Wishlist: Magic Flames and the Die With the Most Sides
Weekly gift ideas from the staff of Atlas Obscura.
Whether you’re looking for an unusual gift idea or just an excuse to treat yourself, Atlas Obscura’s got you covered. This week our staff is lusting after magic flames, a ludicrously large die, and plenty more. Scroll down for this week’s Wishlist recommendations.
Magical Flames
$17.90, Amazon
You’re a wizard, Harry! These pocket-sized packets are all you need to create your own color-changing fire, no magical powers needed. Perfect for whimsical fireplaces that delight children of all ages, or mystical campfires that shock friends.—Larissa Hayden, Deputy Director of Events
120-Sided Die
$14.95, Amazon
It’s rare to hold something in your hand that strains at the fabric of reality. The d120 is one such object. It’s a 3D printed die, created by Dice Lab, with the size, heft, and geometric angles of a chunk of obsidian. More importantly the d120, known more technically as a disdyakis triacontahedron, is the largest “fair die” (a polyhedron with equally sized and distributed faces) mathematically possible. It is, by incontrovertible mathematical fact, a freak of nature. There can never be a d240, or d360, for the magnificent d120 has already achieved all that a die can ever strive for.—Dylan Thuras, Co-Founder
Flux Toy
$49-$99, Feel Flux
The Flux is a beautifully crafted demonstration of the Lenz effect. When you drop a magnet through a copper tube, it induces a current, which in turn produces a magnetic field that slows the fall of the magnet. It feels like a piece of magic in your hands.—Joshua Foer, Co-Founder
199 Cemeteries to See Before You Die
$16.46, Amazon
Often overlooked as tourist destinations, cemeteries deserve a new life in the eyes of the traveler. This book pays respect to the incredible architecture, stunning landscapes, and intriguing histories of those oft-ignored spaces around the globe which exist to celebrate and honor life—no globetrotter’s journey is complete without it.—Blake Olmstead, Head of Design
littleBits Electronics Synth Kit
From $90.28, Amazon
Making music is hard. Building an analog synthesizer is harder. Snapping together little modules that make and warp sounds is pretty easy though. The littleBits Synth Kit features small magnetized pieces that produce noises made from a tiny keyboard through a tiny speaker. The modules produce pulsing waveforms, add echoes, and mangle the sounds in a variety of ways, and rearranging the parts varies the outcome a great deal. You might not end up sounding like New Order, but you could probably fit in at an open mic in Brooklyn.—Michael Inscoe, Places Fellow
Each item is independently selected by our editorial staff. If you buy something through our links, Atlas Obscura may earn an affiliate commission.
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