FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, PLEASE:

Media Contact: Susan Chicoine

619-685-5743 / 619-325-9416

schicoine@rhfleet.org

 

Get a Jump on Your Holiday Shopping at North Star Science Store!

 

We asked Senior Retail Manager Dave Miller & His Amazing Sales Associate Elves

What the Top Sellers in Science Geekitude Are – Then Added a Bunch of Staff Picks!

 

We Can Bring An Assortment in Studio, and Have Pix Available Of Each One––Call Susan!

 

December 11, 2012; San Diego––The North Star Science Store at the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center is a local secret for holiday shoppers who are looking for amazing, fun––and sometimes even secretly educational––gifts for all ages.  The Fleet is open 365 days a year, so for procrastinators looking for that last-minute really cool gift – we’ve got it! We’re even open on Christmas––but not til 11:30AM.

 

In order to cover all kinds of holiday gifting choices, we asked Senior Retail Manager Dave Miller & his amazing sales associate elves what the top sellers in science geekitude are – then added a bunch of staff picks!

 

The top-selling winners are:

Hoberman Sphere––A classic and a favorite of kids and adults everywhere. The sphere expands from 9" to 30" with a magical motion motion using a combination of geometry, engineering, and beauty that amazes everyone that sees it. Everyone in the house should have their own, because nobody will want to share. It can be thrown, bounced, kicked, spun, rolled or suspended as a cool, kinetic mobile from the ceiling. This amazing toy is a tool for teaching and an object of art both educational and fun. Age 4+. $19.99

 

Nebula Balls––If you are looking for a cool lightshow for parties or an educational demonstration, these plasma balls blow people's minds. There is something to be said about our fixation with electricity. If Tesla wasn't so obsessed with his inventions, we wouldn't even be using electricity right now! The inert gasses inside the blown glass ball creates plasma when charged. However, one does not truly understand its beauty until you have seen it for yourself.  Two sizes available. $21.99 and $49.99

 

Ultimate Geek Pen   Five awesome tools, and yes, it does write too! The best tool for writing in the dark;  UV light, red laser pointer, bright white LED too!  This high tech gadget has enough bells and whistles to make most geeks drool. Twist the shaft one way and you get a ballpoint pen,  the other for a stylus tip for PDAs and games. The top button turns on the laser pointer, the bottom button cycles through the flashlight and UV light; it even has a flexible rod for precision aiming! $14.99

 

Medusa Jellyfish Lamp   You will feast on the beautiful eco-jellyfish scene. And you can take from the jellyfish tank: colorful jellyfish are relaxing and swimming leisurely! And it has a four hour cut off switch, perfect for a child’s night light! Lifelike jellyfish movement. With 3 small jellyfish. Multi-color changing light effects.  Two sizes available. $24.95 and $49.99

 

The store staff makes these popular suggestions:

 

Geek Guide To World Domination––from the massive mind of an alpha-geek comes hacks, puzzles, and fantastically useless facts no self-respecting geek can possibly live a second longer without. Some of the delights you'll peruse: Five Thought Experiments You Can Do Without Getting Out of Bed, World Leaders Who Also Happen to Be Hot, Spam Haiku, Futurama Quotes, and How to Ask Where the Bathroom is in Twelve Different Languages. $13.95

 

In "The Origin of Species," Charles Darwin presented evidence that species evolve over time to fit their environment better. Do the Darwin Awards really represent examples of human evolution in action? How much have we developed? Discover The Darwin Awards Evolution In Action: the dark humor, engaging stories, and mordant social commentary from one of the most popular humor websites, now available in a series of books. Do not miss it! $14.00

 

Astronaut Ice Cream...  There is no place like space to enjoy a delicious ice cream. Super Yummy! Find the great tasting freeze dried snack that Astronauts eat and love; add all your favorite flavors and enjoy! Originally developed for the early Apollo Space missions, it’s frozen to -40 degrees, vacuum dried and placed in a special foil pouch. $3.99

 

T3 Transforming Solar Robots... Science fiction buffs, child or adult, can mentally transform themselves into stalwart galactic knights (dedicated to the struggle between “Good versus Evil”) with this award-winning 70-piece T3 Transforming Solar Robot kit. Animated by solar energy, the Robot changes into three intergalactic designs. $24.99

 

Larvaes and Crickets... Fixated with insects? Try these. Larvaes and crickets are full of protein and calcium; eaten fried, sauteed, boiled, and roasted, these are common snack insects eaten in Mexico, Thailand, and Cambodia. $3.99

 

An assortment of gifts tied to exhibits and Giant Dome Theatre shows in-house include:

Lords of Time Maya Calendar  $15.95; Make Your Own Chocolate Kit $14.95; Book of Doom $20.00

Arctic & Antarctic $16.99; Polar Bear $15.99

Magic Solar Butterfly $12.95

Leonardo Journal of Inventions $24.95; Robotikit Super Solar Racing Car $12.99

 

Kid favorites––and perfect stocking stuffers––include

Pet Tornado $5.95; Eggling Wild Strawberry $10.99; Penguin Egg $3.99; Gak Floam Glux Goo; Amoeba $9.95; Red Blood Cell $9.95; Hand Boiler $6.95; Bug Eye $4.99; Spaceman Magnifier $5.99; Mars Mud $3.99; Blow-up Earth Ball $16.49 or a Scorpion Sucker $4.99.

 

There are so many choices for science-y t-shirts, my faves are “Science is awesome” T-shirt $14.99/kids, $19.99/adults and Einstein Simplified T-shirt $14.99/kids, $19.99/adults

 

From the rest of the staff:

Kris loves the Airzooka––her brother and brother-in-law both get a huge kick out of blasting balls of air across the room at various targets.  If you’re stumped looking for a gift for a male in their 20’s, this might be the gift for you! 

 

Kim covets, but will gift for now, several beauties from the new Steampunk jewelry line to her most deserving friends. The ladies of the Fleet want them for themselves - maybe others should get the cool Steampunk books instead!

 

For all of the (many) lovable nerds in Wendy’s life, the Ultimate Geek Pen makes a great gift. A laser pointer *and* a stylus? A flashlight *and* a UV light? Oh, and a pen, too! It addresses five nerdy needs in one awesome present.

 

Julie finds the North Star Science Store to be one stop shopping for stocking stuffer items!  For boys & girls the choices are endless.  I picked cool pencils, key chains, (I liked the Star Wars ones the best) and toy dinosaurs!

 

Susan’s three little nephews go crazy with the power drill and bright plastic parts of the Builderific construction set. They can make cool things together or alone, and even put the pieces away for the next project!

 

Cheri gives the great metal stocking suffers by Kikkerland - wind it up, pull the string, create your own song on a music box. Lots of fun!

 

Do you have those friends or relatives who are fanatics and are crazily obsessed with a franchise? Well so does Tamra who bought a Star Wars keychain for a friend who is just absolutely nuts for Star Wars!

 

A gift for someone he just absolutely loves, Ron bought his goddaughter a butterfly shirt. Not only does it have one of the most beautiful insect on it, but it also changes colors in the sun!

 

Don’t know what present to get for kids? Look no further! Buy them glow-in-the-dark shirts! Jack bought some with Albert Einstein and a black hole on them for his friends’ kids.

 

We are the top choice when it comes to those nerdy siblings or science majors! Amanda’s sister is both nerdy AND a biology major which is why she bought her the amazing Space Age crystals and the oh-so-cute Giant Plush microbes.

 

Looking for something fun and out of the ordinary, Julie bought her husband a glow-in-the-dark Albert Einstein t-shirt! But it doesn’t end there! She plans on buying her daughter the new Steampunk Octopus necklace.

 

Leigh was able to find something for friends and family ––the Wiggly Giggly to keep her friend’s baby entertained, Flowers in a Can for her green-thumbed sister, and for her sister’s fisherman boyfriend a very realistic shark keychain.

 

Want something savory and one-of-a-kind to fill up those stockings? Here’s an idea from Marcella! She bought her niece and nephew Astronaut Ice Cream from the North Star Science Store because you just can’t get it anywhere else!

 

John loves the Moon Clock––as our brightest and nearest celestial neighbor, he thinks it will be a heavenly gift for his lovely new bride!

 

The Reuben H. Fleet Science Center is located at 1875 El Prado, San Diego, CA 92101.  Gallery admission, which includes access to all eight exhibit galleries: Adults $11.75; Children/Seniors $9.75. Giant Dome Theater Shows Admission (1 film + galleries): Adults $15.75; Children/Seniors $12.75. The Fleet’s hours are Monday–Thursday 10AM–5PM, Friday & Saturday 10AM–8PM, Sunday 10AM–6PM; Holiday Hours, 12/26–1/6: 10AM–7PM. For more information, call (619) 238-1233 or visit our website at www.rhfleet.org/.

 

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