So as you all know this weekend It’s Geektime went to Comic Con 2010 in NYC. There is tons of stuff to write about. I decided to start with the thing that I am currently the most obsessed with, Bucky Balls.

I initially saw Bucky Balls at www.thinkgeek.com and instantly was curious. Bucky Balls are marketed as an insanely addictive desk toy. They are 216 small spherical magnets that are easily malleable into different shapes. The magnets are so powerful that they will keep different shapes when you put them together.

Bucky Balls get their weird name from the term Fullerene. A fullerene is any molecule composed entirely of carbon in the form of a hollow sphere. Spherical fullerenes are called buckyballs. This name is a nod to the first fullerene to be discovered and that family’s namesake, buckminsterfullerene.

To give you an idea of how addicted I am to my new, shiny Bucky Balls I have carried them around with me to work and back home in their convenient carrying case since I opened them on Sunday night. They initially come in a 6x6x6 cube. When you first take it apart you might feel like you have a Rubik’s Cube sized puzzle ahead of you. But honestly, putting it back together is not that difficult (especially with the internet’s help).  I have really not run out of the amount of things I have created with these tiny little things, not to mention the geodesic dome of its namesake.

Being and IT guy in corporate America I really enjoy desk toys. It gives me something to play with when I am waiting for an install, or something to talk about when a user comes to my cube. Bucky balls have been a hit these last few days. They are simple and fun and I really would recommend them to any adult who likes to keep their hands busy. Because of that It’s Geektime would like to give Bucky Balls a 10 on the d10 of magnetism. If only science could always be this fun.