Sure, the Newton's cradle reigns supreme as the world's most mesmerizing desktop toy. But if you're looking for a replacement, we've a lot of ideas. (This story was originally posted in 2019 and has been recently updated with a handful of new picks.)
Take ScienceGeek's twist on the classic office toy: It changes color as the suspended LED-light balls swing.
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Coffee mate
Put Sunnytech's Stirling-engine contraption on top of your morning mug of hot coffee, and watch it whirl and hear it clink. When it stops, you'll know your beverage has reached a pleasing drinking temperature.
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Who do you love?
On Doctor Who, the Adipose might have been useless, lumpen, space-alien creatures, but in the office, a toy version makes for a fine -- and squeezable -- stress toy.
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Have a ball
This is not just another magnetic-ball set. This is a set of 216 Magneballs magnetic balls that you can use as a stress-reliever, or as an excuse to make a TIE fighter.
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A totally useless-but-fascinating box
Per its manufacturer, Willcomes, this wooden box doesn't do anything, except dare you to turn it on, whereupon it turns itself off. Hours of good, brain-restorative fun.
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The whole Ball of Whacks
This think piece, developed by veteran workplace creativity consultant Roger von Oech is a 30-sided polyhedron that's assembled from 30 tiny magnetic pyramids and can be reassembled in almost any way you can, well, think of.
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For when you need some big balls
What's so special about these magnetic metal balls from Speks, sold in sets of five? They're big: Each ball is more than one inch in diameter. Take that, paperclip clutter!
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This helpful robot
Mebo 2.0: Get us an energy drink, you 12-inch-tall, interactive, app-controlled, office-friendly robot, you! We can literally watch you run errands for us all day.
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Take out your tiny aggression
Everyone gets frazzled at work. But you'll be the only one with this set of finger-sized boxing mitts and matching desktop punching bag to take out your stress, punch by tiny punch.
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Light it up
Crazy Aaron's specializes in what it calls thinking putty. We like Crazy Aaron's Strange Attractor variety because, one, it's magnetic, two, it comes with a magnet, three, the magnet makes the putty sparkle, and four, we just know it'll make us the talk of the office.
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It's retro time
Why have apps tell you when your next meeting is, when you can keep time on this 6-inch tall steampunk-styled, diving-bell-shaped (with octopus!) clock.
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All keyed up
Bring old-fashioned pizzazz to your desk with this tablet-stand-equipped, USB-powered mechanical keyboard that looks like a typewriter -- right down to the (programmable) return bar.
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Strike!
Got an executive-size desk? Call a meeting and make the middle managers watch you go for a strike on GoSports' nearly four-foot-long desktop bowling set.
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Meet your new office friend
If you're tired of high-tech AI assistants, then let this old-school retro robot sculpture from Uncommon Goods keep you company and class up your desk.
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Keys to cool
This laser-projected Serafim Keybo virtual keyboard actually works, and it leaves plenty of room on your desk for that four-foot desktop bowling alley.
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Fun with ferrofluid
Take iron-rich fluid, put it in a bottle, add two magnets to the outside of the bottle and what do you get? Peaks and patterns reminiscent of the black oil on The X-Files, all courtesy Mokiki's bottled ferrofluid.
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Give it a twirl
This arty helicone works like this: Twist the thin brass tube back and forth, and the 38 laser-cut wood pieces swirl rhythmically into a pine-cone shape.
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We lava this one
Turn this egg-shaped, liquid-filled paperweight over on its base and watch its red sand make like a lava flow. You'll probably put papers on your desk in order to have an excuse to expense this.
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Still shopping?
Once you've bought all your new mesmerizing desk toys, cart them around in another one: a miniature metal shopping cart with four working, rolling wheels.
