I’m a high school physics teacher and love science gadgets, especially if I can use them to teach something fun. Often, science toys or demonstration equipment is made cheaply and doesn’t always work.

This Sterling engine works amazingly well. It is easy to put together, the parts are well crafted, and it’s easy to get it working. I use a cup of hot coffee or hot water to heat the base. After about a minute you simply need to get the engine going with a little nudge and it will keep working for minutes. The hotter the water the faster the engine goes. Who would have thought?