⚙️Dr. Stone and the Evolution of Technology: Sparking My Interest in STEM

When the world went quiet during COVID, I, like many others, found myself searching for meaning in small things. Some people baked bread, others learned to paint — I found myself binge-watching anime. That is when I stumbled upon Dr. Stone.

At first, it seemed like just another survival story. But by the second episode, I was hooked. The boy with spiky silver hair, Senku Ishigami, stood in a world turned to stone, declaring with a grin: “I’m going to rebuild civilisation with the power of science — ten billion percent!”

Something inside me shifted.

A World Paused, a World Rebuilt

During lockdown, I watched Senku recreate the world step by step: fire, soap, paper, glass, electricity, and even antibiotics. Each invention felt like a miracle — but also a reminder. Every comfort we take for granted today, from a simple light bulb to a smartphone, is the result of centuries of human curiosity and STEM progress.

Watching Senku scrape for materials, calculate, test, and fail, only to rise again, mirrored what humanity itself was going through during the pandemic. Science was not just a subject in textbooks — it was the force keeping us alive, creating vaccines, keeping the world connected digitally, and giving us hope.

Senku and Me: A Shared Curiosity

I loved Senku not because he was the smartest in the room, but because he was endlessly curious. As a girl who had always wondered why the sky looked different after rain, or how circuits inside my computer actually worked, I felt seen.

Senku showed me that curiosity is not just a trait — it is a survival skill, a mindset. And that mindset belongs to everyone, not just scientists in lab coats.

Lessons Beyond the Screen

What struck me most in Dr. Stone was not the science tricks themselves (though yes, I did try to make “Senku cola” at home!). It was how science is collaborative. Senku could not rebuild civilisation alone; he needed friends with different strengths — craftsmen, farmers, artists, and dreamers.

That was my biggest STEM lesson: innovation is never a solo act. Behind every discovery is a team, a community, a world pulling together.

From Anime to Real Aspirations

Today, when I think about pursuing STEM, especially computer science, I think of Senku standing in the stone world, eyes fixed on a future no one else could see. If he could imagine electricity in the dark, why can’t we imagine solving climate change, curing diseases, or building AI that serves humanity better?

Senku may be fictional, but the mindset he represents is real — and necessary. Watching Dr. Stone during the stillness of COVID didn’t just entertain me, it reminded me why science matters, why STEM literacy is the new form of survival, and why curiosity is the spark that keeps humanity moving forward.

And just like Senku, I now say with confidence: I’ll chase my own path in science — ten billion percent.