Pokémon at 30: how the franchise shaped scientific curiosity

For its 30th anniversary, scientists told Nature that Pokémon inspired interest in fields such as taxonomy, paleontology and ecology, and the franchise has been used in museum exhibitions, teaching games and to expose predatory journals.

Pokémon marks 30 years since the first games were released in 1996. The franchise grew from a childhood interest in collecting insects into a global phenomenon with recurring science themes. Scientists interviewed for the anniversary described how Pokémon shaped their ideas about animals, classification and fossils. Institutions and researchers have adapted elements of the franchise for exhibitions, classroom tools and academic critique. Reported effects on science: - Scientists reported that early exposure to Pokémon influenced their interest in natural history and in pursuing fields such as taxonomy and paleontology. - Researchers compare collecting and classifying Pokémon to real-world specimen collection and taxonomy, noting similar skills in observation and categorization. - Spencer Monckton, who collected bees in Chile while completing his master's degree, named one newly identified species Chilicola charizard after the draconic Pokémon character. - The Field Museum is presenting an exhibition linking Pokémon creatures to real fossils and prehistoric animals; the article notes dozens of Pokémon draw on real-life species and some real taxa have been named after Pokémon. - Educational efforts include a Pokémon-inspired card game called Phylo, developed after a 2002 survey showed children knew more Pokémon than local wildlife; a 2019 study reported that Phylo helped students recall more species than a slideshow. - Entomologist Matan Shelomi used deliberately fictitious Pokémon-themed papers to test and expose predatory journals, and several of those submissions appeared online because those journals did not practise peer review. Summary: Researchers say Pokémon shaped how some people think about animals and natural history and that the franchise has been incorporated into museum displays, teaching tools and academic investigations. A Field Museum exhibition linking Pokémon to real fossils is scheduled from 22 May. Undetermined at this time is how these uses will evolve beyond current exhibitions and studies.