Curiosity Box is a subscription box from VSauce - a popular YouTube channel featuring topics such as science, philosophy, technology, gaming, and culture. As of 2022, they have joined forces with MEL Science, maximizing their impact on brain health. This limited-edition box ships quarterly, and once it sells out, you can't get it again.
ACTIVE DEAL: Limited Time Only! 25% off the first box on quarterly plan OR $15 off the annual plan!CODE: MSA25
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First Impressions
I am a complete science nerd. With a degree in medical technology, I sought out all of the science classes I could as a student and enjoy helping out in those classes as an ISA at my school! Because I have such a passion for science, I am always on the lookout for ways to incorporate it into my daily life (along with my boys' lives). So when I stumbled upon Curiosity Box I just had to see what it was all about! Awesome for adults, a typical box includes premium science toys, experiments, and collectibles. What did I think about this curation? Read below to see!
What's Inside The Box
Up first, we received a postcard with all of this month's contents presented. Utilizing real life photos of each item, it includes a short descriptive blurb and funny phrases.
Also included was a booklet containing in-depth info on each of the included items. With short bursts of information followed by scientific explanations, this guide is packed with really good stuff!
The Schmoyer Sundial
My 6th grade son came home with science homework for the first time last week, and you will never guess what it was about - sundials!!! Long ago were the days that I learned about latitude and longitude, but to set this thing up I needed to brush up! Easy to assemble, and cool to use, this sundial accounts for zone meridian corrections, daylight savings time, and solstices. Naturally the day I built this, the sun didn't come out, but Hank was really fired up about this. We haven't had a day with sunshine for a couple weeks now, but this contraption is waiting in our mudroom to head outside to tell me the time once the sun is out! Hank actually asked if he could bring this to school to see if he could score some extra credit points - since I work there, I think I'll let him!!
Honestly, when I started putting this sundial together, I was a little scared as to the amount of pieces this kit included. Once I started reading the directions however, it turned out to be easy. Looking up the latitude and longitude for our area, I was able to calibrate the sundial for an accurate time, but still haven't had sunshine to try it out. A cool inclusion that fit in really well with my son's school topics, this came at the perfect time and will be fun to play with throughout the year!
The Clock That Went Backward by Edward Page Mitchell
I like to read, but science fiction isn't exactly my forte. This novel was created for the Curiosity Box and presents stories of Edward Page Mitchell. A 19th century newspaper editor, Mitchell was one of the earliest science fiction writers, writing about teleportation, faster-than-light travel, cryostats, and surgically-altered personalities! I'll be honest in saying, I haven't had time to read more than a few pages of this book, but the first few pages are intriguing. Plus, the entire look of the book is pretty neat, making for a conversation piece on your coffee table.
Wire You So Sweet? Puzzle Package
I love word games, and board games, and all of the games, but puzzles I struggle with. My husband and youngest son are good puzzlers, and are a lot more patient than I am when it comes to mind games. This set of puzzles was definitely a challenge for me. Featuring seven different metal puzzles in various shapes, I couldn't figure a single one of these out, and it wasn't for lack of trying! I just cheated online to find out how to unlock the double heart puzzle and I am so mad I couldn't do it on my own! Eekkk!! A fun set, I'm happy to have it as it will come in handy with my school kiddos. Maybe they will be able to figure them out without having to cheat like I did!
Antique Bohr Atom Shirt
I always look forward to the Curiosity shirt of the season, and this month's tee features a double Nobel showcasing Marie Curie's Nobel Prize for discovering radium and polonium, and Niels Bohr's for his investigations on the structure of the atom. Simplistic in design, I like the overall feel of this shirt as it's super soft, a little stretchy, and just plain comfy to wear. The design is sweet, and adds an educational experience to my outfit when helping out in the high school science classes. Sweet!
I like a looser fit and have ordered my shirt in a size large. As you can see, I have some extra room and sometimes knot the bottom for a tighter fit. Because this is unisex fit, it is obviously larger than women sizing, but seems pretty true to size when compared with my husband's large t-shirts.
Rainbow Diffraction Chocolate Mold
The next inclusion I received was one I was a little confused about at first, but now am obsessed with. If you look closely, you will see that this silicone mold has rainbow diffraction on it. It was hard to get a photo, but you can see it if you look close. Anyways, this reusable mold imprints its rainbow-making structure on the chocolate bar you make with it. Turning into an entire chocolate bar, I couldn't wait to try this out!
So, as soon as I received this mold I had to try it out. Because I was so excited, I didn't read the full-on instructions, why would I need to do that right?! Anyways, I washed the chocolate mold and mixed up a concoction of white chocolate, semi sweet, and milk by melting it in the microwave. The chips didn't mix up great because I overheated them, but we just added sprinkles to cover it up. For a Christmassy feel, I added more sprinkles to the bottom, and let it sit. After about an hour, it was hardened and I peeled the chocolate bar out of the mold to find this rainbow diffraction due to diffraction grating built into the bottom surface of the mold combined with the crystal compounds of chocolate. How stinking cool is this?! I'm obsessed!!!
CTWB Sticker Set
The last item we received was a set of stickers. Coordinating perfectly with The Clock That Went Backward book, this set of 5 high quality stickers was really cool. The octopus that seems to want to escape from the jar was the most striking to me, so I added it to my laptop. Now for sure I need to check out that story to see what exactly Edward had envisioned with this one!
Was This Box Worth It?
The Cost: $60
ACTIVE DEAL: Limited Time Only! 25% off the first box on quarterly plan OR $15 off the annual plan!CODE: MSA25
Curiosity Box is a deep-thinker's dream, and this was a really interesting curation. Including 6 intriguing and high quality items, this box never leaves me bored! While it didn't seem to have a particular theme in mind, the mix of functional, fun, and educational items really rounded the box out well. I really enjoyed the sundial, chocolate mold, tee, and puzzles the most, but found everything included useful. Overall, this was a great curation, and I appreciate the items, especially when coupled with the scientific background. This box is a really fun experience, and can't wait to see what's included in the spring quarter. Bring it on, Curiosity Box!!
More You Should Know
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? Possibly. Only a certain number of boxes are created, so once they are gone, they are gone!
ACTIVE DEAL: Limited Time Only! 25% off the first box on quarterly plan OR $15 off the annual plan!CODE: MSA25
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