mark Mancini
Rossby waves influence everything from high tides to extreme weather patterns, and not just on Earth. They also occur on the sun and on Venus and Jupiter as well. So, what are they exactly?
By Mark Mancini
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Sriracha is spicy and tangy but not super hot. That's why so many people love it. It never overpowers foods; it just complements them.
By Mark Mancini
There are many types of energy in the world, from potential and kinetic to electrical and thermal, along with many others. But what exactly is energy?
By Mark Mancini
June 21 marks the summer solstice, the longest day of the year. Here are five cool facts about it.
By Mark Mancini
Utahraptors lived around 135 million years ago in the late Cretaceous Period. So what does salt have to do with these massive dinosaurs whose fossils were first discovered in 1975?
By Mark Mancini
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Helmets, battles, Leif Erikson Day - our Viking quiz has it all. Grab some mead and let's get started!
By Mark Mancini
Even washed up on the beach, the Portuguese man-of-war can deliver searing pain with its stinging tentacles, so whatever you do, don't touch it.
By Mark Mancini