I enjoy science, so naturally I enjoy the little scientifically based trinkets that demonstrate a scientific principle. In other words, they do something that can be done easier and more efficiently, but the trinkets do it in a creative way.
There’s the drinking bird that bobs as the liquid inside cools. There’s the Galileo thermometer with the different colored balls; which tell you the temperature. Then, of course, the radiometer – it looks like an old incandescent light bulb with four blades inside which spin wildly in sunlight – although there’s no way to harness the power. Finally, there’s the little frame with 5 balls hanging from it to demonstrate Newton’s Third Law – for every action, there’s an equal and opposite reaction.
Naturally, I’m fair game at certain stores.
I bought a “floating pen” that balances on its tip within a magnetic base.
I took it out of the box and told my wife that I used to have one of these and they are so cool.
I placed the magnetic base on the table in front of her, and set the pen into it.
Instead of standing up, it immediately fell over.
My wife laughed so hard, she almost fell over.
Hey, maybe this is one more way to demonstrate Newton’s Third Law!
sfnowak 