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Eight Gifts under $40 for STEM Nerds

December 12, 2018

As the holidays approach, you’re probably panicking about finding the perfect gift to get your nerdy friends in STEM while sticking to a college budget. Look no further; I have compiled a list of the best science gifts under $35 available on Amazon Prime.

  1. Storm Glass $19.99
    • For who? Atmospheric Scientists and Weather Enthusiasts
    • What is it? This water droplet-shaped storm glass will captivate any weather enthusiast. While it may not be nearly as accurate as a real barometer, this gift will be a perfect addition to any room. As the temperature and pressure changes, the liquid inside the glass will change, sometimes forming intricate crystal shapes.
    • How does it work? Storm glasses typically contain water, ethanol, ammonium chloride, potassium nitrate, and camphor. The formations created inside the storm glass change based mostly on temperature and to some extent, pressure. Vice-Admiral Robert FitzRoy, a 19th century meteorologist, created a chart that predicted the weather based on the state of the liquid inside the glass. Clear liquid meant clear skies, cloudy liquid with small stars meant thunderstorms, and crystals at the bottom of the glass meant frost. This device was and still is not accurate in predicting the weather, but it is an interesting piece of the history of meteorology.
  2. USB Digital Microscope $21.99
    • For who? Biologists and Chemists
    • What is it? This digital microscope can be connected to your computer or Android phone and magnify small objects with incredible detail. It is perfect for any aspiring biologist or chemist who wants to view anything from the structure of salt crystals to ­­­­individual plant fibers for less than $20.
    • How does it work? A digital microscope is essentially an optical microscope with an attached digital camera. These commercially available USB microscopes magnify using a macro lens. Macro photography refers to when the size of the object being photographed is life size (or bigger) on the image sensor of the camera. The image from the camera is transmitted to your computer or phone through a USB cable and is able to be viewed in real time.
  3. Low Temperature Stirling Engine $33.99
    • For who? Engineers
    • What is it? Place this Stirling engine on top of a cup of hot water or even ice and watch the wheel turn. It is a great trinket to keep on your desk for when you make your daily cup of coffee, tea, or hot chocolate.
    • How does it work? Stirling engines are driven by a temperature difference. When placed on top of a very hot or very cold substance, the temperature difference between the substance and the surrounding air allows the engine to run. A Stirling engine has two cylinders that are connected to each other containing gases; one is heated and one is cooled. When heat is added to the cylinder, the pressure of the gas increases and forces the piston to move down; this forces the other piston to move up. Gas from the heated cylinder moves to the cooled cylinder, which cools the gas and decreases its pressure. The pistons alternate moving up and down and the Stirling cycle repeats.
  4. Crystal Growing Experiment $17.98
    • For who? Chemists and Geologists
    • What is it? This kit contains everything you need to grow and display seven beautiful crystals that will reach full size in under two weeks.
    • How does it work? Crystals have structures known as lattices that give them their unique shape. Most crystal growing kits come with a solution that contains seed crystal, which makes it easy for crystal to continue to grow until it reaches full size. Molecules in the solution are able to easily interact with the seed crystal and other molecules and form crystal lattices. This is also known as nucleation.
  5. 5 in 1 Engineer Ballpoint Pen $15.95
    • For who? Engineers
    • What is it? This ballpoint pen includes five functions every engineer needs: a ruler, a level, a flat head screwdriver, a touchscreen stylus, and of course, a pen. This all-in-one gift is a useful tool your friends will use on a daily basis.
    • How does it work? The touchscreen stylus is attached at the top of the pen and can be unscrewed to reveal the flat head screwdriver. The ruler is engraved on the side of the pen, and the level is visible on the side of the pen as well. The ink can easily be replaced, so this gift will be long-lasting.
  6. Analog Weather Station with Galileo Thermometer $39.95
    • For who? Atmospheric Scientists and Weather Enthusiasts
    • What is it? This all-in-one weather station has a Galileo thermometer, an analog clock, a hygrometer, and a storm glass. This is a great gift for those who like to keep up with the weather and maybe even practice their own forecasting.
    • How does it work? The Galileo thermometer is a very interesting way to determine temperature and was named after Galileo because he discovered that the density of a liquid changes proportionally with temperature. It consists of multiple glass orbs with different densities inside a cylinder filled with clear liquid. As the temperature changes, the orbs move to their respective positions based on their density. This specific thermometer is not very accurate, however, as the orbs correspond only to 4 degree increments from 64-80 degrees Fahrenheit.
  7. Floating Globe $25.99
    • For who? Physicists
    • What is it? This seemingly gravity-defying device is perfect for the physicists in your life. A black globe levitates while lit by colorful LEDs and will even rotate with just the push of your finger.
    • How does it work? This globe floats with the help of electromagnetism. The C-shaped device surrounding the globe contains an electromagnet at the top, and the globe contains a magnet inside. The force that the electromagnet exerts on the globe equals the force of gravity when the globe is floating.
  8. Math Cutting Board $26.99
    • For who? Mathematicians
    • What is it? This 9×12 inch bamboo cutting board is the ideal gift for anyone who wants to slice fruits and vegetables with the precision of 1/8 of an inch. The lines are burnished into the wood and include guides for the different types of culinary knife cuts.
    • How does it work? Simply follow the guide lines for your desired cut, use the grid, or follow the angles on the cutting board.

Sources

DeRose, James, & Georg. (2015, May 27). What You Always Wanted to Know About Digital Microscopy, but Never Got Around to Asking. Retrieved December 2, 2018, from https://www.leica-microsystems.com/science-lab/what-you-always-wanted-to-know-about-digital-microscopy-but-never-got-around-to-asking/

Floating Globe. (n.d.). Retrieved December 2, 2018, from https://wonders.physics.wisc.edu/floating-globe/

Galileo thermometer. (2018, July 05). Retrieved December 2, 2018, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galileo_thermometer

Macro photography. (2018, October 13). Retrieved December 5, 2018, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macro_photography

Nice, K. (2001, May 04). How Stirling Engines Work. Retrieved December 2, 2018, from https://auto.howstuffworks.com/stirling-engine.htm

Optical microscope. (2018, November 25). Retrieved December 2, 2018, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optical_microscope#Digital_microscope

Seed crystal. (2018, September 06). Retrieved December 2, 2018, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seed_crystal

Storm glass. (2018, June 02). Retrieved December 2, 2018, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Storm_glass

What is a Storm Glass?  Do Storm Glasses Really Work to Predict the Weather? . (n.d.). Retrieved December 2, 2018, from https://wxobservation.com/do-storm-glasses-really-work/

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About Author

Lauren Anderson is a second year Earth and Atmospheric Sciences major focusing on meteorology at Georgia Tech. She enjoys keeping up with extreme weather events and spoiling her cats Gary and Blueberry.

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  Timothy Durham was convicted of rape when a test showed his DNA genotype matched the DNA recovered from the crime scene. Eye witnesses testified that Durham was in a different state at the time of the incident, but he wasn’t exonerated from his 3000 year sentence until follow up DNA analysis showed that the preliminary forensic analysis used in the trial was misinterpreted (Thomas et al.). DNA testing serves an invaluable part in our criminal justice system, but it comes with complications and bias that can lead to wrongful convictions and misinformed juries.  

Background:

Forensic genetics aims to identify the origin of a biological sample. It can be traced back to Karl Landsteiner who discovered human ABO blood groups. With blood groups, suspects could be eliminated based on their blood type. For example, if a suspect had type A blood and there was type B blood left at the scene by the perpetrator, the investigators could rule out the suspect. Unfortunately, the reverse didn’t work. If the suspect and perpetrator both had the same blood type, it can’t be concluded that the suspect was guilty. Blood identifiers evolved into 8 distinct categories which improved the ability to eliminate suspects, but could only conclude that (if the system matched) it might be the perpetrator or this person might be related to the perpetrator (Jobling and Gill). The field evolved in the 1980s with the discovery of Minisatellites, lines of repetitive DNA that don’t encode proteins. Minisatellite patterns in DNA create what we know today as the DNA fingerprint, and it has a much higher accuracy rate than previous methods (Augustyn et al.). Around the same time, a breakthrough for victims of sexual assault was discovered. In the case of assault, bodily fluids of both the victim and the assaulter can get mixed. A process called differential lysis was created which could selectively increase the concentration of sperm in a fluid sample thereby allowing for accurate DNA testing (Jobling and Gill). Forensics evolved to use single-locus probe testing after several years because of its ease of interpretation. It looked at specific minisatellites that had high variability between subjects. This was the first DNA-based method to be used in a criminal investigation. Two murder homicides from several years apart were connected using DNA evidence. The evidence was then used to exonerate an innocent man, and the guilty party was found when he tried to evade mandatory DNA testing for all men in the small town. His guilt was then reinforced when the DNA profiles matched, and he gave a confession (Jobling and Gill). Finding DNA at a crime scene doesn’t guarantee that you’ll find a murderer. There are issues with non-pure samples and limited samples that make DNA work difficult, and accreditation of facilities and new techniques and take time (Jobling and Gill).  

Subjectivity of DNA Interpretation:

In a 2009 publication, the National Academy of Science discusses the possibility for subjective influence in lab based forensics. The interpretation bias happens in complex cases where, for example, there could be a mixture of DNA. A study published in 2011 looked specifically at this issue. A gang rape happened in Georgia, and the mixture in DNA from the case was used to prosecute one suspect after another suspect took a plea bargain to testify against him. With DNA mixtures, there are three possible conclusions: suspect excluded, suspect cannot be excluded, and inconclusive. If the suspect is excluded, it means that there’s little to no possibility that his DNA is part of the sample. If the suspect cannot be excluded, it means that there’s a possibility that his DNA is part of the sample. In the trial, the DNA examiners who knew the context of the case concluded that the suspect being prosecuted could not be excluded. The 2011 study gave the DNA evidence from this case and the DNA profiles of the suspects to 17 forensic examiners. These examiners had no context of the case, and they all worked independently. Of the 17, only 1 came to the same conclusion (suspect cannot be excluded) as the examiners who knew the context of the case. Twelve of the 17 concluded that the suspect who was prosecuted and convicted had no relation to the DNA found in the sample. Not only does this show that subjectivity occurs due to the context of the case, but the 17 examiners came up with different findings based on their past experiences meaning that not all DNA analysis is objective. Some organizations like the Scientific Working Group on DNA Analysis Methods say that quantitative statistical evidence should be presented with every categorical conclusion, but the US doesn’t require this (Dror and Hampikian).

False Positives:

There are two categories that cause wrongful identification in a DNA report: coincidental matches and false positives. Coincidental matches are DNA matches between two unrelated people. The probability of these matches is about 1 to 500,000 for white individuals and about 1 to 350,000 for black individuals. This small probability of coincidental matches makes people feel confident in DNA evidence. False positives, on the other hand, are matches between DNA and test DNA that result from issues in the forensics lab. There have been multiple cases of forensics labs accidentally switching victim and suspected rapist DNA which lead to convictions that were later overturned when the lab realized the error. There are also cases of misreading or misunderstanding a sample. In a case from 1993, a man was convicted of rape because someone interpreted a mixed sample of victim and perpetrator DNA as an individual sample. The conviction was again overturned. To prevent false convictions, retesting DNA is allowed, but it’s not an efficient solution. Many people are pushing for statistical information on the probability of false positives, so that the jurors can make accurate judgements based on DNA evidence (Thomas et al.).  

Conclusion:

DNA analysis is a useful tool for the criminal justice system, but subjectivity can be an issue in forensic testing. To combat wrongful convictions, there are organizations like The Innocence Project who use DNA testing to free the innocent, but reformed forensic testing standards should be put in place to prevent subjectivity and to ensure juries are correctly informed during trials. https://www.innocenceproject.org/    

Citation:

Augustyn , Adam, et al. “DNA Finerprinting.” Encyclopedia Britannica , 26 Apr. 2018, www.britannica.com/science/DNA-fingerprinting#ref153186. Dror, Itiel E., and Greg Hampikian. “Subjectivity and Bias in Forensic DNA Mixture Interpretation.” Science & Justice, vol. 51, no. 4, 2011, pp. 204–208., doi:10.1016/j.scijus.2011.08.004. Jobling, Mark A., and Peter Gill. “Encoded Evidence: DNA in Forensic Analysis.” Nature Reviews: Genetics, vol. 5, no. 10, Oct. 2004, pp. 739–751., doi:10.1038/nrg1455. Thompson, William C, et al. “How the Probability of a False Positive Affects the Value of DNA Evidence.” Journal of Forensic Sciences, vol. 48, no. 1, Jan. 2003, pp. 1–8., doi:10.1520/jfs2001171.