The festive season is upon us again. Never is it more relevant for us to be reminded of our society's impact on the environment than at this time of the giving and receiving of gifts. When children have greater access to science tools – equipment like rulers, measuring cups and kitchen scales – and time to tinker with them, it strengthens their interest and confidence in science according to recent research.
It is reassuring to know that gifts can actually be a force for good through the stimulation of curiosity — opening doors to the discovery of new interests, passions and knowledge for children of any age. Captivating the next generation with science is an intentional act of good will. Do your bit to create the next generation of scientific thinkers who might have a better understanding of the economic implications and inevitable consequences of ignoring the laws of thermodynamics (when we consume without consideration).
Number 10. Perplexus: 125 CHALLENGING OBSTACLES in the absence of a mobile phone. Can you make it through Perplexus Epic’s obstacles? Move the ball along the numbered track through tricky hurdles like the serpentine, launch ramp and Escher’s stairs without falling off the track.
Number 9. Foldit: Knowing the structure of a protein is key to understanding how it works and to targeting it with drugs. The number of different ways even a small protein can fold is astronomical. Foldit attempts to predict the structure of a protein by taking advantage of humans’ puzzle-solving intuitions and having people play competitively and collaboratively to fold the best proteins in 3D puzzle games. Foldit is developed by the Center for Game Science at University of Washington in collaboration with UW Department of Biochemistry.
Number 8. You have seen Cox, now watch Burkes Connections that explores an "Alternative View of Change" (the subtitle of the series) that rejects the conventional linear and teleological view of historical progress. Burke contends that one cannot consider the development of any particular piece of the modern world in isolation. Rather, the entire gestalt of the modern world is the result of a web of interconnected events, each one consisting of a person or group acting for reasons of their own motivations with no concept of the final, modern result to which the actions of either them or their contemporaries would lead.
Number 7. Gikfun 3D Christmas Tree Led DIY Kit: A fun idea, well thought and a great project for (older) kids. Instructions are useless - you get a snippet of instructions in a very bad "chinglish". You are given no information on the assembly but it doesn't take much to understand it. Pictures from the internet will make you see how the finite product looks. You take it from there and you have fun soldering! Not "welding" as the chinglish wording says. 🙂
Number 6. Ten Tantalising Truths: Why the Sky is Blue, and other Big Answers to Simple Questions:Obvious questions do not always have obvious answers. John Gribbin is known for giving us simple explanations of big concepts in science. But there is another way to probe the mysteries of the Universe and our place in it. Faced with persistent enquiries from his grandchildren, Gribbin realised that simple questions, such as 'Why is the sky blue?', sometimes require big answers, understandable in straightforward language.
Number 5. National Geographic Crystal Garden: Blending science experiment with art project. Watched amazed as the trees (crystals) grow in as little as 6 hours. Set includes: 2 trees, 1 crystal solution, 5 x felt pens, tray and learning guide with instructions. The experience is not lost in the adult scientist. How better to understand the world than to get a proper look at it. This hand tool does it all - where you stick your probe is up to you.
Number 4. The Elements Jigsaw Puzzle: 1000 Pieces: A most beautiful periodic table! This gorgeous and challenging is based on the bestseller, "The Elements". "The Elements", by Theodore Gray, both the hardcover print book and the ebook app for the iPad have become bestsellers, popular with readers of literally every age, from toddlers to senior citizens. Made of high-quality, sturdy material, this 36" X 16" puzzle, in the shape of Theodore Gray's famous photographic periodic table, provides hours of fun.
Number 3. The pocket chemist - organic chemistry stencil: Say goodbye to sloppy hexagons and wonky carbon chains for those who still use pens, pencils and paper. This organic chemistry stencil is perfection that fits in your wallet with laser-cut chair confirmations, cyclobutane, cyclopropane, cyclopentane, a carbon chain, and a benzene ring (which covers cyclohexane).
Eight most-used molecule stencils in organic chemistry to sketch perfect reactions, 17 unit conversions, 11 equations, 10 physical constants and a full periodic table to save you time looking up chemistry references.
Number 2: Solar System Sun Earth Moon Orbit Building Kit: Lego and Science - what could be better? Moon goes round the Earth, Earth round the Sun and the Earth spins.This is very very cool. It's not 100% perfect, but it's like 95% and for the price you should just buy this. You won't regret it. Only improvement would be that the Earth could be angled like I have seen on some sets, to demonstrate the seasons.
Number 1: SKY WATCHER INFINITY 76P TELESCOPE: Not Your Average Toy Telescope!! The attractive telescope houses the Aspherical Technology usually only found in larger, more expensive telescopes. The primary mirror is altered during polishing to bring the light rays onto a common focal plane, resulting in sharp images full of detail. Setting up is easy.
And finally...
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