Products I've spent a bit too much time
obsessively researching.
Tech and products I actually use and recommend. I'm not paid by these companies — I found them — but some links are affiliate links, so a purchase throws a little support my way at no cost to you. Full affiliate disclosure →
My Productivity Apps
Sleep
Kitchen Tools
Waterdrop 200-Gallon A fast-filtering water pitcher with an extra-wide filter and a natural wooden handle. 
Science Flask Tumblers Borosilicate glass tumblers with colorful silicone boots, stoppers, and metallic straws. Chemistry Drinkware Discount link for chemistry-themed drinkware from The Calculated Chemist. 
Alfred Cutting Board A high-end walnut cutting board for the Science-In-The-Kitchen series. Healthy / Smart Home
Levoit LV600S Smart humidifier pick for maintaining healthier indoor humidity through winter. 
Evaporative Humidifier Older humidifier option from the Notion list. 
Levoit Classic 300S A smaller smart humidifier option that is still effective. 
Humidity Sensors Cheap sensors for checking room humidity away from the humidifier itself. 
Coway Airmega AP-1512HH A long-running bang-for-buck air purifier pick for medium rooms. 
Aranet4 Home Portable CO2 monitor for estimating ventilation and transmission risk. 
Budget CO2 Monitor Budget CO2 monitor option from the Notion list; the Amazon listing currently has limited availability. 
Awair Element Indoor Air Quality Monitor At-home air quality monitor for CO2, particulates, and other indoor signals. 
WAOAW Sleep Mask So dark I’ve worn it in a bright airport and couldn’t tell if my eyes were open. 
Expand-A-Lung | A Breathing Fitness Exerciser Device Using this sucks. For your lungs. In the short term. Buut in the long run it’s great for your respiratory health. Personal Care
Filming Setup
Focusrite Scarlett Solo 3rd Gen USB Audio Interface Lets you plug an XLR mic into your computer, adjust volume, and monitor recording sound. 
Shure SM58-LC Cardioid Dynamic Vocal Microphone Industry-standard dynamic mic that helps avoid picking up apartment background noise. 
Shure SM58 Windscreen Windscreen used with the SM58. 
Higher-End Shure Microphone Higher-budget Shure mic option from the Notion setup notes. 
Microphone Stand Mic stand used in the recording setup. 
Pop Filter Pop filter used in the recording setup. Gifts for Nerds
Arc Lighter Why use a match or lighter when you can use thousands of volts of rechargeable electricity instead? 
Magic Chain Wine Holder Exactly as it looks. Well made and super cool looking. The perfect table centerpiece. 
Gyroscope Well-made and inexpensive, fun to play with, and great for teaching physics. 
CMY Color Cubes A translucent acrylic cube with cyan, magenta, and yellow surfaces for teaching color theory. 
3-D Mirascope A fun optical illusion that looks like a tiny hologram when viewed from the right angle. 
FerroFluid - Venom in a Bottle Fascinating to play with and a cool way to teach electromagnetism. 
Double Pendulum Spinner Chaos in action. Tiny motions completely change how it swings. 
Pendulum Spinner Smooth, dense, and viscerally satisfying to play with. 
Cube Spinner A solid metal spinner that also looks decorative when not in use. 
Precision Spinning Tops Precision tops that can spin for several minutes. 
Kinetic Spinning Floaty Orb A desk decoration that makes the center orb look like it’s hovering when spun. 
Rattleback A metal gadget that spins one way, rattles to a stop the other way, and briefly reverses direction. 
Periodic Table–With 83 ACTUAL ELEMENTS! Handmade periodic table display with safe, possible-to-include element samples. 
Floating Lightbulb A magnetic floating lightbulb decor piece. 
Novium Hoverpen Precision engineering, luxury feel, and very cool floating floatiness. Kits & Collections
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