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Scientific American's Sci/Tech Gifts for 2003
Rick DeBay writes "Scientific American has come out with their Sci/Tech gift list for 2003. I think they did a good job, even the selections in the under $25 category are quite tasteful and dignified. And what Sophisticated Lady wouldn't be overjoyed at unwrapping a genuine Swarovski crystal accessory? My personal favorites fall in to those well-worn categories, 'Imprisoning Small Creatures for Amusement' and 'Getting Someone Else to Clean-Up.' The frog and shrimp farms fufill the first, and the domestically-challengeds' favorite Roomba the latter. Seriously, there is a mix of interesting gadgets, products that should never have been made, refugees from Sharper Image, and humorous geek stocking stuffers. It is unlikely that you could go wrong."
I had a "Shrimp Farm" almost three decades ago. But it had a much cooler name, This was truly a great gift.
Santa, I want a smell-a-scope, and a bending unit, and a virtual Internet, and a pony, and a death clock, and... Oh wait, you want REAL geek gifts :-(
Forterss of Insanity
Blogzine
Check out Heifer International.
For under $25 you can give a gift to a hungry family that will help them sustain themselves for a lifetime. You buy "shares" of animals that the organization then gives to the family.
The gift recipient on your end ( mom, dad, sis, whoever) gets a card detailling your contribution in their name. Great stocking stuffers. Nothing says "I love you" like a share of water buffalo.
3D Printing Tips and Tricks at Zheng3.com
Santa Slashdot:
Please give me a Swiss Army PDA Phone with MP3, GPS, Wireless, and GameBoy emulation all in one. Oh, and please include the linux plug-in adapter as well.
Davak
PS. I've been a good little Karma Whore this year.
I'm pretty much a gadget geek. Here are some of the things that I want for Christmas:
1) Job, so that I can buy these things for myself. Being laid off sucks.
2) Something for my daughter, besides the bare necessities.
3) Something for my wife. She works hard because I'm laid off.
4) December's mortgage payment.
5) November's property tax payment.
6) One night of uninterrupted sleep.
7) A two-month contract, just enough to get through December
8) A month contract, just enough to get through November.
9) A week contract, just enough to pay my phone and electric bill.
10) All the above for my friend, who's worse off than I am.
I stopped dreaming about dual Opterons about six months ago.
Might I suggest 120 laser pointers?
"Yeah, well, Dracula called and he's coming over tonight for you and I said okay."
ACME Klein Bottle!
OTOH, they did say science lovers, not topology geeks...
Top Sci/Tech Gifts 2003
25 great holiday gifts for science lovers of all ages
Who says there's no science to gift giving? Tell that to the geek on your list whose bemused smile at "yet another acrylic turtleneck" is but a thin veil for his real desire for a James Watson Bobble Head doll.
Once again, we have left no stone unturned in ferreting out the very best gifts for the science lovers in your midst. What's under those rocks, you might well ask. Well, the South American Longhorn Beetle Collection for one, mounted quite elegantly in your choice of frames in one of our most attractive present selections. What's more, we've got a one-pound, anatomically correct chocolate brain for hungry minds, an at-home forensics lab for the pint-sized Sherlock, and, at long last, a clever contraption that will help your loved ones to divine their dogs' most profound emotions. For your very nearest and dearest, consider a self-orienting telescope, a Swarovski crystal-studded computer mouse, or Sony's AIBO ERS-7, the latest and most astounding in robotic pet technology.
Scientific American.com stands firm in the belief that there truly is a science to gift giving. We've done the research--now you furnish the results! --The Editors
Special thanks to Melissa Kirsch for her assistance in producing this section
GIFTS UNDER $25
A Crick in His Neck?
Best known for his contributions to the Nobel Prize-winning discovery of the structure of DNA, James D. Watson has never been so memorably depicted as in the form of the Watson Bobble Head. Bearing an uncanny likeness to the scientist himself, the doll's head lolls hither and yon delightfully, perhaps unsteady with the weight of all that knowledge! A mini-model of the famous double-helix clasped in his tiny hands, the figurine is a must-give for the biologists on your gift list.
James Watson Bobble Head $21.95
Not Just for Hydrochloric Acid Anymore One need not be a chemist to enjoy drinking that morning joe from a beaker! These sly Pyrex mugs sport handles, unlike many beakers in the lab, so your loved ones won't burn their hands on the vessels' steaming hot potions. This addition is also useful for science teachers, as students can watch the transfer of liquids without the demonstrator's hand blocking the view. The mugs hold up to 400 milliliters of coffee, tea or corrosive chemicals.
Beaker Mug $10.95 ($59.95 for set of six)
Food for Thought
Studies abound detailing the effects of chocolate on our nervous systems. But we've yet to see a scientific study on the results of consuming a chocolate brain. Now you can find out when you give the gift of an anatomically correct one-pound solid milk chocolate brain to all the neurosurgeons, med students, brainiacs and knuckleheads on your holiday roster. Potential organ donors should note that warm climates require express shipping for their brains.
Chocolate Brain $16.95
The Hypochondriac's Teddy Bear
There's nothing adorable about a sore throat in real life, but when it's magnified a million times, rendered in plush and given a set of button eyes, there's no denying it: this is one cute microbe. Joined by his other stuffed friends The Common Cold, The Flu and Stomach Ache, these pals from the Under the Weather Collection make a wacky gift for kids and adults alike. Each four-inch-tall critter is accompanied by an image of and information on the actual microbe it represents, lest anyone get too cozy with their darling little illnesses. Just as much fun is the Maladies Collection, which includes cuddly Bad Breath. Kissing Disease, Athlete's Foot, and Ulcer.
Plush Microbes $19.95
Quiz Show
For all those budding geniuses, here are endless hours of riddles, number games and word puzzles from the folks at the stratospheric-IQ society, MENSA. Choose from three different sets of elegantly designed quiz cards. At just about the size of your average index card, they're great for long car trips, sleepless nights or a post-dinner parlor game.
MENSA Mindbender Quiz Ca
Sea monkeys are also an effective way to ward off visitors. Keep a nine volt battery near the tank and every time a co-worker interupts, shcok a few. Then say "This little guy just paid for your interruption." You won't have to do this often. If the answer is documented somewhere, shock them twice.
www.voiceofthehive.com - Beekeeping and Honeybees for those who don't.
The sphere is also scriptable. You can change its color by making HTTP GET requests to the sphere-controlling server. Although I'm not gonna plop down $150 for it, I think having a glowing sphere telling you how much email you have (green no mail, yellow some, red too much) would be pretty cool.
I was in the mall last weekend. So was Santa. Yes, it seems that the christmas shopping season starts earlier every year. No, I no longer call it the "Christmas Season", it's now the "christmas shopping season".
Now, I see christmas gift ideas... "stocking stuffers" on Slashdot.
Yes, this is off topic.
This year, I'm doing my best not to buy anything for the chirstmas shopping season. I don't need an excuse to purchase something for my significant other. I'm not about to spend $20 on little pieces of plastic that will be tired of within a few hours for my niece.
For the past couple years, when people have asked what I wanted for Christmas/birthdays/other occasions, I have said "nothing". I have everything I *need*. I'm well educated, I have a job, and I'm in the process of getting back into physical shape. I also like to think that I have a good life and I'm happy. Do I need the latest games, toys, and distractions? No. If I needed it, I'd buy it myself.
This frustrates a fair number of people. "What do you mean you don't want anything?!? I need to get you something!" No, you don't. Save your money. One day you may need it to visit a dying loved-one. One day, you may not have a job anymore.
A friend and I have an understanding. I never buy anthing for him, he never buys anything for me. It's the only way that we don't feel like we stiffed each other. It's been working quite well for 6 years now.
Anyway, I don't really have a point. Just a collection of ideas I wanted to share. How do you people feel about the chirtmas shopping season?
Beware TPB