2012 Holiday Gift Guide

November 26th, 2012 • 08:11

2012 Holiday Gift Guide

By Bethany Halford • Posted in Techno-geek Tidbits • 5 Comments

Happy Cyber Monday! Are those chestnuts we smell roasting on your Bunsen burner? Well, pour us a beaker full of egg nog because the Newscripts gang has been wading through the internet to find the perfect gift for the chemical lover in your life. And if this isn’t enough loot for you, browse our 2011, 2010, 2009, and 2008 gift guides for more ideas.

: Kick the cocktails at your holiday party into the 21st century with Molecule-R’s Cocktail R-Evolution ($60). The molecular mixology kit includes five premeasured food additives, three specialized tools, and a 30-recipe DVD that will teach you how to make mojito bubbles that explode in your mouth, among other potent potables.

: If you’re going to be enjoying a beverage, shouldn’t you be using a coaster? Show off your chemical acumen while protecting your furniture with these elemental coasters from the B+ Shop on Etsy.com. Choose cherry wood or neon-hued plastic ($20 for a set of four).

: Periodic Quest ($25 from ThinkGeek or Amazon) is a great way show off your chemistry know-how to Uncle Al during family get-togethers. The card/board game can be played by up to eight people aged eight and up, so it’s a perfect diversion while the turkey is roasting.

: The Newscripts gang thinks diamonds are a surefire winner in the gift department. But if that’s out of your budget this season, consider the Diamond Molecule ring ($95) from Slashpile Designs on Etsy.com.

: Or you could opt for an altogether different allotrope with buckyball earrings ($25) from Stark060 Designs on Etsy.com. Made by a genuine materials science student.

: Once you’ve collected all your holiday loot, you’ll surely want to send out a few thank-you notes. We found the perfect ones ($10 for a pack of six) in The Gentleman Scientist’s shop on Etsy.com.

: Our favorite meme has become a mousepad. The chemistry cat mousepad ($12.75) from GetToKnowYouKnow on Etsy.com is the purrfect thing to add whimsy to your lab desktop.

: Lisa Townley makes pottery with a scientific twist for LLTownleyCeramic on Etsy.com. This salt bowl ($28) is among our favorites. She only has a few of each item, so order soon.

: Medicinal chemists, this pill box ($10) from Kelly’s Magnets on Etsy.com says it all. Remind yourself how chemists have made life better every time you take a tablet.

: Chemjobber turned us on to these elemental blocks ($34) from Uncle Goose last year. They’re handmade and decorated with heavy-metal-free paint.

: Giving someone keys to the stockroom this year? Whether it’s a responsible undergrad or a Walter White type, this keychain ($8) provides the perfect reminder that chemistry deserves R-E-S-P-E-C-T. From dalilicequeen on Etsy.com.

: Entertain yourself for hours with the CZ Ferrofluid Magnetic Display ($30 from ThinkGeek). Wow your labmates as you move the spiky colloidal liquid around with a magnet. Warning: This is a toy for grownups only.

: Theo Gray’s awesome photographic periodic table is now available as a puzzle ($12 from Amazon). So you can sort through the 1,000 pieces looking for shimmery bismuth crystals and purple iodine haze.

: Dawn Finney, the knitting whiz behind ButterflyLove1 on Etsy.com, has added a new piece of knitted labware paperweights to her collection: This darling fuming beaker ($12). Or if you’d prefer to knit it yourself, Finney also offers the pattern for sale ($3).

: What better way to decorate your department tree than with element ornaments? For $12.50 each, ElementsCubed on Etsy.com offers 35 of these festive and fun collectibles, featuring elemental favorites such as bismuth, sodium, and gold (which seems like a bargain to us).