: Recurring motifs of shifting gears and butterflies symbolize the "butterfly effect" and the mechanical nature of time manipulation.
The series also uses specific "image songs" like Hacking to the Gate to set its emotional and visual tone, reinforcing themes of hope and perseverance against impossible odds.
: The visual focus usually centers on the eccentric self-proclaimed mad scientist Rintaro Okabe and the brilliant researcher Kurisu Makise .
: Glow-tube Nixie displays showing world line values, most notably the ideal "Steins Gate" line at 1.048596% .