MATERIALS
In the past, glass manufacturers added uranium to glass for color. Uranium has since become more strictly regulated, but the old uranium glass objects are still floating around. Because of the uranium content, these marbles glow bright green under ultraviolet light. Size is around ⅞ – 1” diameter. Some dents and manufacturing imperfections can be expected. Slightly radioactive, but they're harmless. Makes... More info
Ferrofluid is an iron-based liquid that reacts in the presence of a magnetic field. Comprised of nano-scale magnetic particles suspended in a transparent liquid, ferrofluid aligns itself to a magnetic field, making it easy to visualize the field. With this amazing magnetic fluid, you can safely and easily play with it using the two included neodymium magnets. You can spike, toss, drop,... More info
Almost all cephalopods- the tentacled class of marine mollusks that include the octopus, squid, and cuttlefish- have the ability to eject dark ink from their body as a method of escaping predators. The melanin-based ink is stored in an ink sac until it is released to create a dark cloud in the water, giving the cephalopod time to flee from... More info
New magnetic GLUX putty with attractive properties! It’s infused with millions of magnetic particles. Includes a very powerful magnet to charge and demonstrate this putty’s unique powers. Recommended for Ages 14+Made in USAMore info
Helenite, also known as Mount St. Helens obsidian, emerald obsidianite, and ruby obsidianite, is an artificial glass made from the fused volcanic rock dust from Mount St. Helens and marketed as a gemstone. Helenite was first created accidentally after the eruption of Mount St. Helens in 1980. Workers from the Weyerhaeuser Timber Company were attempting to salvage equipment damaged after the... More info
This humidity indicator card is a useful tool to help protect sensitive items from exposure to too much moisture in the air. It works by taking advantage of the color-changing properties of the chemical cobalt dichloride (CoCl2). When dry, or anhydrous, the CoCl2 circles will appear bright blue. When exposed to moisture, they will gradually turn pink. • By cleverly... More info
A special bundle for space enthusiasts! This set includes 25mL glass vials of 3 of our most popular simulants: AerogelMartian SimulantLunar Simulant All used by NASA for critical space missions. Includes info card about each material.More info
This black powder is carbon black, a form of pure carbon (C) and the reason many rubber objects are black. Tires, shoe soles, and practically all rubber products where tensile and abrasion wear properties are important, are reinforced with carbon black. It is also a common pigment for black ink. Carbon black is one of the oldest pigments and was... More info
Germ powder is not made of germs. It is used to simulate germs to test cleaning habits. Since it fluoresces under ultraviolet light, you can see how much is left behind after cleaning. Sprinkle a small amount in the palm of you hand or on a surface to be cleaned. Wash as you normally would. Test with ultraviolet light to... More info
This 1.5" yellow label is a temperature-sensitive indicator that appears blank when cold, but reveals the word “Hot” and a warning graphic when the surface to which the label is adhered exceeds 50 °C (122 °F). The graphic contains a non-toxic mixture of liquid crystal esters that react to the heat and change colors. The chemical reaction is reversible. Once... More info
Zirconium is an element with valuable properties. Don’t dismiss this element as “cheap” due to the commercial popularity of cubic zirconia (ZrO2). Pure Zr is a metal and one of the most heat and corrosion resistant elements. Due to these properties, zirconium is used in nuclear reactors as the cladding that separates the fission fuel from the coolant. Zirconium metal usually contains... More info
These two black, rubber balls look and feel very similar. But they are made out of materials that behave very differently. Drop them on the floor and one will bounce (the "happy" ball) and one will not ( the "sad" ball). This is due to the difference in hysteresis. The happy ball is made from polychloroprene (Neoprene) and the sad... More info
If you look closely, you can see the slight curves on the acrylic surface of this lens. They may not look like much, but they have been precisely arranged to bend the light passing through the lens to form the image projection. This is not a hologram, but a form of projection that uses the physics of how light behaves when passing... More info
