Science Fiction-themed Drinks

If you are looking for a geeky twist for your New Year's Eve party, you might want to consider some of the concoction on this video about Science Fiction-themed drinks by  SciFi Scanner's  Ken Maher.



A Soylent Green anyone?

Einsteinium is a Girl's Best Friend Apron

Etsy seller buffalonerdproject sells a sweet apron that shows your love for the actinide elements. The description of the Einsteinium apron:

It is, of course, named after a certain Albert Einstein. It is also radioactive, hence, hot stuff.

This apron is perfect for that geek chic chef in your life, a great way to celebrate mad skillz (yup, with a Z) both in the lab and out. It is the second of my "hot stuff" aprons, and I hope to create more. It is made from vintage flowered fabric with a felt applique of Einsteinium's periodic symbol in white and green with a gold background. Green iron-on letters proclaim "hot stuff" to warn people about a) radioactive elements, b) food just out of the oven or c) the nature of the wearer.

I agree, totally hot!

Ask Me About My Death Ray

Retropolis Transit Authority's "Ask Me About My Death Ray!" T-Shirt is perfect for those days when you wish you could be zapping away all your annoyances.

Coffee and Dessert Geek Magnets

Anandi's Laboratory at Etsy sells fine geekery, including this set of large magnets depicting the chemicals that make dessert desserty. 

Gifts for Microbiologists

Sure it's a bit late for Christmas, but bookmark this for next year: Tales from the Microbial Laboratory's annual list of Gifts for that Special Microbiologist. The suggestions range from Winogradsky Column Kits to microbial jewelry to Agar Art. Something for everyone.

Constellation Earrings

Rick's Astronomy Jewelry sells pretty sterling silver and gemstone earrings representing major constellations. The gems aren't selected just for beauty - they actually match the color of the stars in the constellations.

And if you buy now you can take advantage of the 18% off end-of-the-year sale (through December 31). Earrings are sale-priced at $45.

Shown: Pleiades (The Seven Sisters) Earrings

(via Fashionably Geek)

Happy Holidays!

Send a free FSM Holiday e-card.

Desktop Carnivorous Plant Set

Think Geek's Desktop Carnivorous Plant Set would make a great gift for any geek with a green thumb. The kit comes with the growing dome and planting mixture and a variety of carnivorous plant seeds: venus fly trap, yellow trumpet, hooded pitcher plant, purple pitcher plant, pale trumpet, temperate sundew plants, and cobra lily. I only wonder what you feed it if your space is fly free?

 

And since it will take a while for the plants to grow, it would make a nice bundle with the Little Shop of Horrors DVD to watch in the meantime.

Dead Tech Corset

Gallery Serpentine's Dead Tech Corset is sexy geeky chic. This model was worn by computer scientist Ellen Spertus when she won the 2001 Sexiest Geek Alive contest, so it has serious geek cred.

You can also get an Edwardian style corset printed with the same design.

io9's SciFi T-shirt gift list

Science fiction blog io9 has rounded up a list of cool science and science fiction T-shirts that would make perfect gifts! And if you purchase a tee from io9's Neighborhoodies collection, all the proceeds go to the Carl Brandon Society.

Shown: Live Long and Prosper from Design by Humans

DNA Mini Portraits

DNA11 has the perfect gift for the biologist who has everything: a DNA gel mini portrait. You can use the DNA collection kit on yourself to give a very personal gift, or collect from your giftee* for a unique self-portrait. It comes nicely framed, and you can choose from 25 different colors for the image.

* I'm not sure that swabbing the inside of someone's cheek is possible without letting them in on it. If you try it, don't blame me if you lose the tip of your finger!

Food Chain Friends

It's one of the laws of nature: bigger critters eat smaller ones. Now you can have your very own cuddly food chain at home with the "Food Chain Friends" plush toys from FAO Schwartz. The description:

Food Chain Friends are from Daro, a small green planet much like Earth was 200 million years ago. Daro teems with wildlife, and its exceptionally social and gracious species flourish in a complex - but oddly, very friendly - ecosystem. They're friends. They eat each other. It's a complicated relationship!

Droidel, Droidel, Droidel

StarWars.com gives you all you need to create your own "Droidel" for Chanukah. From the description:

Some religious scholars believe that the dreidel game originated during the times of the Greek-Syrians, and is closely connected to the Chanukah holiday. Because the ruling Greek-Syrians outlawed Jews from learning the Torah, the Jews needed a way to hide their studies. The dreidel became a clever decoy. When Jewish students saw the Greek-Syrians coming, they would hide their books and play with dreidels instead, which tricked the Syrians into thinking they were just playing a harmless game.

In this Star Wars variation, the dreidel and the droid R2-D2 combine to make Droidel!

 Just print out the design (pdf), glue to to thin cardboard, cut along the lines and assemble. Easy and fun!

(via Popgadget)

Holiday Gift Guide for Women in Science

The Women in Science blog has a roundup of great gifts for women scientists. 

There is also bookstore with fiction featuring women scientists, and biographies of women scientists. 

Shown: "This is what a scientist looks" like T-shirt from Yellow Ibis

Amazon Kindle

Do you have a voracious reader on your Holiday Shopping list? The Amazon's Kindle  might just be the perfect gift. It can hold over 200 books and it's wireless connectivity makes it easy to use to read online newspapers and blogs or quickly download the latest best-seller. Even better, you can transfer any e-books or journal articles now sitting on your desktop computer for easy on-the-go reading. 

Order from Amazon.com with 2-day shipping and she'll get it by Christmas.

Capacitor Folk Art by Obvious Front

OBVIoUS FRoNT takes our discarded computers, radios, televisions and other gadgets and refashions the bits and pieces into jewelry and art. You can find all kinds of fun creations at the Obvious Front shop at Etsy, including earrings, charms and colorful critters.

Image: "Dot Lipped Quartet" charms

The colored dots that sometime appear on a robot's lips are all natural. I like matching them up in pairs for a special look, as most of a robot's personality is in their lips.

This group consists of four Dot-Lipped charms, each one about 1.5" (4cm) tall. They're all built with cleaned electronic components salvaged from discarded TVs and VCRs using lead-free solder.

Each piece is individually bagged with a suction cup for hanging by your computer (helps prevent crashing). A 7mm jump-ring is included for use as a necklace from your chain (turns heads in the IT department). You'll also get four gift cards, making these robots great little surprises for you favorite computer geeks.

Christmas and Holiday Cards for Geeks

The Telegraph has rounded up a great selection of Christmas and holiday cards for geeks. Most are available through either Cafe Press or Zazzle, or as *cough* inspiration for printing your own.

Shown: May All Your Christmases be #FFFFFF by slagathor at Zazzle

CBS: Gadgets for Women

CBS News has put together a decent list of gift gadgets for women. Fortunately they've focused on the (relatively) practical and stylish, rather than the girly and pink. 

Shown: Peek Mobile E-mail Device (Aqua), Palm Centro Black Smartphone
 

DVICE's Best Gadget Guides

DVICE has rounded up the best - and worst - holiday gadget gift guides of 2008.

Their top 5:

• CNET Holiday Gift Guide 2008
• Uncle mark's Gift Guide & Almanac 2009
• Bornrich Gift Guide: Wow Gifts
• Holiday "DO WANT!" Gift Guide 2008 from Yanko Design
• Holiday Gift Guide 2008: Camcorders

Which element would you like for Christmas?

The Chemical Sisters and "Periodic Table of the Videos" team has asked chemists at the University of Nottingham which element they would like as a Christmas gift: 

I'm not sure where you can legally buy pure cesium or rubidium outside of a chemistry department. You may have to shop around . . .

Antique Astronomy Instrument Models

Green Witch sells greeting cards that are also "fully-working" models of antique astronomy instruments. Perfect for the astronomer with a love of history!

Image: Astrolabe Postal Card

Gift Suggestions for Geologists

Chris Rowan at Highly Allochthonous has been posting some gift-giving suggestions for geologists. Be sure to read his posts, because he goes into detail about the features that he (or other geologists) would find ideal:

• Christmas gifts for geologists: cameras  
  
• Christmas gifts for geologists: tough electronics
• Christmas gifts for geologists: field beverages

Here are a few of the items he suggests: 

Planetary Design Double Shot Travel French Press Mug


Olympus Stylus 1030SW 10.1MP Digital Camera with 3.6x Optical Wide Angle Zoom, 

"the toughest camera in the world"


And if you have a big budget:
Panasonic Toughbook U1

Amazon.com Gift Cards

Not sure what to get for your geeky girlfriend, mom, sister, or  lab partner? Why not give an Amazon.com Gift Card. That way she can find the perfect gift for herself! There are several options:

1) E-mail a personalized gift card for immediate delivery.
2) Print a personalized gift card on your own printer. (Remember to have your credit card handy when you're ready to print).
3) Mail a personalized gift card (shipping is free, of course). Please allow 5-7 business days for delivery.
4) Add a $25, $50, or $100 Gift Card – or a box of them! – to your other purchases in your Amazon.com shopping cart.

Perfect for everyone on your holiday shopping list!

Gifts for Your Favorite Maker

If you have a a girl geek on your holiday shopping list who likes to make things from wires and solder and chemicals, you should definitely check out the Maker Shed. Some of their coolest offerings:

• EX-150 Electronic Experimental Kit
• Genetics & DNA Kit
• Mechamo Crab Kit (pictured)
• The Best of Instructables, Volume I. 
• Illustrated Guide to Home Chemistry Experiments
• Measure for Measure Pocket Reference

Or if you can't decide, just give her a MakerSHED gift certificate!

Holiday Deals on Bags and Boots at Endless.com

There is still time to order holiday gifts from Endless.com!

• Free Overnight Shipping - and all items marked "FREE Overnight Shipping" can be ordered until 12/23 5:15PST for holiday delivery!

• Free Returns

• Orders over $50 get $5 in AmazonMP3 Downloads 

Endless.com sells shoes and bags, so I wouldn't usually be posting about them, but what girl geek wouldn't want a new laptop or tote bag? Here are a couple that I like: 

AmeriBag Manhattan Messenger Bag,Black,one size
It's a basic very functional messenger bag. Great for subway or bike commutes.


HARVEYS Seatbelt The Messenger,Brown,one size
This bag has a recycled fabric lining, and a cross-body strap for comfort.



Pink Studio Newport Laptop Bag,Charcoal
This basic laptop bag is fashionable and feminine, but too girly. You can carry with using the handles or the included canvase shoulder strap.

Colorful rain boots would be another great gift, particularly for recipients that live in soggy, but not snowy, parts of the country.

Rocket Dog Women's Water Dog Rain Boot
These rain boots are covered with funky images of aliens, robots and stars.



Chooka Women's Peacock City Boot
This peacock feather-printed boot is still colorful, but the print is a bit more sophisticated than cartoon aliens.

The Endless.com promotion expires on 12/24 at  11:59:59 PM, so order soon!