Now you can have a good, strong hook without drilling any holes. This plated magnetic hook sticks to any ferrous metal surface via a 2" dia alnico magnet with a 10-12 pound pull. Handy gadget to hold a tool, towel, broom or key ring (and if the ring is too heavy, consider throwing away the keys to your 1983 Chevy, and maybe a few more). The 3/4" long J-hooks have threaded ends and are removable. Our each is a package of (2).

Or singing suppositories. The pair is very magnetic, whatever they are. The 1-3/4" long prolate spheroids look like highly polished black hematites. Hold them an inch apart in your palm, toss 'em into the air and listen to them make a sound like the cyber-crickets. Or an electrocuted chicken. The manufacturer suggests keeping these mega-magnets away from computers, pacemakers, TV sets and credit cards.

Rare earth magnets are usually killers for their size, and these thick nickel neodymium discs are no exception. The price, on the other hand, for (3) 7/16" dia x 1/4" 5-lb lift or (2) 15/32” dia x 3/16” 8-lb lift magnets each stored on a 2" dia steel disc, is a rare exception.

And this one will grab back. Our each is a pack of (6) shiny nickel-plated neodymium magnets that each measure 1/2” dia x 1/8” thick, and have a 2-lb pull.

This plated N52 14,200 gauss neodymium magnet is shaped like a miniature silver ingot, measuring 1-1/2" long x 1/2" wide x 1/8" thick. Has a big hangonability quotient, which the manufacturer claims is 15 lbs of pull, meaning it's probably closer to 13 lbs. Impressive either way for such a cute little magnet. 

We're liking this little plated N45 neodymium magnet because it will stand on end and stick out very prettily on the ice box. Measures 1" tall x 1/4" square with a hefty, for its size, 3-1/2 lb pull, 13,800 gauss. (Will also lie down on its side, of course, because everybody does.)

These are very nice 48-page, 5” x 7” cardboard-bound notebooks with themes and some unobtrusive notes/formats that will be easy to ignore if you’re not a Starship captain, artist or astronomer. You pick: the United Federation Captain’s log has a date/location entry on each lined page and fold-out info on the back cover, like a warp-speed conversion table; the Artist’s notebook has unlined ecru pages with an assortment of frame styles as borders and fold-out shading, perspective and composition info on the back cover; the Stargazer’s notebook has 1/4” rules plus a lightly printed 3-1/4” dia circle with 30-degree markings to chart the sky, plus a fold-out back cover with an astrolabe and constellation chart.

This whimsical pack of (30) postcards measures, unsurprisingly, post-card size 5-3/4" x 3-15/16", with non-duplicating images of gravy and bacon, Nikola Tesla, narwhals, spontaneous human combustion, boxing kangaroos, infinity and taxidermy, among many others of that ilk. Those ilks. Whatever--just buy 'em and stop asking so many questions. Blurbs on the back.

Voted most likely to attract by the judges, this magnet has the relative strength of 10 men. A shiny silver 1/2" cube of neodymium magnetism, it packs approx a 15-lb pull. If our boss Pat were that strong he could lift 2,160 lbs! Besides its superpower strength, this beautiful cube also would improve the looks of your fridge or bulletin board to no end.

If you're devoted to explosions, and who isn't, you'll love the new expanded 2nd edition of William Gurstelle's Backyard Ballistics, now 25% longer, with 25% more ka-boomery. Still the go-to reference work for building rockets, cannons (carbide and potato), flingers, fire kites, electromagnetic pipe guns, tennis ball mortars, cleaner-bag balloons, ballistic pendula and petards. You simply can't have more fun with common household materials. The soft-cover, 210pp compendium includes detailed and illustrated instructions, parts lists and sensible ways not to be hoist on your own petard. Be careful out there.

Call them the Founding Replicas and display them in the classroom, whether at home or in school. The U.S. Constitution is 18-1/2" x 12-1/2" and the Bill of Rights is 15-5/8" x 13-5/8", both on realistic "antiqued vellum." These are nice replicas, but much reduced in size, the Constitution in particular will require magnification for reading. Our each includes both documents.

Add a door/drawer pull to any ferrous surface with this 1" dia x 1/4" thick neodymium disc in a polished sleeve with a 3/16" dia hole in a stand-off. Comes with a 1" slip-ring attached, and hangs on for 22 lbs worth. Plenty handy for hanging stuff from other stuff, too.

50 Science Things to Make and Do is just that, a passel of experiments, all illustratively explained in two facing pages of this big 104-page flip book, and all easily done with common household items. Includes wind and water power, bugs, crystals, paper planes, rubber-band guitars, balances, gloop, optics and a ton of other fun, informative stuff. Officially classified as "cool" by several of our geekiest staffers.

What we have here are 96-sheet, white genuine Post-It note pads, 4” wide x just shy of 3” tall with adhesive strips on the top edge. Plus, for mysterious reasons, the samples we received have letters or names (mostly girl names) strung across the top margin in pink, blue or green. Just ignore them and play a little Post-It note roulette. We'll stick our hand in the over-sized box and pull out 10. That’s why they call it surplus and that is why genuine Post-It notes are this cheap.

We just learned that. You’d think we’d have known. Now we do. They’re sort of like round dreidels, with a hollowed-out middle around the stem, which causes them to turn themselves upside down while they’re spinning. Great lesson in center-of-mass instruction for physics teachers. Includes an explanatory booklet with activities and discussion topics. You’ll get (3) wooden tops at 7/8”, 1-1/4” and 1-1/2” dia.

The 5/32” bore in the center of this small plated neodymium magnet just makes it easier to mount. Measures 3/4" dia x 1/4" thick with a pull of approx 7 lbs. Works great with #6 or #8 flat head screws.

Start them out right with this (profusely) hand-illustrated, 96-page book: The Story of Inventions. Includes toasters, toilets, television, computers, cars, chocolate bars, dishwashers, pianos, flying machines, bicycles and blue jeans among many others. Includes a timeline, glossary and index. No age recommendations, but we like it for pretty much anyone.

Classroom and Science Fair alert: Now you can order an 8-pack of metals and metal alloys for demonstration purposes. Each pack of 1" dia x 1/32" thick discs includes aluminum, bronze, brass, copper, n/silver (w/nickel), m/steel (mild: low carbon), stainless steel, and zinc. Composition of each is stamped on one side of the discs.