Danica Davidson
February 14, 2024 
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is an agency inside of the United States Department of Commerce, and its website spotlighted someone who got into science thanks to Pokémon.
The person in question is Samuel Márquez González, and he is currently undertaking research at NIST through the Professional Research Experience Program (PREP). He explained:
When I was a child, I loved video games. I used to spend hours playing them on my old computer and my Nintendo DS. My parents limited my hours so I would concentrate more on my classes. But I always found a way to continue playing in secret.
I loved Pokémon. When I was playing, I wanted to know how much power I had and how I could use math to take out my enemies. Knowing the strength of my attacks and the enemy’s defenses, I tried to calculate how much damage I could do. I was never able to perfectly predict the amount of damage, but this mindset got me into math and playing with numbers.
The article goes on to talk about González’s research, how he grew up, and how various things in his life have shaped him. And while multiple things have shaped him, he gives credit when credit is due to Pokémon, noting later in the article, “I decided to study physics because that is what I have been interested in since I used to play Pokémon.”
He also commented, “As I look forward to my future in physics, I am grateful for my journey so far — filled with video games, unexpected moves and a whole lot of mathematics and physics.”
He’s not the only person who has used Pokémon this way. In 2021, students from Tokyo University voted on which video games they felt had the most educational benefits for kids, and they put Pokémon in first place!
Source: NIST
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Danica Davidson is the author of the bestselling Manga Art for Beginners with artist Melanie Westin, plus its sequel, Manga Art for Everyone, and the first-of-its-kind manga chalk book Chalk Art Manga, both illustrated by professional Japanese mangaka Rena Saiya. Check out her other comics and books at www.danicadavidson.com.
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