Molecular Mixology Master Class

I think that if you are going to drink, you might as well do it scientifically. At BolsCocktails.com they've been teaching Molecular Mixology: 

The key to this new discipline is the combination of the unusual and the unexpected. Rather than match ingredients that traditional cocktail making suggests might go together, bartenders are now matching ingredients with a similar genetic make up. Incredible new flavours, textures and ways of serving are being created, using the principles of chemistry and physics as a source of scientific inspiration and guidance.

The original course was taught at the Ritz Hotel in Paris, which I suspect is beyond the means of all but the most successful geeks. Fortunately, you can now watch the course on video. I think a molecular mixology evening where the attendees were supplied with interesting ingredients and challenged to create a new cocktail would make for a fabulous party. All in the name of science, of course!

(via NotCot)

Create Your Own Chemical T-Shirt

Yellow Ibis, makers of fine science T-shirts, has a cool option where you can mix and match t-shirt and chemical designs with your own text to make the perfect tee.  Whether you want to declare your love for theobromine, ferrocene or mighty estrogen, there's probably a chemical design that's perfect for you.  My design is spicy cinnamaldehyde. Create your own!

(If you order by July 31, you can take $5 off any order of $15 or more.)

Help Design Jewelry Inspired By the Patterns in Nature

Nervous System creates unique jewelry based on biological patterns from "nontraditional materials like silicone rubber and stainless steel with rapid prototyping methods." Their Radiolaria series is inspired by radiolarians - amoeboid protozoa with intricate mineral skeletons - but could as easily be the outlines of plant cells.    And what is especially cool is that you can use their software to create a unique pattern all your own. The lacy jewelry is cut from silicone rubber, then etched from stainless steel.

Secular Saints Candles

Are you an physicist who worships Newton or Heisenberg? A biologist who wants to honor Darwin or Mendel? A chemist who reveres Curie and Lavoisier? Now you can do them the honor they deserve with Perfect Ponderables "secular saints" series of candles, which has scientists ranging from Albert Einstein to Louis Pasteur to Galileo Galilei.

Kikkerland Anatomical Puzzle Toys

Kikkerland Design makes unique quality toys and gadgets. Among their items are a series of detailed  anatomical models that are also puzzle games. If you take apart the man, will you be able to put him back together? 

(via BoingBoing)

Pocket Enigma Machine

The Enigma machine was the cipher machine used to encrypt and decrypt secret messages by the Nazi Germany during WWII. Allied cryptologists working in Bletchley Park in the UK were eventually able to break the cipher, which provided significant information and may have hastened the end of the war by at least two years.  While newer encryption technology is now used, you can own a little bit of history with the Pocket Enigma machine: 

Designed exclusively for and only available through Bletchley Park, Pocket Enigma is a little cipher machine with a single wheel that rotates on the CD mount in a compact disk case. It works on exactly the same principles as the real Enigma machine used by the German armed forces during WW II.

If you get two, you and your girl geek could exchange secret messages that almost no one would be able to decipher.

(via BoingBoing)

Gear for Smart Women

The Bust Magazine boobtique has great gifts for smart and sexy women. I personally like their "Smart Women" gear, such as the "Smart Women Thirst for Knowledge" coffee mug and the "Smart Women Read the Fine Print" eyeglass case. They are both smart and chic!

The Trouble With Tribbles . . .

. . . is that they are oh so soft and cuddly.

Etsy seller coatcheck has some very soft-looking Tribble pillows made from recycled fur coats. They are the perfect accent for any Star Trek-lovers living room or bedroom.

These fur balls do resemble the fast-breeding species in the well-known Star Trek episode "The Trouble with Tribbles", but they're more than just toys. They also double as elegant pillows to mix in with your other pillows and decor accessories. The fur has been professionally cleaned and is soft and fun to touch. Recycled from deconstructed clean vintage fur coats, these small pillows are high-design and beautiful but also very amusing at parties, adult or otherwise. The round shape is great on couches as a counterpoint to rectilinear design. These are not perfectly spherical - they are pleasing, slightly flattened spheres. The seam is at the widest diameter and is slightly scalloped - more so on thicker hides like raccoon, but this is evident mainly to the touch, not the eye. We try to make fur balls mainly out of longish-haired furs as we think it works better.

Jokes about this item will ensue... be warned.

(via Ooh, I've Got Something to Show You)

VISUAL DNA art t-shirts

German artist Daniel Becker has converted the DNA sequence of various genes into works of art by representing each of the bases in the DNA code - A, C, G, T - graphically.  The project, which he calls VISUAL DNA, results in colorful graphic designs. The original art installation involved a series of test tubes that contained different DNA samples - tarantula, human, mold, etc. Each tube had a bar code, which, when scanned, caused the artwork based on its sequence to be projected. See, for example, the image at left which is based on goldfish DNA. 

While the original artwork isn't for sale, you can purchase t-shirts with the designs.

(via Neatorama)

Beautiful Molecules From Daily Life Turned Into Jewelry

Think Geek sells beautiful earrings based on images of crystals made from common biochemicals - dopamine (pictured at right), serotonin and caffeine. Their description:

What is this stuff? It's a photomicrograph of a particular molecule taken by Michael W. Davidson of the Optical Microscopy Division of the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory at Florida State University (say that three times fast) then attached to a sterling silver finding using jeweler's grade sealant by our aforementioned biological psychology professor.

Fashionable and practical!

A Shameful Admission . . . .

I took the Geek Quiz at oneplusyou.com and it turns out I'm only 72% geek. I've gotta work on my geekitude!
72% Geek

Created by OnePlusYou

Atomic Doilies

Crafter Pepperberry has crocheted some elegant doilies with the radiation warning symbol. Perfect decor if you are keeping bits of uranium around the house or live in a fall-out shelter.

(via CRAFT)

Patron Saints of Chemistry: Saints Cosmas and Damian

Twin brothers and healers Saint Damian and Saint Cosmas are - among many other things - the patrons of apothecaries, the chemical industry and chemical manufacturers. If you need a divine presence to help watch over your lab, you might want to order this handsome reproduction of a Greek icon depicting the twins (shown at left). Or, if you'd rather keep them closer to your person, a sterling silver medal with their image might be the perfect piece of jewelry for you.

2009 Skepdude Calendar

Does your girl geek religiously watch Mythbusters? Is her idea of the ideal vacation a week in Vegas to attend The Amazing Meeting? The 2009 Skepdude calendar would be a perfect gift! are now available from Skepchick.org. A 2009 Skepchick calendar is also available if she'd rather have 12 months of lovely skepchicks.

Still not sure? Check out this teaser image of Mr. January 2009, Sid Rodrigues.

Bovine Lab Coat

The LabRat.com sells a charming cow print lab coat. If cows aren't your style, it also comes in a snow-leopard print.

Casual Pi Day

While March 14th (3.14) is the official Pi day, July 22 (22/7 European style) is Pi Approximation Day. MathematiciansPictures.com has lots of gear with "Casual Pi Day" graphics, including t-shirts, mugs and posters.

Atomic Ring

Etsy seller blindspotjewellery has created an old-fashioned ring that will let any geek show her allegiance to the almighty atom! From the seller:

The Greek 10 Drachma coin was dedicated to Democritus the Greek materialist philosopher, the man who discovered the atom. I made this ring using a part of the 10 Drachma as a stamp. It's sterling silver.

Custom Anatomical Jewelry

Jewelry artist Margaux Lange made a a pair of custom necklaces for a woman working on her PhD in neuroscience. She says "we worked together to come up with the perfect anatomical/organ focused pieces (inspired by my "Like Breathing" necklace with the lungs.) " They are really both unique and quite appropriate for the budding biologist. Lange's jewelery uses bits and pieces from Barbie dolls to create interesting arrangements of lips, eyes, arms and more. If you like her style, check out her Etsy shop. Her web site has more about her custom made jewelry.
(via CRAFTzine)

Have you always wanted to be a scientist? Your Photo in a Chemistry Characature

My DaVinci takes ordinary photographs of people (and pets) and uses them to create original works of art. While you can choose serious artistic styles - oil painting, water colors, pencil sketches, or, of course, paintings in the style of DaVinci - you can also pick out the perfect caricature to show who you would like to be. While there are the obvious sports and musician and superhero styles, you can also get a cute caricature of you or your honey (or both of you) as flask-wielding chemists. Adorable!

Buy a caricature from my DaVinci.

American Scientist Stamps

I know snail mail is totally 20th century, but occasionally it's nice to send a message on a physical piece of paper. When you do, why not use stamps commemorating great American scientists, including the Nobel-prize winning biochemist Gerti Cori. The stamps are available from the USPS.

Math Camp -is- Better than Regular Camp

Who needs campfires, canoeing and crafts when you could be playing with numbers instead? RandomShirts.com  lets you claim your summer geekiness in style with their   Math Camp> Regular Camp t-shirt.

(via Shiny Shiny)

Erlenmeyer Flask Love Necklace

Etsy seller NBDesigns has a charming piece of jewelry for lab lovers - the Erlenmeyer Flask Love necklace. From the seller:

Are you a chemistry geek? Do you have a crush on a girl that loves chemistry? Do you love chemistry? Do you love it enough to wear a Erlenmeyer flask pendant? This tiny flask contains a tiny heart surrounded by tiny bubbles formed by super nucleation...of course.

This necklace would make the perfect gift for the chemistry geek in your life!

This tiny flask is handmade of fine silver and comes strung on a sterling silver chain 18 inches long with sterling silver findings.

Mathematical Knits from Woolly Thoughts

Wooly Thoughts is a great site for lovers of mathematics-based knitted and crochet items. From their introduction:

We are designers of mathematical knitwear. Or perhaps we are mathematical designers of knitwear. Whatever you want to call us, many of our designs are simple geometric shapes combined to make elaborate patterns.

But that is not all that we do.

We are mathematicians at heart and so most of what we do has a mathematical basis. This may not always be obvious and it doesn't explain the cartoons and word-play which often creep in.

They make geometrical "mufflermatics" scarves and wraps, afghans, cushions, and other items. Be sure to check out their gallery for details and pattern ordering information.

Shown on right: Counting Pane afghan, "The first row represents the numbers 1 to 10, the second 11 to 20, and so on. The numbers from 1 to 10 each have a colour. This is at the top of the column. 1 is blue, 2 is yellow, etc. If these numbers divide into the number of a square the colour is shown in the square."

(via Fairer Science)

Biological Measuring Cup

The "Equal Measure" measuring cup would be a nice addition to any biologist's (or other science-lover's) kitchen. Not only does it have the traditional measure marks, but it also indicates "volume of the brain of a Tyrannosaurus Rex", "amount of honey made by a bee hive in a day", and "volume of body cells that die on a good day". It definitely puts those numbers into perspective! Purchase the Equal Measure Measuring Cup through Amazon.com.

Teddy Bear Fetal Development

Artist Stephanie Metz works in felt to create biological models of teddy bears. Shown at left is her series on teddy bear fetal development. The originals aren't for sale, but you can buy a poster.

(via Ziya Tong)

Physics Wedding Cakes

Let's say you are a physicist. Let's also say that your betrothed is also a physicist. What better way to share your love of physics with your family and friends than by celebrating your nuptuals with a physics wedding cake? The picture is from an article in Symmetry magazine about physicist couples.

Chemistry Salt n Pepper Set

Mod Cloth sells the perfect salt and pepper set for a chemist's dinner table:

Whether you're secretly a science nerd, or you just love the idea of molecular formulas on your household necessities, these salt & pepper shakers are a chemical equation that's actually fun (and tasty) to balance!

Calendar Geeks: Sexy Girls Who Can Use Their Brains

Want a display that shows that geeks can be sexy too? You might be interested in the 2009 Calendar Geeks calendar. Each month has a different gorgeous geek: chemistry geek, librarian geek, knitting geek, math geek, music geek, grammar geek, steampunk geek, history geek, computer geek, theater tech geek, roleplaying game geek and video game geek. And it marks the important days of the year: 

In addition to the photos, the twelve-month calendar features geeky holidays such as Pi Day, sci-fi cons, birthdays of notable geeks like Albert Einstein and Ada Lovelace, and the Unix timestamp 1234567890.

Sadly, the chemistry geek, Ava, died in May.

The calendar is dedicated to Ava, and her portion of the profits will be donated to a scholarship fund in her memory.

Order a calendar.

Quantum Bit Earrings

Sometimes I find items that look pretty, but I don't really understand. These sterling silver Quantum Bit earrings from nicholasandfelice at Etsy fall into that category. The description:

We stamp these sterling silver earrings with Bra-Ket (Dirac)notation for the Quantum Bit basis states of ket 1 and ket 0 from our own die. The earrings are 5/8" diameter (15.87mm) and with the sterling silver ear wire are about 1-1/8" long (28.57mm).

Spore Creature Creator

The new Electronic Arts game Spore has been the talk of the internet. Part of what makes it so appealing is that you can create your own creature that evolves and changes as the game is played. You can download a free trial edition of the creature creator, or purchase the full version. If you purchase the Spore Creature Creator at Amazon.com for $9.99, you get a $5 gift certificate towards purchasing the full game, which is scheduled for release in September. Very cool!

"If You're Not Part of the Solution . . . "

An old chemistry tale:

So, Johnny was diligently working in the lab trying to generate a little nucleation. But things weren't going so well and he's just not having any luck. Then all of a sudden his lab partner fumbles in, accidently knocking Johnny's beaker of silver nitrate into some potassium chloride which spills all over Johnny. 'Heavens to Betsy!' Johnny gleefully proclaims as a beautiful white solid of silver chloride materializes. And that's why, the legend goes, if you're not part of the solution, you're part of the precipitate.

Now you can get The Solution t-shirts from Think Geek, in either standard or babydoll styles.

Looking For Love? Try Science Connection

Are you a geek looking to find an equally geeky companion? You might try Science Connection.

Why are we here? The world is a crowded Petri dish, and yet for those of an intellectual bent who happen to be single, it's not easy, especially past university age, to find that certain microbe for a great symbiotic relationship. Enter Science Connection.

What kinds of people are members? Most members are from the United States and Canada, with small numbers from elsewhere. We have members in the physical, natural, medical and social/behavioral sciences, technology, computers/IT, and various non-sci/tech occupations, including law, teaching, business, music, and the arts. There are about equal numbers of men and women, and the age range is 20s-80s. Many members are into natural history (birding, etc.) and outdoor activities.

How does it work? Members have access to information on all members of the opposite sex or to members of the same sex, depending on which group they join. They then contact each other directly if they so choose. (Details ... )

Joining is easy It just involves filling out a form. Membership fees are very reasonable.

They have a decent success rate, so can it hurt to give them a try?

(via Bitesize Bio)

Anatomica Jewelry

If you like to wear your heart on your sleeve - or at least around your neck - Paraphernalia has the handmade jewelry for you. The Anatomica Collection has all the body parts you might desire, from hearts, to brains, to inner ears.

(via Neurophilosophy)

Weird Science Bag

If you like to broadcast your computer-love, you might want to check out the Kleome Weird Science bag. The ballistic nylon laptop bag is available from ebags.com.

Science Tattoos

Carl Zimmer has created a web site showing people's cool science-related tattoos. From the elegant simplicity of the fourier transform, to the quantum weirdness of Schroedinger's equation, to a marine biologist's jellyfish and novel biochemicals, science tattoos grace the arms, legs and backs of women who display their love of science with pride. 

Now, of course tattoos aren't for everybody. I don't think that I could pick out one design that I'd want to wear forever. For indecisive people like me there is tattoo printer paper, which works with both inkjet and laser printers, and last up to a week.

Image: "A trilobite from Lea, a graduate student in ecology."

Insect Lab

Insect Lab creates art at the intersection of science and science fiction. Creations include real insects customized with antique watch parts and mechanical components mounted for display. They aren't cheap - most cost $500-$1000 - but they are very beautiful.

Pictured: Euchroma Gigantea (Jewel Beetle) with brass gears and parts

Fractal Cookies

Evil Mad Scientist tells you how to make tasty mathematical treats: fractal cookies!

These cookies, made from contrasting colors of butter cookie dough, are a tasty realization of the Sierpinski carpet, producing lovely, edible fractals. As with our earlier project involving clay, you can make these by using a simple iterative algorithmic process of stretching out the dough and folding it over onto itself in a specific pattern.

I think I would go with a more interesting color combo than brown and beige, though.

DNA Portraits

DNA 11 sells the ultimate personalized work of art: a portrait created from your very own DNA. All you do is order a DNA collection kit, swab your cheek, then send the sample to DNA 11. They amplify specific DNA sequences, separate the fragments on a gel, then photograph the results. Fabulous!

(via Eye on DNA)

Tech Girl T-Shirt

The Smart Girls Rock Store has a cute pink "Tech Girl" logo that you can get printed on a t-shirt, hoodie, mug, or magnet.

Ethanol Champagne Glasses

These champagne glasses etched with a stylized ethanol molecule from molecularmuse would be perfect for a chemical wedding!

(These glasses frequently sell out, so check out Molecular Muse's glassware shop for additional items)

Marie Curie Liberty Quote Clock

Philosophy Shop has a wall clock honoring the great Marie Curie, who won both the Nobel Prize in physics and the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. In addition to her photo, it also quotes her:

 "All my life through, the new sights of Nature made me rejoice like a child. ...It was like a new world opened to me, ...which I was at last permitted to know in all liberty."

Geek Soap

Etsy seller Swan Mountain Soaps makes a "geek soap" that's perfect for the geek who wants to get simply wants to get clean. Oddly, it's listed under the soaps "For Men" - don't they know that geek girls want to get clean too*? From the description:

At Swan Mountain Soaps, we know the time eventually comes when every geek must drag themself away from their computer and bathe. So we made a soap as smart as you are. No detergents, no fillers, and no questionable chemicals. No fancy fragrances. As a matter of fact, this soap is so smart it doesn't have to be pretty. We know your skin is delicate and fragile from all those hours spent indoors, so we made you something that will get you clean and still moisturize and pamper your stratified squamous epithelium.

while (!clean()) { lather(); rinse(); }

* And they say that "Anakin Skywalker loves" it - so that means their target customer is a petulant wooden-sounding teenager? or people in mobile iron lungs?