Plasma globes are made of pure, concentrated awesome. Appropriately enough, they were also invented by real life mad scientist Nikola Tesla. He seemed to specialize in making things with limited practical applications, but, man, do they look cool!
Also a little shout out to the Headwaters Science Center in Bemidji. I'd go back to Bemidji just to visit that place again. (Well, that and the the mini-golf course with the 3-foot metal sculpture of a mosquito.)