It’s already mid-November, and that means the holiday shopping season has officially begun. But what would make a good gift for the scientist in your life? Don’t worry! Whether that scientist is aspiring or professional, we’ve curated gift suggestions from useful to super special and organized them by scientific discipline. We’re confident you will find at least one awesome gift for the science geek in your life in this guide. Here you go!

General Gifts:

If you’re not quite sure about your science geek’s discipline, and are looking for a better starting point than mugs or keychains, these are some great general items to start with:

The Art of Science Advanced Trivia Game 

If you know a science person who’s bored by normal trivia games, this may be perfect for them. Rather than typical trivia categories, this board game breaks the trivia up by scientific discipline -- mathematics, biology, physics, chemistry, technology, and miscellaneous. It also includes a twist designed to capitalize on specific disciplines of scientific knowledge, as ThinkGeek describes on the product page:

If you're a biologist, you'll put biology on top - meaning you get to answer more biology questions to win. Your mathematician opponent would do the same for the mathematics category. This puts all experts on an equal playing field, each battling with weapons of their own specialty. 

AsapSCIENCE: Answers to the World's Weirdest Questions, Most Persistent Rumors, and Unexplained Phenomena 

Want to impress your science geek with an awesome book? YouTube darlings AsapSCIENCE created one that gives “entertaining, irreverent, and totally accessible answers to the questions you never got to ask in science class,” according to Amazon.  AsapSCIENCE creators Mitchell Moffit and Greg Brown use their trademark wacky style to answer such pressing questions as: Why do we get hung over? What would happen if you stopped sleeping? Is binge-watching TV actually bad for you?, and more. The book is written in an accessible style open to anyone with scientific curiosity, from budding scientists to academics. 

Fiber Optic Pillow

Why buy someone a normal pillow when you could buy them a fiber optic one? This pillow is 18” x 18” and requires 3 AAA batteries to light up on one side. The light offers 30 hours of soft illumination and is controlled by a switch inside the pillow. Best of all, it comes in 6 colors -- white, blue, yellow, red, green, and RGB, which changes colors. While it’s a bit expensive, the site also offers light-up scarves, bikini tops, and cushion covers, so you’re sure to find something in your price range.

Proof: The Science of Booze

It takes a lot of science to make alcohol, and WIRED editor Adam Rogers traveled the world to figure it out. From the heart of whiskey mecca in the Scottish Highlands to the labs of the most high-tech gene splicing labs in the world, Rogers delves into everything scientific - from the bacteria that ferments fruit to create alcohol to the biology of hangovers and beyond. Entertaining and informative, Proof was named a Best Science Book of 2014 by Amazon, Wired, the Guardian, and NBC, and also won the 2014 Gourmand Award for Best Spirits Book in the United States. It’s a fun read about booze. How could you go wrong?

A Night at the American Museum of Natural History 

Everyone loves dinosaurs, so dinosaur-related gifts will always go over well. Give someone special the opportunity to learn more about dinosaurs while also getting a personalized tour of the other exhibits, a private IMAX movie screening, and an opportunity to sleep under the blue whale in the museum lobby, and you’ve got a one-of-a-kind gift. Best of all, this gift is available for 6-13 year-olds AND grownups. Not at the same time, of course, but every burgeoning scientist in your life - including you - can go! 

The PenUltimate 7-in-1 Pen - $24.99 at Vat19. 

Sometimes when a great idea strikes, you need to do more than write it down. You need to act on it - and that’s where this pen comes into play. The 7-in-1 Pen combines a lovely ballpoint pen, a  Phillips and flathead screwdriver, a stylus, a metric and inch ruler, and even a level inside its smooth aluminum casing. The pen cartridges can be replaced, so you’ll never need to use another pen again. It’s the Swiss Army Knife of pens.

For the Physics Geek: 

If the scientist in your life is always concerned with how things work, they’re most likely a physicist. As such they’re always looking out for cool stuff. Treat them to one of these instead of another Einstein t-shirt:

What If? Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions 

XKCD is a web comic that explores all kinds of scientific topics like math, theoretical physics, and DNA in a way that smacks of research and quirky humor. Creator Randall Monroe took both those traits and combined it with the most hypothetical questions his fans have asked to create What If? Ever wondered what would happen if you swam in a pool that went through a nuclear disaster? Or if everyone on Earth pointed a laser pointer at the moon at the same time? Or if lightning struck the same spot at once? Randall tackles all of these and more. Your favorite theoretical physicist will get a kick out of the answers to these questions! 

MaKey MaKey 

MaKey MaKey lets you create anything from anything -- keyboards out of bananas, video game controllers out of Play Doh, a keyboard out of alphabet soup. MaKey MaKey has a starter kit with an electrical board, alligator clips, and a USB cord that’s easy for tinkerers, budding electricians, and physicists of any age to pick up and use. Figuring out how things work is par the course for physicists, and this kit allows them to do so. 

Magnetic Thinking Putty

Silly putty is awesome, but not quite awesome enough for physicists. This putty takes the stretching, molding, popping, and tearing properties to the next level by adding magnets. According to the product page: 

Millions of tiny micron-sized magnets are embedded in each handful of Magnetic Thinking Putty. Use the included super-strong ceramic magnet to control the putty like a snake charmer. Or "charge" the blob of putty so it can become a magnet of its own and pick up small tacks and paperclips.

You can get it in blue, black, silver or pink. If that’s not cool enough, there’s also a Liquid Glass version.

SPECIAL GIFT: tinyTesla Musical Tesla Coil Kit

Tesla coils use tightly wound copper coils to produce electricity. This version happens to be both tiny and musical, and can play MIDI files or create music with sparks up to 4” long. It even comes with a USB adapter to let you control it from your laptop. 

For the Biology Geek:

Biologists have it hard; they’ve long suffered through the dregs of science gifts like punny t-shirts and lame mugs. Do better for them with these:

Brain Specimen Coasters 

Seeing brains under your beer glass might be gross to some -- but not a biologist! These 10 glass coasters are printed with slices of the human brain, and when they’re stacked together correctly they reveal an anatomically correct 3D image. They’ve even got rubber feet to protect your surfaces from scratches. And if brains aren’t your biologist’s thing, don’t worry; they’ve also got anatomic heart specimen coasters.

Glow in the Dark Fish

There are 180 species of fish that glow fluorescent under black light, but none of them were available as pets until GloFish. According to the site: 

GloFish were originally bred more than ten years ago to help detect environmental pollutants. By adding a naturally derived fluorescence gene to the fish, scientists hoped to quickly and easily determine when a waterway was contaminated. The first step in developing a pollution-detecting fish was to create fish that would be fluorescent all the time. Scientists soon realized the public’s interest in sharing the benefits of this research, a process which led to GloFish fluorescent fish.

That means these fish come by their coloring naturally and will keep it for the duration of their lives. They’re available in six different colors - red, blue, green, purple, orange, and pink - and are ideal pets for budding biologists. 

Bioluminescent Dino Pet - $59.95 at BioPop

If a pet is too much responsibility for your budding biologists, how about a bioluminescent dinosaur? The Dino is really a dinosaur-shaped home to thousands of tiny, bioluminescent plankton called dinoflaggelates, or “dinos.” In short, the shape is both cute and informative. All you need to do place the Dino Pet in indirect light during the day and gently shake it to emit a soft blue light at night. It’s a perfect night or ambient light, and it’s super easy to care for.

DNA Artwork 

Custom artwork can be anything these days - up to and including a print of your very own genome sequence. All it takes is swabbing your cheek, mailing it to DNA 11, and choosing from a wide array of colors, sizes, frames, and styles (including bars, fingerprints, QR Codes, and  even lips). The only downside is that you can’t surprise your gift recipient, since they’ll need to supply the DNA themselves. 

Histology Plates 

Histology is the anatomical study of microscopic cells and tissues, and those images are exactly what’s on these plates. These 8” bone china plates feature “human cardiac muscle cells stained with haemotoxylin and eosin” according to the website, and are magnified to show every detail. This one is a tooth, but you can also get ones that feature cells from the gum and esophagus. Throw in the maching towels and your biologist friend will have the most anatomically correct kitchen set on the planet. 

SPECIAL GIFT = Velociraptor Claw 

If you want to give the biologist in your life something really special, treat them to a piece of history. For the price of one semester at a private college, you could gift a real fossilized velociraptor claw, dated back to the Cretaceous Period 75-71 million years ago. Culled from an archaeology site in Montana, there aren’t very many to go around. If that’s a little too rich for your blood, you can always get them a Megalodon Sharktooth, instead; it’ll only put you back $400.

For the Space Geek:

If the scientist in your life has a penchant for stargazing and quoting Stephen Hawking, they’re probably a space geek. While you can always encourage them to apply to be an astronaut, you could also give them a gift like these:

NASA “Meatball” T-shirt 

NASA isn’t just America’s Space Agency; it’s the prvilege of every citizen to enjoy and learn from. They’re the most accessible government agency, and as such they’re a great resource for astronauts and astrophysicists both established and aspiring. Until NASA makes “I heart NASA” t-shirts, the space scientist in your life will just have to settle for this t-shirt. Known as “The Meatball” by both fans and the agency due to the shape of the NASA logo, the shirt is an easy way to show off space pride. If your gift recipient would rather rock an equation or the “Occupy Mars” slogan, NASA’s got that too. 

Planetary Glass Set

Inspire the space scientist in your life to reach for the stars with this beautiful set of drinking glasses. This set of 10 glasses are colored and patterned to represent every planet in our solar system, including the Sun and Pluto. The Sun glass is larger than the other planets’ glasses to represent its scale, while Pluto’s glass is similarly smaller. These have run out of stock twice in the last year and are now on sale. If you’re interested in purchasing these, do so ASAP before they run out again!

Star Clusters Silk Scarf

Outer space can also be high-fashion, so help your space science friend be a trendsetter with one of these couture scarves, ties, or bracelets. Created by designer Celine Semaan Vernon, each piece is made from high quality silk and features a high-resolution digital print of scientific images from NASA.  The pieces are limited edition and each collection “weaves a strong partnership with an internationally-recognized NGO working in the Environmental or Human Rights sectors,” according to the website. There’s a whole series printed with images from the Hubble spacecraft to celebrate its 25th anniversary. Promoting space while supporting an NGO? Win-win. 

Mars Rocks Display Boxes 

Meteorites are small rocks that break off of asteroids, comets, or even planets that crash through our atmosphere and land on our planet. Any space geek would love to carry a little bit of outer space with them, and these numbered and authenticated pieces are a great way to do that. With The Martian and NASA’s “Occupy Mars” initiative hot in popular conscious, owning a piece of Mars before we get there would put your friend ahead of the trend. They’re verified by the International Meteorite Collectors Association, but they’re only 1.25” x 2” inches. 

SPECIAL GIFT = Naming a Star 

Most stars are given scientific names with words and numbers in order for scientists to properly record their data. That makes no sense to Star-Registration.com. They work in conjunction with the commercial organization Star-Naming Register to record, administer, and audit star names. The name can be a nickname or a personal name, is valid for the lifetime of your recipient, and is usually registered in one day. Your gift recipient will even get a special certificate and star chart explaining which star bears their name and where it’s located in the sky. All stars can be seen from the US and Canada, and you can choose a regular star, a star in a constellation, or even a binary star. 

For the Chemistry Geek:

If the science geek in your life is always talking about chemical compounds or excited to explain why two chemicals will explode when combined, they’re probably into chemistry. Reward their curiosity with a better gift than a periodic table shower curtain:

Optical Zoom Smartphone LED Microscope Lens

Microscopes are fantastically powerful tools, but they’re not exactly portable. This lens changes that by clamping over a smartphone camera and producing 60X-100X magnification. It also works as a magnifying glass, and has a built-in LED light to aid visibility. Just be sure to check your chemists’ smartphone model before purchase; some models are more fiddly with the clamp than others. 

Chemistry Glassware Sets 

Laboratory glass is a bit thin, so while they’re fantastic measurement tools they aren’t ideal for kitchen use. These sets from Indigo change that. Featuring as many sizes and volumes of beakers, test tubes, Erlenmeyer flasks, and other containers as your chemist friend could ever possibly use, all of the glassware is made from thick-walled, heat-resistant borosilicate glass -- the same kind used by the Pyrex brand -- that’s designed to last. 

Gold Ferrofluid Glass

Ferrofluid is a liquid that has tiny magnetic nanoparticles in it. It forms spikes when exposed to a magnet, but doesn’t keep that shape once you pull the magnet away; it actually stays suspended in its holding solution when you remove the magnet. Basically, it’s a thick viscous liquid you can play with to create as many patterns and shapes as you want. It’s also gold, making it even more deluxe. 

Microbe Plushie 

Very few people would want anthrax, bed bugs, or chicken pox around them - but chemists would! Help them indulge their analytical side with these adorable and informational plush germs. Coming in sizes from 5” to 24”, each microbe is blown up to 1 million times its size. There are over 150 different microbes to choose from and they all come with their own fact sheets. The company also makes apparel, mugs, stocking stuffers, and lots of other merchandise with the adorable microbes, so you’re bound to find something great.

SPECIAL GIFT = Mystical Fire

Fire is dangerous, but turning it rainbow colored makes it fun - even though it’s still dangerous. Coming in individual foil packets, Mystical Fire is a powder that’s designed to be thrown into a wood-burning fire and watched from a distance. CauseScience breaks down the chemical compounds as follows: “Mystical Fire consists of individual foil packets containing 25 grams of pyrotechnic composition: 65% cupric sulfate, 23% cupric chloride and 12% polyvinyl chloride.” Essentially, Mystical Fire is a more fun version of the flame test, where chemistry students identify chemical compounds by burning them and noting the color of the flame. Copper - the cupric sulfate in the ingredient list above - is the culprit here.