The building experience was interesting. It started with simply making the mechanisms, and I like how it revealed some hidden details like the visible spectrum of color and the Morse code under the pages. My problem was while building the spectrum, it was a bit hard to determine the exact color shade that I had to put. After that, I really liked how you had to build each section separately. It's something I usually like because it makes the progression much more clear as the shape of the build gradually materializes. The DNA was somewhat complicated to make due to having to follow the colors and put them in the exact position (which I might have just done by looking at the set), but it wasn't as tedious as I expected. So, overall, the set was nice to build. And I like when we get small bits of trivia in the instructions so it makes the experience more engaging.

I like that every single side of STEM is represented in the set, with every single small build meant to represent a side of a scientific field. As for each build: The tree is cute and represents the actual Newton's tree pretty decently, minus the foliage; the old car is a great small-scale build; The robot arm looks good; The city is very compact; The garden has nice builds for plants; I appreciate the inclusion of the Voyager Golden Records; The table at the front is packed with so many details, with the computer being my favorite; The DNA is cool, although it looks a bit blocky and the helix rotates in the wrong direction; The satellite is very well thought out; The bumblebee looked a bit weird when I first saw it, but now I really like the details; The spaceship is well made, although it's kind of weird how it faces downwards; The carbon atom looks very pretty. And the idea of putting everything in an open book as a way to symbolize the diversity of STEM and the endless possibilities science can give is very smart.

Now talking about the function. The idea of having the DNA and the carbon atom moving is great in concept. And maybe I'm looking too deep into it, but it's cool to have the two things that represent life moving as if they are alive (if that makes any sense). And I think it functions pretty well, and it gives some life to the build. Now, I do wish the DNA could rotate continuously. The wheel that moves the mechanism is very close to the ground, and you can only rotate it for a little bit and then stop and then rotate it again. That makes the DNA shake a lot when it stops, and it sort of ruins the illusion. It's not a bad feature, but I do wish there could have been a way to flesh it out more. But I like how the carbon atom moves up and down.

I think, considering the subject matter of STEM, this set represents it perfectly: it teaches people about STEM! Possibly even stuff you might not know. When the set was revealed, I didn't know who George Washington Carver was, which made me want to know about his contribution to science. The instructions can also be educational at times, as can the set itself. The Morse code you can find in the set is translatable. I found stuff about Marie Curie and Isaac Newton that I didn't know about. And every small detail is related in one way or another to STEM. Now, to be fair, these things might have already been known by people who are interested in STEM, but I'm more casual, so I think the trivia I found out is cool. It is one thing to be able to make an homage to STEM, but to also be able to help you learn something is impressive!