Give The Gift of Wonder: The Book of Potentially Catastrophic Science 50 Experiments for Daring Young Scientists

Today's Gift Idea: The Book of Potentially Catastrophic Science 50 Experiments for Daring Young Scientists
You have to admit, the title of this book is pretty intriguing. Any book with Science, Daring, and Potentially Catastrophic in the title is my kind of book. Crack it open and you will find 50 awesome experiments that demonstrate the principles behind 34 of the greatest scientific breakthroughs in human history. Explore the wheel and amaze friends with an demonstration that seems to defy gravity. Build a simple telescope just like Galileo's and find the four moons he discovered orbiting Jupiter. Recreat the Large Hadron Collider with marshmallows. Using stuff from around the house, the curious can now boldly go where the bravest scientists in history have gone before.

The related experiments for each chapter are rated using the following catastrophic scale:

• LOW: No risk of catastrophe.
• GUARDED: Slight risk of mess, paper cuts, stained clothes.
• ELEVATED: Involves use of heavy or sharp objects. Adult supervision recommended.
• HIGH: Involves use of fire, hot liquids, or hazardous substances. Adult supervision required.

Start your little scientist off right with some fun, messy, and potentially catastrophic experiments.

Recommended for age 11 and up

Where can I get one?

• Think Geek
• Barnes & Noble
  

Give The Gift of Wonder: Sundrop Jewelry

Today's Gift Idea: Sundrop Jewelry
Today's gift idea is for the man who has everything BUT a gift for that special woman in his life. You know who you are. This year, let's avoid the last minute sprint to the mall to grab the $10 bottle of perfume which will inevitably have you sleeping in the dog house for the next month. This year, give her a gift kissed by the power of the sun. Sundrop Jewelry uses a giant 31-by-41-inch Fresnel lens—originally designed for lighthouses—to focus the the power of that bright orange orb in the sky (also known as the sun) to melt glass into delicate teardrops. This unique glassworking technique was invented by artist Bretwood Higman when he was a teenager in Alaska, experimenting with a giant magnifying lens on the beach. Now, Sundrop Jewelry is created by several artists capturing the sunlight that falls in their backyards.

The brilliantly hued 1-to-1.25-inch drops, which come in colors like strike red, black, honey, and teal flare, form the focal point of luminescent pendants, earrings, belly rings, and wine charms, subtly catching the light that created them. Prices range from $18 to $48

Where can I buy one:

• Sundrop Jewelry Store
• The Hunger Site Store

Give The Gift of Wonder: Klein Bottles

Today's Gift Idea: Klein Bottles
What is a Klein bottle you ask? Well, have you ever seen a Möbius Loop - a one sided, one edged surface? Grab a strip of paper, give it a half-twist, and tape the ends together. Voila...a Möbius Loop! Now for the really cool part. Take a pencil and trace a line on one side of the loop. Keep drawing until you return to the starting point. Take a look at the line. It appears that you have written on two sides. However, you never lifted your pencil from the paper. That's the fantastic part of the Möbius Loop. It has only one side and one boundary.

In 1882, Felix Klein imagined sewing two Möbius Loops together to create a single sided bottle with no boundary. Its inside would be its outside. It would contains itself. Confused? Don't feel bad. It is the confusing and strange nature of the Klein bottle that makes it so very interesting. It's also what makes it a lovely gift for the scientist/art connoisseur in your life. A ‘true’ Klein bottle can only exist in 4 dimensions because the surface has to pass through itself without a hole. However, some talented glassblowers have figured out how to create 3-dimensional representations of ‘true’ Klein bottles. If dissected into two halves, a Klein Bottle will produce two Möbius Loops.

Looking for that special gift for that special person? Check out a Klein bottle. Hopefully, they'll appreciate the beauty of this hand blown glass sculpture even if they can't understand it. Of course, if glass sculpture isn't your thing, you might want to grab a Klein hat or Klein coffee mug.

Where can I get one?

• Acme Klein Bottle
• Shapeways
  

Give The Gift of Wonder: Molecular Gastronomy Starter Kit

Today's Gift Idea: Molecular Gastronomy Starter Kit

Until now...most of my suggestions have focused on kids...or kids at heart. Today, I bring you something for the slightly older age bracket. Something for those with sophisticated taste and a refined palate. Something that will undoubtedly transform your simple kitchen into a glorious scientific laboratory. Today, we explore the exciting world of molecular gastronomy.

Some say cooking is an art form - that recipes are merely guidelines to what makes food delicious. You've seen it on TV: a porcine chef sweating enthusiastically over a steaming pot of jambalaya, while tossing fistfulls of spices and shouting "Wham!" (or something more trademark-friendly). Chefs like that are good at what they do - they have a feel for cooking, but good food isn't art. It's science!

All told, the five recognized "basic" tastes - sweet, salt, sour, bitter, umami - are chemical processes. Ions here, receptors there, when all balanced out create these wonderful flavors. Any chemist knows that absolute precision is required when working with chemicals. An extra mole here or there and what had been a delightfully exothermic bubbling beaker is a melted lump of glass and a trip to the eyewash station. Why shouldn't cooking be the same?

A new generation of chef-chemists have risen to take back the pinch, smidgen and fistful. They understand that an acidic fluid, when mixed with sodium alginate and dropped slowly into a bath of calcium chloride solution will create wonderful little spheres that pop in your mouth like caviar. Chill an agar infused liquid in a silicon tube and now you've got spaghetti. Mix soy lecithin in sauce and whip it into a light and delicious foam. All this science is available to your next culinary project with our Molecular Cuisine Starter Kit.

This fantastic tin box contains everything you need to get started in spherification, thickeners and foaming agents. Not only the chemicals - agar, sodium alginate, calcium chloride, carrageenan, ascorbic and citric acid, and sodium bicarbonate - but all the equipment too! A syringe, pipettes, silicon tubes, measuring spoons and a non-reactive spoon. Included in the kit is also a booklet featuring six spectacular recipes for some amazing new cuisine.

If you've ever wanted to give Molecular Cuisine a try, here's a perfect start. Once you've whet your appetite, though, you may experience some weight gain, flavor overload, or an obsessive need to measure things down to the microgram.

What's included?

• 20g sodium alginate
• 20g calcium salt
• 20g agar-agar
• 20g carrageenan
• 20g ascorbic acid
• 20g citric acid
• 20g sodium bicarbonate
• 20g xanthan gum
• 1 20mL syringe
• 2 m of alimentary grade silicone tube
• 2 graduated pipettes
• 1 set of measuring spoons
• 1 bored spoon
• 1 booklet containing 6 molecular cooking recipes
• 1 volume-weight conversion table

Where can I buy a kit?

• Think Geek
  

Give The Gift of Wonder: Astronaut Ice Cream

Today's Gift Idea: Astronaut Ice Cream
I think we'd all agree...the best part of every science museum is normally in a bin near the cash register: freeze dried ice cream. Four of the tastiest words in the English language. Now, you can have your very own supply of this extraterrestrial treat delivered straight to your front door. Hoo-Ray! Each package of Astronaut Ice Cream is made with state-of-the-art yummy food technology. First made by the Whirlpool Corporation (that's right, the washer/dryer folks) for the Apollo missions, freeze dried ice cream has been a favorite of children and science enthusiasts ever since. There are a couple of flavors for you to choose from. The "original" flavor most often found in museums is Neapolitan (chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla). You can also get mint chocolate chip (cool and delicious) and chocolate chocolate chip (very, very chocolaty). Try one or try them all. It's all in the name of science!

Each package is 0.7 oz of joy and can be stored (unopened) for up to 3 years. If you don't eat yours, you can always re-gift it next year! If plain old ice cream isn't your thing, you can also purchase Astronaut Ice Cream Sandwiches, Astronaut Strawberries, or you can go all out with the Space Food Sampler.

Where can I buy some:

• ThinkGeek
• Educational Innovations

Give The Gift of Wonders: Triops

Today's Gift Idea: Triops
These days, it seems like everybody is looking for a new pet for the desk, home, or classroom. Fish are good, but we've all seen fish. Sea Monkey's are so 1970. Butterflies inevitably flutter away. What you're looking for is something special. Something unique. What you're looking for is an animal that has been around for around a bajillion years. What you need is a triop! Believe it or not these tiny animals have been around since the time of the dinosaurs. They have survived unchanged due to a very special adaptation called “diapause.” When the ponds where they live dry up, Triops' eggs go into a state of suspended animation until the ponds fill again.
Triops look like a cross between a horseshoe crab and a facehugger from Aliens movie. The eggs hatch in about 24 hours and your tiny Triops almost double in size daily. They can grow to be up to 2” long. Oh yeah, and they have three eyes! You'll have a very unique conversation starter on your desk or in your classroom. Pretty soon you and your triops will be the talk of the school, neighborhood, or office. Those fish folks never had a chance!

What's included?

• Plastic Aquarium and Cover - Dimensions: Approx 7.5" X 4" X 5.5"
• Instructions and Educational Booklet
• Triops Eggs and Food
• Hatching Nutrients
• Fossil Replica
• Thermometer
• Decorative Gravel and Glow Beads
• Magnifying Ruler

Where can I buy a kit?

• Think Geek
• Triops.com
  

Give The Gift of Wonder: Snap Circuits

Today's Gift Idea: Snap Circuits
If your child is interested in learning about the science of circuitry, then snap circuits are a great tool to get them started. These Elenco Snap Circuits are easy enough for young children, but will also keep older kids engaged. The kits include pieces that snap together to create a variety of fun equipments like AM and FM radios, burglar alarms, doorbells, digital voice recorders, and more. For the more advanced tinkerer, there are electronic snap circuits that are used in micro-controllers. You'll learn how to program data loggers, DC motors, A/D converters and more. Many come with a training program so students can learn more about the incredible science of electronic components. There are even snap circuits that come with teacher guides so teachers can easily show their students how fun this technology can be!

Where can I get a kit?

• Toys R Us
• Target
  

Give The Gift of Wonder: The Big Bag of Science

Today's Gift Idea: The Big Bag of Science

So you say you want to go big this year! Really big! Well, you can't get much bigger than a Big Bag of Science! You can think of it as the world's smallest, most compact science lab. The bag contains materials and instructions for over 70 different science explorations. You can launch Mentos Geysers, learn about the science of polymers with Insta-Snow, and make a batch of slime. Want more? Well, there's lots and lots more! In addition to the materials, the kit also comes with a 30 page instruction manual that guides you through each activity and explains the science behind each. Looking for something for that blossoming little scientist in the family. How about The Big Bag of Science?!

What's included?

• 30-page instruction book
• Insta-Snow powder
• Water Gel™
• Gravity Goo™ powder
• Garbled marbles
• Superabsorbent cubes
• True Colors™ tablets
• Color changing paper
• Non-newtonian powder
• Superabsorbent crystals
• Worm goo
• Worm activator
• Slime goo
• Energy beads
• Geyser Tube™
• Twister tube
  and so much more!

Where can I get one?

• Steve Spangler Science
• Online Science Mall
  

Give The Gift of Wonder: Air Hogs Zero Gravity Real Rides

Today's Gift Idea: The Zero Gravity Real Ride
"How did it do that?!" That's the question everyone will ask when they first see today's Gift of Wonder. The Zero Gravity Real Ride is the next evolution in Air Hogs Zero Gravity series (2008 Toy of the Year)! This time, the toy replicates popular street vehicles like the Ford Mustang or Mini Coopper. Of course, the coolest thing about these little radio controlled cars is not they way they look or their working headlights. Believe it or not, these tiny cars are the automotive wall crawlers of the radio controlled world. That's right, you can drive these right up the wall and even on the ceiling (as well as on the floor, of course)!

The Zero Gravity Real Ride use a tiny but powerful motor to spin a fan on the bottom of the car. This fan sucks air from beneath the car and blows it out of the sides of the car. This creates an area of very low pressure beneath the car. The higher air pressure around the car actually pushes on the car and keeps it stuck firmly to the wall.

Recommended for ages 8 and up

What's included:

• Assembled vehicle
• Controller/charger
• Instructions

Requires 6x AAA batteries (not included)

Where can I get one:

• Toys R Us
• FAO Swartz
  

Give The Gift of Wonder: The Airzooka

Today's Gift Idea: The Airzooka
Summer time is over. You've packed away your super soakers and with them...loads of fun, fun, fun. Well, I may have an answer to your winter time blues. Instead of soaking your victims with water, blast them with air!
The Airzooka is a "fun gun" that blasts a harmless ball of air up to 6 meters (20 ft), while unsuspecting victims wonder why their hair is messed up or the papers on their desk scatter! Requiring no batteries or electricity, the Airzooka operates simply by pulling and releasing a built-in elastic air launcher. And here's the best part: because it shoots air, you'll never run out of ammo (unless you happen to be on the moon!). Learn all about the science of force and motion while you play tricks on your family and friends. Airzooka even comes with a pop-up sight so you can practice your aim. You can grap one for about $17. Your friends and family will never know what gust of wind hit them!

The Airzooka is recommended for children ages 6 and up.

Where can I buy one:

• Airzooka Toys
  
• ThinkGeek

Give The Gift of Wonders: Wild! Science's Ant-O-Sphere

Today's Gift Idea: Wild! Science's Ant-O-Sphere
Admit it...you've always wanted to know the inner workings of an ant colony. Wild Science's Ant-O-Sphere makes it possible. This Christmas you can bring the ant colony into the comfort of your home. Of course, it also makes the perfect gift for someone else's kids!
The Ant-O-Sphere mimics the actual layout of ant homes. A system of clear and red-colored pods simulate an "above" and "underground" sensation for the ants, who relate red light to darkness. You can see them--but they won't be able to see you. For every pod, the upper half contains necessary ventilation holes, as well as a three-wall design that allows the ants to crawl suspended above the bottom half's contents. You provide food, soil, moss, and water. With persistence and care, your colony will develop a hive mind and tend to its moss "garden," creating a self-regulating ecosystem with you as its god. Or so you can tell yourself.

Recommended for ages 6 and older.

What's included?

• 8 molded pods
  
• 3 baseplates
• 18 supports
• tubes
• play sand
• cotton wool
• tweezers
• O rings and plugs
• feed containers
• suckers
• instruction booklet
  
• Ants sold separately

Where can I buy one?

• Kaplan Early Learning Company
• Big Smile Toys
  

Give The Gift of Wonder: The Fun Fly Stick

Today's Gift Idea: The Fun Fly Stick
Here's a great toy that uses science to make you look like a recent graduate from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The Fun Fly Stick is basically a tiny, battery powered Van de Graaff Generator (that's the contraption that causes your hair to stand on end when you place your hands on it). Pushing the button on the handle of the wand causes a static charge to build on the wand. With this charged wand, you can float 3-D mylar shapes around the room. You can also do some other great things with the wand like moving empty soda cans and lighting tiny LED bulbs. The best part: You don't have to worry about He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named!

Requires two AA batteries (not included). Perfect for ages 5 and up.

What's included?

• Fun Fly Stick
• Three Mylar Shapes

Where can I buy one?

• Think Geek
• Educational Innovations
  

Give The Gift of Wonder: Buckyballs

Today's Gift Idea: Buckyballs
Imagine a Rubik's Cube that actually makes you smarter; an Erector Set that never stops erecting; a Hula Hoop you don't look ridiculous playing with; Silly Putty that isn't silly; cram it all in a jar, turn the fun up to 11, and you've got BuckyBalls!

Each set contains 216 powerful rare earth magnets that can be shaped, molded, torn apart and snapped together in UNLIMITED WAYS. Make sculptures, puzzles, patterns, shapes, stick stuff to the fridge, invent a new game-trying to find something more useful is useless.

Note: BuckyBalls are not a toy. They are not suitable for small children and should not be used around electronics.

Where can I buy them:

• The Official Buckyballs Site
  
• ThinkGeek

Give The Gift of Wonder: The Fortune Telling Fish

The holidays are upon us. Some of us will spend the next few weeks looking for the perfect gift for those special people in our lives. Many of us will wait until the very last minute to begin this search. Instead of making that last minute scramble to your local mall, let me help you with your search for that perfect gift! This year, you can avoid the crowds, the never ending search for a parking space, and the exhausting lines at the food court. This year, you can give the gift of wonder!

For the next 20 days, I will suggest a WONDER-full gift to give to those thinkers, tinkerers, and wonderers in your life!
Today's Gift Idea: The Fortune Telling Fish
Looking for a little gift of wonder to include in all those holiday cards you are sending to friends and family around the world. How about a tiny prognosticating ichthyoid? Simply place the mystical, red fish in the palm of your hand and watch it curl, writhe, and wiggle...all by itself! Look at the key on the back of the package to find out what the movements mean. Are you independent, jealous, passionate, fickle? Are you in love? What will the Fortune Telling Fish say about you?

The movements of the fish are a result of the chemical composition of the fish. It is made from the same polymer that diapers use to absorb liquids, sodium polyacrylate. As the molecules of sodium polyacrylate come in contact with water molecules, they absorb the water and change shape. In the case of the fish, the sodium polyacrylate absorbs the water found in the moisture on your hand. As the molecules change shape, so does the shape of the fish. If you submerge the fish in water, it won't be able to bend when you place it on your hand. If you let the fortune teller fish dry out, it will be good as new.

Recommended for ages 4 and up.

Where can I buy them:

• Steve Spangler Science
• Online Science Mall