The 2024 Perimeter science nerd gift guide

Do you have a science enthusiast on your gift list this year? Don’t worry, we’ve put together our favourite games, books, and other delights that are sure to spark their curiosity.
 

BOOKWORM ESSENTIALS

Battle of The Big Bang: The New Tales of our Cosmic Origins – (available for pre-order)

You’ve heard of the big bang, the explosive origin to our universe. But what made the big bang? What’s the origin of the origin of our universe? Phil Harper and Perimeter researcher Niayesh Afshordi offer explanations based on interviews with scientists like Stephen Hawking, Roger Penrose, and more. If you have someone wondering about the original “chicken or the egg?” question of our universe, then this book is for them.

Our Moon: How Earth's Celestial Companion Transformed the Planet, Guided Evolution, and Made Us Who We Are

Earth's moon is one of the most impactful objects in the night sky, but this celestial companion still has mysteries to explore. Longlisted for the National Book Award, Our Moon tells the story of Earth’s own natural satellite and how it’s influenced everything from evolution to animal migration, human society, and more.

Alien Earths: Planet Hunting in the Cosmos

In 2000, we knew of about 50 exoplanets, planets outside our solar system. Today, we've discovered over 5,000 thanks to new techniques and observatories like the Kepler Space Telescope. Lisa Kaltenegger, Director of the Carl Sagan Institute to Search for Life in the Cosmos at Cornell, is at the forefront of this search. In Alien Earths, she looks at how we find new planets and discusses what they look like, how they behave, and what they mean for potentially discovering extraterrestrial life.
 

DESKTOP DELIGHTS

Tensegrity table

Get a little piece of physics magic with a tensegrity table, a table that looks like it’s floating. Short for “tensional integrity,” tensegrity refers to a system that counters gravity with compressed components under constant tension. While a large tensegrity table might be too much for the home office (and they tend to wobble a little bit), a small one is the perfect resting place for a cup of coffee.

The Hoverpen

Looking for the perfect writing tool for equations? Then check out the Hoverpen. This pen appears to be floating on your desk thanks to a magnetized ring structure. There are three Hoverpens to choose from, including the newest Hoverpen Future. They even have fountain pens for those who take their writing very seriously.

Floating plant pot

Science lovers with a green thumb will adore this levitating planter pot. Using the power of electromagnetism, the planter floats above its base and will even slowly rotate, the perfect hypnotic object for when your mind needs to wander.
 

BOARD GAMES

Earth

The award-winning Earth lets you build your own ecosystem using the plants, animals, and habitats that populate our pale blue dot. There are thousands of possible combinations to making your tableau ecosystem and the game gives you a whole new appreciation for the world around us. If you know someone who likes the game Wingspan, then they’re love Earth.

Players: 1-5. Playing time: 45-90 min. Age: 13+

Cat in the Box

We couldn’t resist a game involving a quantum cat! Cat in the Box is a trick-taking game like Euchre or hearts but with a quantum twist: a card’s colour isn’t declared until you play it. Fast paced and perfect for early teens and up, it’s easy to learn but offers lots of replayability.

Players: 2-5. Plating time: 20-40 min. Age: 13+

SETI: Search for Extraterrestrial Life – (available for pre-order)

Released this year, SETI puts you in charge of a scientific institution searching for traces of life beyond our solar system. The game draws inspiration from current and emerging technologies and efforts in space exploration. Explore nearby planets, collect valuable samples, and direct your telescopes to gaze into distant star systems, all to try and detect traces of alien signals and undiscovered exoplanets. This is the perfect game for anyone who loves a more complex and rewarding board game and is curious about alien life.

Players: 1-4. Playing time: 40-160 min. Age: 14+

Terraforming Mars

In Terraforming Mars, players compete as corporations initiating massive projects to transform Mars into a habitable environment. Play project cards, build cities, create green spaces, and race for milestones and awards. The winner will be the one who best helped turn the Red Planet green and advanced human infrastructure throughout the solar system.

Players: 1-5. Playing time: 120 min. Age: 12+
 

FOR YOUNG EXPLORERS

National Geographic Magnetic Marble Run Set

Kids and adults alike will love building their own marble track with this magnetic set. While most sets are freestanding, this one uses any magnetic surface instead (like your fridge). The result is a much more versatile track builder, letting young scientists learn about important fundamental concepts like gravity and inertia.

Celestron 70mm Portable Refractor Telescope

Any beginner astronomer will love this affordable and easy-to-use telescope. While most telescopes can be a significant investment, this is the perfect starting point for anyone starting to stargaze. Two eye pieces give you 20x and 40x magnification, letting you see objects like Jupiter’s largest moons, details of the Moon’s craters and maybe even the Andromeda galaxy. This telescope is easy to set up and tear down and comes with a download of an app to help you locate objects in real time. It’s the perfect gift to get before coming to our Galileo exhibit in February.

Botley 2.0 the Coding Robot

Botley is the perfect screen-free way to introduce kids to the wide world of coding. Kids use the supplied coding cards and remote to program Botley to move, light up, and more. There are even “secret” codes you can input to turn Botley into a ghost, train, and police car. Perfect for kids above five, Botley is a fun way to spark creativity and curiosity while teaching problem-solving and sequential thought.
 

OTHER CURIOSITIES

1927 Solvay Conference Poster

The Solvay Conference in 1927 was a venerable “who’s who” of physics at the time: Erwin Schrödinger, Albert Einstein, Marie Curie, Werner Heisenberg, and Niels Bohr were all in attendance, talking about the newly formulated quantum theory. If you have a physics enthusiast on your gift list, this poster likely has many of their heroes.

JWST mirror earrings

From the rings of Uranus to the farthest reaches of the observable universe, the James Webb Space Telescope has been capturing incredible images for over three years. A major reason for the scope and clarity of its images is its unique, 18-panel hexagonal mirror. Now, you can get that mirror as a pair of earrings, the perfect accessory to a love of physics and the cosmos.

The physics is theoretical but the fun is real mug

There’s so many physics and science-themed mugs out there but this one takes the cake here at Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics. It may just be our unofficial slogan!