Mental Floss

LISTS

They're robots—and a whole lot of fun—in disguise.

Dive into the fascinating (and sometimes controversial) history of the Transformers toy line, from its roots with Japanese toymaker Takara to the controversy over the Megatron Walther P38 handgun toy and more.

M. Arbeiter
U.S. troops in Vietnam.

The Vietnam War was a highly controversial conflict. We break down some of the most common questions about the war, from why the U.S. entered the conflict to who ultimately won.

Colin Scanlon


Jeff Goldblum in ‘The Fly.’

In this 1986 film (a remake of a movie from 1958), director David Cronenberg ensured that you’d never look at Jeff Goldblum—or a housefly—the same way again.

Andrew LaSane










Senator Joseph McCarthy (center) and Roy Cohn (right) during the Army-McCarthy Hearings in June 1954.

McCarthyism advertised itself as a response to national security threats created by the Cold War, including Soviet espionage. But the movement was bigger than Senator Joseph McCarthy.

Tim Brinkhof












The Vietnamese word ‘cột sống’ technically means “spine”—but to the country’s Gen Zers, it’s slang for something else entirely.

Sophie Lau