For Scientific American Science Quickly, I'm Kendra Pierre-Lewis, in for Rachel Feldman.
The year is 1998.
Brandy and Monica's hit song, The Boy Is Mine, is all over the radio.
The movie There's Something About Mary is doing solid numbers at the box office.
And right around Labor Day, the first episode of a Japanese animated television series centered on a 10-year-old boy
named Ash Ketchum and his quest to become a master of taxonomy debuts in the U.S. Wait,
is that not how you remember the plot of Pokemon?
It's easy to think of Pokemon, the TV series, video games, and trading cards.
It's just child's play.
But for some young people, the franchise can be a gateway into scientific understanding.
We sat down with two scientists who were Pokemon fans as children.
Arjun Mann, the assistant curator of Fossil, Fishes, and Early Tetrapods at Chicago's Field Museum,
and Spencer Mokton, an entomologist at the University of Guelph's Center for Biodiversity Genomics in Canada.
They both credit their scientific careers in part with their past Pokemon fascination.
As adults, Spencer named an insect after a Pokemon character,
and Arjun has co-curated an upcoming Pokemon-themed exhibition at the Field Museum.
We spoke to them about the relationship between Pokemon and science and how it goes both ways.
Pokemon influences science and science influences Pokemon.
Thanks for taking the time to join us today.
Thank you.