LEGO Ideas and CUUSOO

The Evolution of STEM

A brick-built open book that packs the whole history of science onto one clever spread.

Brick Rated Score

3.9/5

Set 21355 · 2025

Pieces879

Minifigs3

Year2025

Set number21355

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The verdict

This one won me over with its concept before I even opened a bag.

The base is a giant open book, and standing on the pages are little tributes to human discovery: a carbon atom that bounces, a DNA strand that spins, a space shuttle, the Voyager probe with its Golden Record, an early car, a home computer, even a bumblebee. It is charming and genuinely educational, and the three scientist minifigures are the real treasure. Just know going in that most of the builds are tiny, so if you want a big showpiece for the space, this is not it.

Best for: Science lovers and teachers who want a smart, conversation-starting desk display.

The full review

What it is

The Evolution of STEM is a display piece built as an open book, with each page holding a small tribute to a leap forward in science, technology, engineering and maths. Turn the whole thing on and you get a rotating DNA strand, a carbon atom that bobs up and down, and a cluster of little models around them: a space shuttle, a satellite, the Voyager probe carrying its Golden Record, one of the first cars, a chunky home computer, a micro city and a surprisingly convincing bumblebee. I have a real soft spot for sets that try to say something, and this one manages to be both a decent afternoon build and a genuine talking point on a shelf. The concept is clever, the execution is warm, and the whole thing feels like it came from someone who really loves this stuff, which it did, since it started as a fan submission through LEGO Ideas.

The catch

Now for the honest math on it. At 879 pieces for 79.99 dollars, the raw value sits at pretty average for a LEGO set, and here is the catch: a big chunk of those pieces go into the book base, which means the actual models perched on top are small. The carbon atom, the DNA helix and the little vehicles are all micro scale, so when you finish you may find yourself wishing there was more heft to hold. A few of the tiny builds are also fiddly and end up feeling slightly delicate. And while three minifigures is generous for an Ideas set, several builders (myself included) noticed there is no figure standing in for the Technology part of STEM, which would have rounded out the set beautifully.

Who it's for

So who should get this. If you love science, or you teach it, or you just want a smart, quietly beautiful thing on your desk that makes people ask questions, this is an easy yes. The minifigures alone will thrill anyone who cares about real scientists getting their moment in plastic. If you are chasing a large centerpiece or you measure a set by sheer physical presence, though, you will probably feel a bit short-changed by how small everything reads. Go in for the idea and the figures, not the size, and you will be delighted.

The parts story

What the build is actually like, and the pieces worth knowing about.

Building this is more of a gentle, curious afternoon than a marathon. You spend the first stretch laying down the book base, which is steady work, and then the fun starts as you assemble each little vignette and the mechanism underneath. The moving parts are the highlight of the process: there is a cam hidden below that pushes a Technic connector upward to make the carbon atom hop, and a trans-clear brick that spins the DNA strand. Watching it all come to life when you turn the dial is a real payoff. The micro builds ask for some patience and a careful hand, but they teach you a few genuinely novel techniques along the way.

For an Ideas set this is unusually generous on fresh parts, with four brand new elements plus a batch of new prints and recolours, which is not something these sets usually deliver. The standout for me is Marie Curie's glow-in-the-dark printed Radium tile, a detail that is both scientifically apt and just plain delightful in the dark. The three minifigures carry crisp exclusive prints, and the little accessories (Curie's flask among them) add real character. It is not a parts monster for MOC builders, but the printed and recoloured pieces give it more collector value than the piece count alone suggests.

Fun facts

01The set began as a fan design submitted through the LEGO Ideas platform before LEGO turned it into an official product.
02Marie Skłodowska-Curie, one of the three minifigures, was the first person ever to win two Nobel Prizes, in physics and then chemistry.
03The Voyager probe model includes a tiny version of the Golden Record, the real disc NASA sent into deep space carrying sounds and images of Earth.
04A hidden dial drives two separate motions at once: it bounces the carbon atom vertically while rotating the DNA double helix.