7 last-minute gift ideas for the physicist in your life

account_circle By Eamon O'Flynn
Have you forgotten to get a gift for your favourite physicist or physics fan? We’ve got you covered.

Need a last-minute holiday gift for the theoretical physicist in your life?

Perimeter Institute has compiled list of stocking-stuffers any intrepid explorer of spacetime will love this holiday season.

1. A piece of chalk

The favoured tool of most theoretical physicists: a soft, white, porous sedimentary carbonate rock, primarily used to write on a harder piece of rock (also known as a “chalkboard”).
Price: Negligible

2. More than one piece of chalk

Have more than a few cents to spend? You might consider getting a box of chalk. Come on, splurge. A true physicist needs a lot of chalk. Perimeter Institute goes through 6,000 pieces of it every year!
Price: $10

3. A personal chalk slate

Imagine the convenience of your favourite researcher being able to prove a theorem in real time with a low-tech tablet ideal for a theoretical physicist on-the-go.
Price: $20

4. Coffee

Physics runs on coffee. Be an enabler – give the gift of awakeness.
Price: $2 per coffee (approx. $60 daily)

5. Star Trek DVDs

Physicists tend to love Star Trek. It’s a fact. You can help them re-live the magic of episodes like “The City on the Edge of Forever” or “Arena.” Just don’t mistake Star Wars for Star Trek – you’ll never hear the end of it.
Price: $45

6. A box for a cat

Price: The thought-experiment is free, the box is cheap, and the lessons learned about quantum superposition are priceless. Remember, this is a THOUGHT-experiment only. Cats are for cuddling.

7. A gigantic supercollider

Ok, so it’s a tad more expensive than the rest, and more difficult to put in a stocking, but what physicist wouldn’t like a particle smasher? Maybe you can work out a payment plan or something.
Price: $13 billion and up

Happy holidays from everyone at Perimeter Institute!

About PI

Perimeter Institute is the world’s largest research hub devoted to theoretical physics. The independent Institute was founded in 1999 to foster breakthroughs in the fundamental understanding of our universe, from the smallest particles to the entire cosmos. Research at Perimeter is motivated by the understanding that fundamental science advances human knowledge and catalyzes innovation, and that today’s theoretical physics is tomorrow’s technology. Located in the Region of Waterloo, the not-for-profit Institute is a unique public-private endeavour, including the Governments of Ontario and Canada, that enables cutting-edge research, trains the next generation of scientific pioneers, and shares the power of physics through award-winning educational outreach and public engagement. 

For more information, contact:
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