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1 Colour-changing lightbulbs

£19.99,

These AuraGlow remote-controlled bulbs turn any room into a disco at the touch of a button.

2 Periodic table cufflinks

$18, ShopGibberish on

You’ll be in your element with these chemical cufflinks.

3 Giant microbes

$8.95 each,

Brain cells and antibiotics have never been so snuggly.

4 Subatomic particle plush toys

$10.49 each,

Grinning quarks and sly neutrinos put the personality in particles.

5 Serotonin necklace

$90,

This neurotransmitter necklace is sure to make you feel good.

6 Salt & pepper ‘bots

£12,

Get compliments on your condiments with these playful shakers. Wind them up and they toddle across the table.

7 AppBlaster

£19.99,

Add your smartphone and you can zap aliens as they attack your friends’ heads.

8 Lab cookie cutters

$19.99,

If you break a beaker made with these, you can eat the mess!

9 The math clock – professional edition

$30,

Some of the equations on this superclock had even our staff geeks scratching their heads – for a couple of minutes.

10 Thermodynamic hand boiler

£5.99,

Hold this in your hot little hand and watch how the change in gas pressure makes the red ethanol rise. It hasn’t gotten old yet.

11 Molecular gastronomy kit

$58.95,

With ingredients and gear that would fit happily in a lab, this kit comes with recipes to get you cooking with chemicals.

12 Dr Cool Bag/Hot Bag

£7.50,

For the more accident-prone people on your list.