25+ Gifts for the Science Geek in Your Life
systemsbiology.org/news/2014/12/09/isb-scientists-on-what-to-buy-for-the-geek-in-your-life/
(Above image: lasers in a cell sorting instrument.)
BY ISBUSA
If you have a science buff/geek/future geek in your life, here are some gift ideas that our researchers at Institute for Systems Biology (ISB) have offered for your shopping pleasure. For kids, there are many options for “STEM toys” – i.e. toys geared toward science, technology, engineering and math. If you choose to purchase any of these items via Amazon.com, we would appreciate it if you purchase them through the AmazonSmile program, which donates 0.5% of the sale to ISB. We are a non-profit and, well, big science is expensive. Thank you for your support and happy gift giving!
BOOKS
The Science of Interstellar by Kip Thorne – A journey through the otherworldly science behind Christopher Nolan’s film, Interstellar, from executive producer and theoretical physicist Kip Thorne. 
Death By Black Hole And Other Cosmic Quandaries by Neil deGrasse-Tyson – Explores a myriad of cosmic topics from what it would be like to be inside a black hole to the movie industry’s efforts to get its night skies right.
The Forest Unseen: A Year’s Watch in Nature by David George Haskell – A grand tour of nature in all its profundity in a one-square-meter patch of old-growth Tennessee forest.
The Innovators: How a Group of Hackers, Geniuses, and Geeks Created the Digital Revolution by Walter Isaacson – A revealing story of the people who created the computer and the Internet.
Alan Turing: The Enigma (The Book That Inspired the Film ‘The Imitation Game’) by Andrew Hodges – Acclaimed biography of the founder of computer science, with a new preface by the author that addresses Turing’s royal pardon in 2013, and the definitive account of an extraordinary mind and life.
CIRCUITS
Circuit Scribe (as seen on Kickstarter) – You can draw your own circuits with this special pen and magnetic modules.
Elenco Snap Circuits SC-300 Physics Kit: Kids can build more than 60 snap-together parts to build their own circuit projects.
GASTROGEEK
Mr. Beer Premium Gold Edition Home Brewing Craft Beer-Making Kit for the beer geek in your life.
Sansaire Sous-Vide Immersion Circulator for those who want to try sous-vide cooking. Made by a Seattle company and as seen on Kickstarter.
Modernist Cuisine at Home by Nathan Myhrvold and Maxime Bilet is the cookbook for those interested in modernist techniques, including sous-vide and pressure cooking.
Chemist’s Cocktail Kit, which includes a flask decanter, graduated test tubes, and a stainless steel shaker for your cocktail needs.
JEWELRY & SUCH
Serotonin Necklace or Caffeine Molecule Necklaces for those who want to express themselves with accessories.
Science-themed fabric from test tubes and solar system to circuit boards and periodic tables; great for crafters.
LAB
Microscope for budding scientists. 
Magnifying glass for young children to explore their worlds.
Be Amazing Lab-in-a-Bag offer young children an introduction to different types of sciences.
The Magic School Bus science kits include engineering lab, chemistry lab, microscope lab and many others.
MEMBERSHIPS & SUBSCRIPTIONS
Pacific Science Center (Seattle), Woodland Park Zoo (Seattle), Point Defiance Zoo (Tacoma)
Science magazines such as Discover, Scientific American, Popular Science, Smithsonian, National Geographic; (for the professional) Science and AAAS membership
The Young Scientists Club membership deliver science kits to your door every month.
MAKER KITS
Make-Do kits are great for kids who love making things with cardboard boxes and other found objects.
3Doodler 3D Printing Pen for those who want to try 3D printing.
MICROBES
Giant microbes stuffies are a huge hit among scientists. You can also get Cross-stitch Microbe Kits.
TOYS
Strandbeest kit is a mini version of the artificial life Strandbeest by artist Theo Jansen.
LEGO Research Institute – Set includes paleontologist, astronomer and chemist mini figures, and scenes.
Magnetic Thinking Putty is like any other thinking putty except that it responds in interesting ways to magnets.
COOL MISCELLANY
Robot Book Ends for kids; powder-coated and laser-cut. 
Nervous System jewelry, lighting and housewares made by generative design and 3D printing.
Jelly Fish Tank and moon jellyfish kit.
Raspberry Pi Kit credit-card sized computer.
AquaFarm and fish tank.
Heroes of Science Ornaments are laser-cut on wood.
Newton’s Cradle is a classic device that demonstrates the laws of conservation of momentum and energy.
Related Articles
-
ISB’s Mónica Orellana, Nyasha Chambwe Honored With Inaugural Education Recognition Awards
At ISB, many of our scientists and STEM professionals give their time and expertise and make profound impacts on our educational programs. Two of our researchers — Dr. Mónica Orellana and Dr. Nyasha Chambwe — were honored with inaugural Education Recognition Awards for their devotion to providing quality STEM education.
Read More -
27 Gift Ideas for the Scientist in Your Life
Do you have a science geek on your holiday shopping list? Whether your scientist is young or old, professional or amateur, or serious or silly, we’ve collected a couple dozen gift ideas that will help you spread some cheer.
Read More -
Valerie Logan Luncheon Honors ‘Elevating K-12 STEM Education’
The seventh annual Valerie Logan Luncheon was held November 8, 2018, and celebrated the mission of the ISB Education team to engage entire school systems — from principals and administrators to teachers and students — to ensure all students are STEM literate. The theme of the event was “Elevating K-12 STEM Education.”
Read More
-
Dr. Kyle Kinoshita Accepts Valerie Logan Leadership in Science Education Award
Dr. Kyle Kinoshita was honored with the Valerie Logan Leadership in Science Education Award at ISB’s Valerie Logan Luncheon. This award is presented to community leaders who are committed to an educational practice grounded in research, who build educational networks, and who share ISB’s bold vision that all children should have the opportunity to learn science.
Read More -
Inspiring Teachers to Inspire Students
Featured image: ISB’s Dr. Martin Shelton, left, speaks to administrators from the Central Kitsap School District. ISB’s Logan Center for Education recently kicked off a five-year Principles of Science for Principals (P4P) project with the leadership from the Central Kitsap School District. While many programs and accompanying research have been employed to support science teachers in advancing their practice, there have been few programs designed to support principals and their…
Read More -
Advancing Sustainable Agriculture
ISB’s Project Feed 1010 is building a global, crowd-sourced network of educators, students, researchers and farmers to optimize and scale-up sustainable agriculture practices and educate the future scientific workforce. To support this global network, we have partnered with Northeastern University to develop database, web and mobile infrastructures with functionalities for data tracking, monitoring, analytics and predictive modeling. More than 20 graduate-level computer science students enrolled in an interactive course have…
Read More
-
ISB Q&A: Nina Arens and Pop-Up Science
Q: What is your role? A: I am a Research Associate for the Baliga Lab, where I perform genome-wide experiments that feed into the complex, predictive software tools that we create here. One project I work on investigates how microbial communities respond to stressful environmental changes over time. It is challenging research: my model organism—Desulfovibrio vulgaris—is hard to grow at the bench. Desulfovibrio is anaerobic; it likes to grow in…
Read More -
Logan Lunch Raises $88K for STEM Education, Teacher Development
*Editor’s note: After the final tally, the total raised was more than $92,000.* The 4th Annual Valerie Logan Luncheon took place on Nov. 4 and raised more than $88,000 to support ISB’s Logan Center for Education. The fundraiser showcases how the Logan Center continues to revolutionize science education by inspiring and engaging teachers and stakeholders to create learning environments that impact the pipeline of students from early grades through college….
Read More -
ISB Q&A: High School Science Teachers
From left to right: High school teachers Tami Caraballo and Jennifer Duncan-Taylor work with ISB’s Claudia Ludwig, Baliga Lab Education Program Manager, to learn about ocean acidification, cancer cells, and biofuel. Through the MJ Murdock Charitable Trust’s Partners in Science program, ISB has been able to host two high school science teachers in the Baliga Lab to participate in active research projects. The experience offers teachers valuable insight that textbooks…
Read More
-
The Women of ISB: Phyliss Lee, Software Engineer
Name: Phyliss Lee Lab: Shmulevich Research: I help create websites and pages for the Cancer Genomics Cloud Pilot Project. The tools that I’m building will not only help scientists gather petabytes of cancer genomic data faster, but will also help them run analyses and visualize the data graphically. What I’m building has the potential to reach millions of people. Working at ISB: What I like about being in science is…
Read More -
Gov. Inslee Hosts Round Table With College Students at ISB
Gov. Jay Inslee hosted a round table discussion today at Institute for Systems Biology with a group of invited college students, who were asked to share their thoughts on the affordability of education. We were honored to be able to provide the venue. ISB has had a long history of supporting systemic change at the K-12 school district level to improve the quality and access of STEM education. Now, our…
Read More -
Dr. Lee Hood Signs Code.org Support Letter for WA House Bill 1813
Local business, tech and education leaders – including ISB President Dr. Lee Hood – signed a letter of support for House Bill 1813. From the recent Geekwire.com article: “The letter, sent by Code.org and Washington STEM today to leadership in the state House of Representatives, calls on legislators to support passing and funding House Bill 1813, which establishes a grant program with a private match requirement to both train educators in,…
Read More
-
Baliga Lab: ‘The Universe Under a Microscope’
This is an excerpt from Environmental Microbiology Reports, 2015, authored by Arjun Raman, a postdoc in the Baliga Lab here at Institute for Systems Biology. The beauty of a living thing is not the atoms that go into it, but the way those atoms are put together. Information distilled over four billion years of biological evolution. Incidentally, all the organisms on the Earth are made essentially of that stuff. An…
Read More -
ISB Q&A: High School Intern Alex Kuo
Alex Kuo was a high school intern during summer 2014. She reflected on her ISB experience: Q: What were your first impressions of ISB? Alex: ISB is a pivotal force in Seattle’s scientific community, especially when it comes to collaboration across multiple disciplines. Given the magnitude and complexities of the research that’s done at ISB, it would seem unlikely that a high school student would be able to participate in…
Read More -
ISB’s Women in Oceanography
Photos above: (Left) Anne Thompson and (right) Mόnica Orellana as featured in “Women in Oceanography: A Decade Later.” BY ISBUSA Two of ISB’s senior research scientists are featured in the second edition of “Women in Oceanography.” Dr. Mόnica Orellana and Dr. Anne Thompson, both of the Baliga Lab, share their stories about what inspired their careers in oceanography and some of their thoughts about working in the field. The inaugural issue…
Read More
-
4 Minutes of Green Gold: Watch Algae Grow
There’s something calming about watching algae grow. What you see in the tubes are two types of algae: Thalassiosira pseudonana or “Thaps” is the brown diatom. Chlamydomonas reinhardtii or “Chlamy” is the green algae. We use Thaps to study ocean acidification and Chlamy is for studying biofuel production.
Read More -
Talking STEM Education with the Rev. Jesse Jackson
It’s a fine day when the Rev. Jesse Jackson is the surprise guest speaker – after Gov. Jay Inslee – at an event. Dana Riley Black, Director of ISB’s Logan Center for Education, had the opportunity to meet the Rev. Jesse Jackson after his speech during the Washington STEM Summit, which is an annual event to bring education, business and community leaders together for a statewide effort to advance excellence,…
Read More -
How One Family of Microbial Genes Rewires Itself for New Niches
3 Bullets: When an organism duplicates its genes, it increases its ability to adapt and colonize new environments. ISB researchers used the systems approach to study how one family of microbial genes evolved to bring functions that were adaptive to specific environments. This new understanding of how gene regulatory networks rewire themselves has many potential applications, including how to wire new functions into an organism for biofuel production, bio-remediation or…
Read More
-
PROJECT BIOTECH Summer Camp Report
Photo above: Students participating in PROJECT BIOTECH Summer Camp. Photo credit: Shoreline Community College By Dina Kovarik Project Manager, Baliga Lab The Shoreline Community College (SCC) Biotech Program and the Amgen Biotech Experience (ABE) program partnered with the Institute for Systems Biology (ISB) to develop a one‐week summer camp for high school students called PROJECT BIOTECH. The camp took place at SCC on July 7‐11, 2014. While the Puget Sound…
Read More -
A Comment About Gov. Inslee’s Announcement of $170,000 STEM Award
WHAT YOU SAW IN THE NEWS: On Aug. 14, Gov. Jay Inslee announced that the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices awarded Washington State a $170,000 grant to support the launch of the STEM Education Innovation Alliance, which is tasked with bringing together business leaders and educators in order to help more students acquire the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) skills they need to qualify for the increasing…
Read More -
New Open-Access Multiscale Model Captures Dynamic Molecular Processes in Unprecedented Detail
3 Bullets: Microbes are efficient because their streamlined genomes allow them to evolve and adapt rapidly to complex environmental changes. Decoding the highly-compressed information within a microbial genome requires sophisticated systems biology tools to map the genetic programs, and understand how they are executed. ISB researchers invented novel algorithms to unzip and decode microbial genomes into the EGRIN 2.0, an open-access multiscale model that captures instructions for executing the dynamic…
Read More
-
ISB’s 2013 Annual Report is Now Available
Institute for Systems Biology has a dizzying breadth of research projects. But when we talk about what we do, it’s how we do it that matters most. The systems approach that we pioneered and exemplify continues to distinguish our ability to tackle the most complex biological and environmental challenges today. Because of how we apply our hallmark collaborative, cross-disciplinary and integrative approach, our collective success is greater than the sum…
Read More -
Shifting the Education Paradigm
Photo above: Dr. Vineet Sangar, right, a postdoc in the Price Lab at ISB, explains proteomics technology to a group of community college faculty, who participated in a systems biology workshop in May 2014. By Dana Riley Black Director of Logan Center for Education Over the past two decades, systems biology has revolutionized traditional approaches to answering complex biological questions. The rapid advancement of computational power and the increased access…
Read More -
ISB’s K-12 STEM Education Work: Collaboration with Washington Alliance for Better Schools
(Photo: Bothell High School teacher Cynthia McIntyre (above left) and ISB’s Chris Plaisier (above right), a senior research scientist in the Baliga Lab, participated in Washington Alliance for Better Schools’ event “A Celebration of STEM” which took place MOHAI on May 6.) ISB’s K-12 STEM Education work On May 6, Washington Alliance for Better Schools held “A Celebration of STEM” at MOHAI to showcase projects that middle and high school…
Read More
-
ISB In the News: NIH, Viral Networks and Systems Biology
Emily Carlson and Sharon Reynolds, of the National Institutes of Health/NIGMS, posted a story on NIGMS's Inside Life Science as well as on Livescience.com on how systems biology is a powerful approach to studying biological networks. The article included comments from ISB scientist Aaron Brooks and senior research engineer Chris Lausted who created a network activity that they presented during the USA Science & Engineering Festival in Washington D.C. on…
Read More -
ISB at USA Science and Engineering Festival
ISB scientists Aaron Brooks (Baliga Lab) and Martin Shelton (Hood Lab) attended the USA Science & Engineering Festival in Washington D.C. on April 26-27. They, and ISB senior research engineer, Chris Lausted, developed an interactive network activity involving circuit boxes that represent nodes and fiber optic cables to connect them. The project and trip to D.C. were supported by funds through NIH/NIGMS and ISB’s Center for Systems Biology. From Brooks:…
Read More -
Free Systems Science Workshop for High School Teachers
FREE SUMMER SYSTEMS SCIENCE WORKSHOP AT ISB FOR TEACHERS: Registration for the summer systems science workshop for high school science, math and CTE teachers is now open. The workshop is hosted by Claudia Ludwig and Dina Kovarik, of the Baliga Lab at ISB, and takes place July 21-25. The focus is on how to implement systems science in the classroom. For more information about the workshop, please visit this site….
Read More
-
Systems Biology + Systems Art
(Photo above: Artist Xiao Dong Feng and Dr. Lee Hood raise a toast during a reception on April 28. Feng’s painting “Qing Xu” hangs in the background. The name is symbolic of someone who eschews earthly materialism and is instead a visionary who seeks a higher or more spiritual understanding.) On April 28, Institute for Systems Biology hosted an intimate symposium on Systems Biology & Systems Art in honor of…
Read More -
ISB Impacts Education System Nationally and Locally
National: At the beginning of April, Dana Riley Black, ISB’s Director of Education, was invited to participate in one of three Ideas Labs hosted by the National Science Foundation in Washington D.C. The weeklong lab was related to the new NSF program “Improving Undergraduate STEM Education” (IUSE) and was focused on discussing ideas for integrating quantitative literacy into undergraduate biology education. The reason for this particular topic is that while…
Read More -
Summer Course Registration Is Now Open!
Summer Course: Systems Biology of Disease Register Now Offered by Institute for Systems Biology and Center for Systems Biology Course Objective The goal of this course is to introduce the core concepts of systems biology and their application to systems biomedicine. We will demonstrate the importance of cross-disciplinary interactions for the success of systems biology programs. When July 28 – August 1, 2014 9 am to 5 pm Where Institute…
Read More
-
USA Science & Engineering Festival
Networks are everywhere – from communications and transportation to social and biological – but we take most of them for granted. Three ISB scientists (Chris Lausted, senior research engineer; Aaron Brooks, graduate student; and Martin Shelton, postdoc) and high school intern Sarah Williams are collaborating on a project for the USA Science & Engineering Festival on April 26-27 in Washington D.C. to demonstrate just how essential networks are. The team…
Read More -
USA Science & Engineering Festival
Networks are everywhere – from communications and transportation to social and biological – but we take most of them for granted. Three ISB scientists (Chris Lausted, senior research engineer; Aaron Brooks, graduate student; and Martin Shelton, postdoc) and high school intern Sarah Williams are collaborating on a project for the USA Science & Engineering Festival on April 26-27 in Washington D.C. to demonstrate just how essential networks are. The team…
Read More -
NOAA Ocean Acidification Webinar for Communicators & Educators
NOAA National Marine Sanctuaries and Ocean Acidification Program is holding a webinar series starting March 19 through June on the topic: "Sharing Ocean Acidification Resources for Communicators and Educators." ISB's Claudia Ludwig, the Education Program Manager in the Baliga Lab, will present: Ocean Acidification: A Systems Approach to a Global Problem When: Wed., April 23, 2014, 3 p.m. PST (6 p.m. EST) Primary Audience: Teachers, Formal Educators Project Website: http://baliga.systemsbiology.net/drupal/education/?q=content/ocean-acidification-systems-approach-global-problem…
Read More
-
NOAA Ocean Acidification Webinar for Communicators & Educators
NOAA National Marine Sanctuaries and Ocean Acidification Program is holding a webinar series starting March 19 through June on the topic: "Sharing Ocean Acidification Resources for Communicators and Educators." ISB's Claudia Ludwig, the Education Program Manager in the Baliga Lab, will present: Ocean Acidification: A Systems Approach to a Global Problem When: Wed., April 23, 2014, 3 p.m. PST (6 p.m. EST) Primary Audience: Teachers, Formal Educators Project Website: http://baliga.systemsbiology.net/drupal/education/?q=content/ocean-acidification-systems-approach-global-problem…
Read More -
Best Way to Get Kids to Like Science? Inspire Teachers
By Hillary Lauren Science teachers and principals from Schmitz Park and Arbor Heights Elementary Schools in West Seattle attended a day-long workshop co-hosted at the Institute for Systems Biology. During their visit to ISB, the educators were enthusiastic to collaborate, learn about new curriculum materials, and see first-hand what an innovative science research space looks like at ISB. “The day signified much more than these teachers learning about some instructional…
Read More -
Now Accepting ISB Internship Applications
ISB’s summer internships for high school and undergraduate students are highly competitive — who wouldn’t want to work leading experts in systems biology research? The application process is now open. If you or someone you know may be interested in applying, visit the following links: High School Internships Undergraduate Internships
Read More
-
Valerie Logan Luncheon Raises $50K for Science Education Programs at ISB
The Second Annual Valerie Logan Luncheon, which took place on Nov. 13, raised just over $50,000 (UPDATE: As of Dec. 18, 2013, the total funds raised has reached more than $60,000) for our education programs at Institute for Systems Biology. Guest speaker Julia Joo, who spent her summer as a high school intern here at ISB, shared with us the educational journey that led her to choose science as a…
Read More -
ISB Hosts 2nd Annual Valerie Logan Luncheon on Nov. 13
Photo above: Valerie Logan during the 2012 Valerie Logan Luncheon. To inspire students and imbue them with a love for science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), we must inspire their teachers. ISB has always held this philosophy and, at the 2nd Annual Valerie Logan Luncheon on Nov. 13, we will celebrate our vision for bringing quality STEM education to all students and also honor Dr. Meena Selvakumar as the recipient…
Read More -
WA State Adopts Next Generation Science Standards
PRESS RELEASE SEATTLE, Oct. 3, 2013 – After a two-year process, Washington State will officially adopt the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). It is the eighth state in the country to make the commitment. Institute for Systems Biology (ISB) has been one of the leaders in the process of developing the standards and preparing local school districts for the implementation of NGSS. “It is unusual for a nonprofit scientific research…
Read More
-
UW Students Get a Taste of Systems Biology
“It was very interesting to learn how all the different backgrounds, such as one person having majored in physics, computer science, or chemistry, can come together to achieve a goal. Also, how some have bachelors or postdoc degrees. I also learned more about how PDMS is used and how there are teams that create their own equipment for experiments and data.” – LSAMP Student This afternoon, a group of freshmen…
Read More -
Greater Good: Successful High School Interns
Every summer, ISB welcomes a group of high school interns, hosted through our Systems Education Experiences program. ISB is proud of its collaborative and cross-disciplinary culture and we work hard to nurture an environment that allows our staff to achieve at a high level. It was especially gratifying to get this comment from one of our interns, who had just completed her time here: “At ISB, I witnessed collaboration that…
Read More -
K-12 Science Education: MESA Math Scholars Visit ISB
Just as the Seattle tourist traffic picks up in the summer, the intern and visitor traffic at ISB spikes during July and August. It’s always inspiring to see the fresh faces of high school students in our halls. On Aug. 7, the MESA Math Scholars came to ISB to visit our labs and spend some time with a few of our scientists. MESA stands for Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement and…
Read More
-
ISB Recieves $1.8M Grant for Ocean Acidification Research
Congratulations to Dr. Mónica Orellana and Dr. Nitin Baliga on their new grant for $1.8 million from the National Science Foundation. The project title is “Ocean Acidification: A Systems Biology Approach to Characterize Diatom Response to Ocean Acidification and Climate Change.” Abstract from the proposal: Diatoms account for approximately 40 percent of primary production in the world’s oceans and are the most productive marine phytoplankton group. They form the basis…
Read More -
We Study Microbes Because It’s Good for Your Health
Here’s a piece adapted from Michael Pollan’s latest book “Cooked: A Natural History of Transformation” which discusses how processed foods and the modern diet have made us more obese and more likely to get sick. He makes a case for eating more fermented foods that haven’t been pasteurized – probiotics, live-culture foods – in order to get the good bacteria back in our guts. At ISB, the microbiome is an…
Read More -
ISB K-12 Science Education Team Helps ‘STEM’ School Develop Curriculum
Riverpoint Academy in Spokane has been working with ISB’s K-12 science education team to develop curriculum that falls under “STEM” – science, technology, engineering and math. Riverpoint describes itself as a STEM school that also teaches arts, humanities and entrepreneurship. Some educators and administrators from Riverpoint and the Mead School District, as well as other community leaders visited ISB on May 3 and 4 to participate in a workshop to…
Read More
-
Systems Biology and Systems Medicine Curriculum in Middle and High Schools?
By Dana Riley Black, Director of ISB’s Center for Inquiry Science Healthcare continues to be listed as a “high-demand” field, meaning there continue to be significant and projected employment opportunities in the field. A recent employment gap analysis by Washington State released on April 3 suggests a projected deficit of 472 healthcare jobs filled annually in the state (see: http://www.wtb.wa.gov/HighDemandFields.asp). As a result, many middle and high schools are turning…
Read More -
K-12 Education: Next Generation Science Standards
By Dana Riley Black, ISB Director for Center for Inquiry Science April 11, 2013 — Earlier this week the new national Next Generation Science Standards were released. (Here’s a New York Times report regarding the release.) While states are not required to adopt these new standards, 26 states, including Washington State, are seriously considering adoption. Similar to the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics and English Language Arts, the Next…
Read More -
ISB in Antarctica
There have been many stories in the news about research projects in Antarctica. Most projects are related to the climate and environment, or to how organisms survive in such extreme conditions. On Feb. 6, for example, the New York Times published a report about the Wissard (Whillans Ice Stream Subglacial Access Research Drilling) project, which involves looking for a microbial community in the lake located half a mile under the…
Read More