TORONTO – If you’re like a lot of people (ahem), you’ve likely left some of your last-minute shopping for this weekend (as a side note, if you’re in southern Ontario, that is a pretty bad idea with the bad weather ahead).
Whether it’s astronomy, weather, birding, or just geeky sci-fi shows, here are a few last-minute gifts for you procrastinators.
Telescopes
Telescopes are often a very appealing gift for children or those interested in astronomy who want to take that extra step further.
Though it may sound like a big purchase, it doesn’t have to be.
NewEyes OldSkies in Richmond Hill, Ont., is a store that is a haven for science geeks.
Owner Bruce Engels said that he’s noticed an increase in business since the holiday season started.
“They want to drag their kids away from the electronics,” Engels said. “Others buy gifts between themselves, like telescopes, that kind of thing.”
Adriana Pisano-Beaumont and her husband Andre Beaumont did just that.
Beaumont is a registered respiratory therapist in York Region. Pisano-Beaumont is a registered massage therapist and a teacher of anatomy and physiology for nursing students at Seneca College. She studied genetics at university.
But neither of them bought something health-related this year. Instead, they pooled their money and bought an eight-inch telescope for each other from NewEyes OldSkies.
“We were able to finally, after talking about it for a few years, purchase our first telescope.”
But you don’t have to spend hundreds of dollars. Engels said that telescopes can range from $60 — like a Celestron Firstscope — to fancy computerized telescopes that can go as high as you want.
“The sky’s the limit,” Engels said.
Binoculars
Whether it’s for birders or astronomy buffs, binoculars are a reasonably priced gift.
When buying binoculars, though, it’s important to know what those numbers mean.
For example, a binocular with the numbers 8×56 means that the binoculars offer eight times magnification power, i.e. things appear eight times closer; the 56 is the diameter of the objective lens, or the lens at the end.
The larger the objective lens the more light gets through and the more detailed the image will be. However — and this is important — you don’t want to get binoculars with huge numbers, in particular, the final number. Why not? Because the larger the lens, the heavier and more unwieldy it will be.
That will mean shaky views if you hold them up by hand, so you’d need a tripod for large ones.
If you’re considering buying binoculars, hold them yourself and try them out. Are they easy to hold? And remember to take into account smaller hands if you’re buying for a young one.
Weather Stations
If you’ve got that amateur meteorologist on your list, look no further than a weather station.
You can pick up weather stations at some science stores or even Costco or Canadian Tire. They can range in price from $50 to $200.
These weather stations can give you indoor and outdoor temperatures, barometric pressure (don’t worry if you don’t know what that is — your meteorologist fan will) and dew point. Some of the more expensive ones will even come with an anemometer (to measure the wind) and rain gauge.
Geek-wear
If you’ve got science fiction fans, you can always buy them t-shirts of their favourite shows or characters.
Comic book stores are a great place to look for these, but even the big chains now carry Thor, Superman, Spider-Man or other superhero shirts. And yes, even underwear.
Comics
If you’re reading this, you likely know somebody who’s into comics, whether a die-hard or just someone who likes to pick them up once in a while.
There are, of course, traditional Marvel or DC comics, but there are plenty of others that are linked to popular TV shows like The Walking Dead and Doctor Who for those sci-fi geeks.
When calling Silver Snail Comics at their Toronto location, it was so busy (new comic book day as well as the Christmas rush, apparently), the manager couldn’t even talk at any length.
“I’ve got one line here, and two others,” he said.
Clearly, comics are a good way to go.
Star Trek pizza cutter, etc.
Many comic book stores also carry cool stuff like USS Enterprise pizza cutters from Star Trek and Doctor Who figurines (they’re not dolls), Star Wars bobbleheads, or even science fiction TV or movie-specific board games like Monopoly.
Magazine subscriptions
A quick and easy way to get a gift for someone at the eleventh hour.
Magazines may seem old-school, but many science magazines offer digital subscriptions as well. So your science geek can read them on his or her iPad or tablet and avoid any nasty paper cuts.
There are also magazines like Make which provides do-it-yourself crafts, like robots for kids, custom cookie-cutters, or an articulated camera stand.
Magazines like SkyNews (which is Canadian), Weatherwise, Popular Science, or National Geographic are just some magazines to consider.
Books
- Invasive strep: ‘Don’t wait’ to seek care, N.S. woman warns on long road to recovery
- Ontario First Nation declares state of emergency amid skyrocketing benzene levels
- T. Rex an intelligent tool-user and culture-builder? Not so fast, says new U of A research
- Nearly 200 fossil fuel, chemical lobbyists to join plastic treaty talks in Ottawa
Definitely old-school, but worth it for science buffs.
Many science books offer colour photographs that your geek is sure to enjoy. But, once again, many books are starting to make their way to the digital medium for ebooks.
There are popular books like Chris Hadfield’s recent biography, An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth, or general books on the weather, astronomy, birding, ecology, or the environment.
Meteorite
How about a piece of the ancient solar system?
Meteorites, pieces of rock that fall to earth from space, can be a great gift for the astronomy or geology buff. But be warned: do your research and make sure you purchase from someone reputable.
There are several meteorite companies throughout the country, or you can check out a local telescope and science store.
Microscope
Engels said that microscopes are popular at the store as well. They, too, can range from about $50 to $3000. So, depending on the depth of knowledge of your little (or big) scientist, as well as the depth of your pockets, this could be a great gift.
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