When “Stranger Things” arrived in July 2016, it quickly became one of Netflix’s flagship shows and a long-running pop culture talking point. Alongside its mix of 1980s nostalgia, horror and sci-fi, the series also gave educators and science groups a new way to talk to younger audiences about STEM.
University of Liverpool physics professor Carsten Welsch said the show’s science helped him connect with students in a way older references no longer could.
” It’s a really good way to talk about science, which can be quite a challenge, especially with teenagers,” Welsch told NPR. “Normally, the moment you mention physics or engineering, they run away.”
Louis Bearson, director of science, business, and education at the Institute of Physics, said the show’s use of scientific ideas could broaden interest in the subject beyond textbooks.
“One of the issues we have is that physics really needs to be more representative of the community at large,” Bearson told The Times. “If we can get a broader base of people interested through things like ‘Stranger Things’, that’s only going to be for the good.”
The U.S. Department of Energy also used the premise of the Upside Down on its website to explain its work, including its search for other dimensions and how that happens in a real-world setting.
The show’s effect also played out among fans online. Reddit and social media forums filled with young viewers discussing plot possibilities and explaining scientific concepts to each other.
In 2017, Olivia Richter, then a student at the School of Communication and College of Arts and Sciences and a writer for The Eagle, wrote that the series presented curiosity as something to admire. She said the Hawkins group showed “a great thirst for knowledge” and pushed back on the idea that being smart or nerdy should be embarrassing.
“It is encouraging a culture of curiosity and learning in its viewers,” Richter wrote. “Much of the science in the show is based in fiction, though it is still highly successful in making science look exciting and fun and creating a model for young people that it is cool to be inquisitive.”
All five seasons of “Stranger Things” are on Netflix.
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