Tricolor Plasma Globe with Glow Wand
Get a globe and glow wand here:
From Aurora Plasma Designs: BUY NOW: Globes and Glow Wands
Click here for other amazing: Glow Discharge Designs
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Tricolor Plasma Globe and Glow Wand: an engineered mix of low pressure noble gasses exhibit three colors of glow discharge in the plasma filaments that rise upward due to heating. A separate glass wand has a different gas mixture and phosphor coated beads that glow when in contact with the globe. A small high frequency coil at center creates the high voltage potential between the center electrode and the metal coated glass globe. Current flow through the thin gas produces the colorful emission spectra from the gasses.
Magnetic Flux Gyroscope Pendant: V2
Magnetic Flux Pendants and other amazing science inspired fine jewelry available here:
From Foxtail Jewelry: BUY NOW: Kinetic Magnetic Pendants
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Magnetic Flux Gyroscope Pendant: version 2 of the @foxtailjewelry - @physicsfun collab! Two half-sphere neodymium magnets on chains remain suspended under centripetal acceleration. Another kinetic art necklace design by artist Betsy Yates of @foxtailjewelry who brings this concept to life so elegantly and is currently featuring @physicsfun inspired pendants in her gallery and store.
Maxwell's Dynamical Top: with Color Wheel
Get this accurate and beautiful 1/2 scale replica here:
From Machined Marvels: BUY NOW: Maxwell's Dynamical Top
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Maxwell’s Dynamical Top: A 1/2 scale precision replica of the famous “Dynamical Top” created and demonstrated by the great physicist James Clerk Maxwell in 1857. The four color disk allowed Maxwell to see and study the direction of the angular momentum vector when a spinning object is subjected to a jolt/impact. After the top gets a flick from my hand note that one can see a circle of evenly changing color- the angular momentum vector points outward through the center of that circle. Balanced such that the spin point was placed at its center of mass, this unique top was used by Maxwell to experimentally test many theories about how the Earth and planets wobble as they spin. Swipe to see another astonishing property of this top described in a previous post. This beautiful historical replica is now available from machinist and creator Jim Peever @machinedmarvels- and as far as I know the only other replicas of this device where made in the 1880’s!
Phosphorescence and Fluorescence in Calcite
The UVA and UVC lamps used in this video are available here (well made and reasonably priced professional tools):
From WayTooCool LLC: BUY NOW: UV Lamps
Get a calcite crystal sample here (those with a slight pink color will exhibit the glow):
From Amazon: BUY NOW Optical Calcite Crystal
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Phosphorescence and Fluorescence in Calcite: a ghostly blue afterglow is induced by a short wave UVC ultraviolet lamp. The high energy UVC photons interact with electrons in the crystal trapping them in a temporary quantum state with a decay half-life of 7.2 milliseconds, each then emit a blue photon when returning to their ground state- the phenomenon of phosphorescence. However a pink/orange instantaneous glow is produced by a long wave UVA lamp/flashlight (swipe to see). These medium energy UVA photos from the flashlight interact with electrons in different orbitals that de-excite through the emission of orange 595nm photons. See my previous post for more amazing calcite crystal physics.
Trisected Cube
Get this puzzle here:
BUY NOW: Trisected Cube Puzzle
This puzzle came in my Curiosity Box subscrition. A great way to start collecting your own physics toys (and other brain food):
From the Vsauce team: BUY NOW: The Curiosity Box
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Trisected Cube Puzzle: three identical pieces interlock to form a cube in this ingenious dissection puzzle. The cube is sliced following a helical path along a corner to corner diagonal, creating a smooth disassembly, and a smooth but surprisingly challenging initial reassembly. Invented by Robert Reid and designed by puzzle master Oskar van Deventer.
High Voltage Wood Burn Fractal
Beautiful wood fractal art available here:
From Etsy: BUY NOW: High Voltage Fractal Art
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High Voltage Wood Burn Fractal: a classic Lichtenberg fractal created by electrical discharge- in this piece artist/maker Nic Ferretti applied cobalt blue epoxy resin to fill the cavities of the burn pattern and create the look of frozen lightning. Swipe to see my attempt at this process with an old neon sign high voltage transformer using 7500 V at 20 mA. I turned the power off right before the two sides connected to get the fern-like look. The wood is slightly wetted with baking soda dissolved in tap water. WARNING high voltage can kill- do not use a transformer like this unless you are fully trained in electrical high voltage safety.
Big Dipper 3D Sculpture
Get this amazing and informative sculpture here:
From Etsy: BUY NOW: Big Dipper 3D Sculpture
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Asterism in a Box: Swarovski pearls, suspended by nylon lines in a specific spatial orientation, represent seven well known stars in the Northern night sky. The pearls in this sculpture show the actual 3D configuration of the stars that make up the Big Dipper! Only from one particular point of view- that of our sun- do they look like the "dipper", and this sculpture shows what this cluster of stars would look like from other “near by” star systems in our galaxy. Note that large pearl in the bottom right represents the star Dubhe, a blue giant some 326 times brighter than the sun and the farthest of the Dipper stars at 123 lightyears away. The rest of the stars range in distance from 58 to 101 lightyears, as measured from Hipparcos satellite telescope mission data. From artist Caroline Bowen of Hypotenuse Studios.
Photochromic Frisbee
Get this quality flying disk here:
From Amazon: BUY NOW: UV Chameleon by Discraft
You may also want a powerful UV flashlight:
From Amazon: BUY NOW: High Power UV Light
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Photochromic Frisbee: the plastic of the UV Chameleon by Discraft contains photochromic pigment molecules that actually change shape when struck by photons of UV light, and the new shape alters their absorption properties such that they reflect a deep purple color. The color is temporary- room temperature thermal energy bumps the molecules back into their original configuration, and the color fades back to white in about 3 minutes (shown here sped up x7). A long wave UV flashlight is used to “paint” the disk purple, and sunlight will do the same very quickly.
Levitating Inq Lamp
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Levitating Inq Lamp: Inq (the curious orange octopus) hangs illuminated and suspended by magnetic forces. I modified this lamp to incorporate the squish version of the @thecuriositybox mascot with a powerful neodymium magnet on top and a smaller magnet embedded with in Inq’s head- when the octopus is floating the bottom cord engages the light switch.
Iron Meteorite Guitar Pick
Hard to find but currently available from this source:
From Etsy: Search NOW: Meteorite Guitar Pick
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Cosmic Guitar Pick: carved from a piece of Gibeon meteorite and etched with mild acid to show the special nickel-iron crystalline structures that are only found in iron meteorites. These Widmanstatten patterns from nickel-iron cannot be produced in the lab or in any factory- the structure only forms if the metals cool at a rate of 100 degrees per million years! 2 billion+ year old heavy metal from the core of an ancient asteroid! 🎸🤘
Magnetic Flux Gyroscope Pendant
Magnetic Flux Pendants and other amazing science inspired jewelry available here:
From Foxtail Jewelry: BUY NOW: Kinetic Magnetic Pendants
Note: this site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated
Magnetic Flux Gyroscope Pendant: two neodymium magnets on chains remain suspended by their mutual magnetic attraction. This kinetic art necklace design is from a new line of physics inspired jewelry- a collaboration with designer and artist Betsy Yates of @foxtailjewelry who so masterfully brought this concept to life and is currently featuring @physicsfun inspired pendants in her gallery and store.
Labradorescence
Get a smaple of labbradorite here:
From Etsy: BUY NOW: Polished Labradorite
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Labradorescence: the unique luster given off by the mineral labradorite that appears as a glow emanating from below the surface of the polished rock. This iridescence is due to the Schiller effect, crystals that grow in very thin layers producing colors from the diffraction of reflected light. Labradorite is a feldspar mineral first identified in Labrador Canada.
Rheoscopic Sworld
Get a Sworld ball (choose a color) here:
From Amazon: BUY NOW: Sworld Rheoscopic Ball
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Also- the best in rheoscopic kenitic art- see: the Vortex Dome
Rheoscopic Sworld: this nice example of fluid flow kinetic art uses rheoscopic fluid encased in flexible bubble of plastic to reveal the intricate motion of turbulence. A suspension of tiny flat mica crystals tend to align themselves at the boundaries where the fluid is moving comparatively faster or slower, making the typically invisible flow patterns visible.
The iTOP
Well engineered brass spinning toys by SiriusEnigmas:
From Etsy: BUY NOW: The iTOP
From Etsy: BUY NOW: The PhiTOP
From Etsy: BUY NOW: The eTOP
From Etsy: BUY NOW: The PiTOP
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The iTOP: inverting spinning disk- the equilibrium state for a spinning thing is often different from that of the same object when stationary. When spun, the iTOP almost instantly inverts to raise its center of mass (shown in slow motion because it happens so fast). However, when the rotation speed decreases to a certain rate the system becomes unstable (shown again in slow motion) and flips again before going into a rolling/spinning motion like a coin. This top completes the set of four spin tops by astrophysicist Kenneth Brecher, all made of polished brass and themed on a mathematical constant: iTOP (square-root of -1), PhiTOP (golden ratio, φ), eTOP (base of the natural log), and the PiTOP (C/D of a circle, π).
Fluorescent Corundum (Ruby) in Matrix
Get ruby in matrix stones and jewelry here:
From Etsy: BUY NOW: Ruby Glow Stones
You will also want an awesome UV flashlight like this one:
From Amazon: BUY NOW: High Power UV Light
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Corundum (Ruby) in Matrix: the pink/red mineral inclusions in this polished sphere of fuchsite are ruby crystals. Ruby fluoresces in bright red light when exposed to long wave UV light (such as a black light), creating the illusion that the sphere is lit from within. The same fluorescent property of synthetic ruby allowed creation of the first lasers.
3D Wordflip Sculpture
Create your own here:
From sparenbergdesign.com: BUY NOW: 3D Wordflip
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3D WordFlip Sculpture: from one point of view my logo appears, rotate 90 degrees and the sculpture reveals my tagline phrase “real magic”. Alternatively the messages can be cast as shadows (swipe to view). Amazingly you can create and print any two phrases of your choosing from the webpage of artist and designer Joris Sparenberg.
Sodalite Fluorescence
Get sodalite-bearing syenite river stones here:
From Etsy: BUY NOW: Sodalite Glow Rocks
You will also want an awesome UV flashlight like this one:
From Amazon: BUY NOW: High Power UV Light
Note: this site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated
Sodalite Fluorescence: in daylight this rock looks like an ordinary river stone, but when illuminated with long wave ultraviolet light, patches of the mineral sodalite shine in bright orange glow. These stones are comprised of sodalite-bearing syenite, where syenite is a course grained igneous rock similar to granite but deficient in quartz. Found on the shores of Lake Superior- discovered in 2017 by Erik Rintamaki.