Twenty years ago, physicists Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov at the University of Manchester published a groundbreaking paper on graphene, a one-atom-thick carbon layer with extraordinary electronic properties. At the same time, I began my doctorate at the University of Surrey, focusing on carbon’s electronic properties. We attended an inspiring talk by Geim, who discussed graphene and his quirky experiments. Initially skeptical about graphene’s potential, we soon realized its significance as scientists worldwide replicated and expanded upon the work, revealing graphene’s remarkable properties.