Metal Gear is a surprisingly educational series, isn't it?

The amount of little things I've learned about by playing Metal Gear games is pretty crazy. It's wild how many mini-lectures are strewn throughout the games. The Compton Effect, Van​ der Waals Force, Lingua Franca, how Rail Guns work... Historical stuff like the Cuban Missile Crisis (or really, anything involving deterrence), SALT negotiations, Russian involvement in Afghanistan...​ Never mind all the specific names for military equipment like Semtex​, KA60 Kosatka, "*a HIND-D?*", Davy Crocket nukes. I didn't realize the Fulton Extraction system was a real thing the military tried.

A lot of this stuff I either learned from Metal Gear, or I *kinda sorta* knew about it by hearing about it in school, but then MGS fills in details. Some things I didn't "learn about" *per se* but because of the story, I've never seen the same way. MGS2 blew my mind in 2001 so hard that I might see​ AI, memes, and information control​ through that lens until I'm dead. Boston Dynamics robots sure reminded me of MGS4... When nanomachines come around, you better believe I'm gonna be nervous and skeptical.

I dunno, just felt like appreciating this aspect of the series. ​I love how much there is to think about and absorb.

What about you? What are some things that you learned about or appreciated differently *because* of Metal Gear?