Thames & Kosmos The Plasma Ball Essential STEM Tool | Classic Scientific Device, Fresh 5-inch Glass Sphere, Interactive Electric Light Show | Explore Electricity, Matter, Energy, Small

I enjoy having this thing around & mounted it on the wall near my computer.

10 year old loves it. Reminds him of the Upside Down in Stranger Things. Sound mode works well, reacts to voice/music.

It runs on battery but also comes with a plug. We haven’t tried the plug in but could be worth it as it does go through batteries. Not super bright.

This was a Christmas gift for a budding mad scientist because a "working Tesla coil" was right out. The ball works perfectly, and was the envy of everyone on Christmas morning. Especially great is the option to mount it on the wall and rotate it to one's liking, or place it on a dresser or desk. This is the 3rd Thames & Kosmos Plasma Ball I have gifted to young science enthusiasts, or to kids who just love to play with interactive lights. After buying some other brands that turned out to be "baby toys" (or just plain junk) Thames & Kosmos is the ONLY BRAND I will purchase - the QUALITY is UNBEATABLE and the price is really reasonable for the options it provides.

Works great, the whole family loves to mess with it.

A lot of other plasma balls have a lot of questionable reviews and problems it seems with shipping and operation. I was worried this wasn't going to show up in one piece, but it did and it's just as colorful is shown in the video and pictures. It didn't come in a nondescript box but it was packaged well and made it thru shipping great.

Got this for my grandson on his birthday. He loves it.

I love the idea of the Plasm Ball. You can turn your own home or classroom into a science center. Unfortunately I didn't realize that Plasma Balls only look cool (lots of veins and lines) under low lights. See picture for how the ball looks like in a regular lit room light and how it looks with the lights turn off and low lights coming from the window. At first I thought this problem was only for the ball I recieved, but upon further research, all Plasma balls are like that. In terms of THIS brand of Plasma Ball, I noticed that the brightness was most ideal when it was plugged in. When I used new batteries, it wasn't very bright. (see pictures.) One thing I was not a fan of, is that there is a little piece that you are suppose to put into the charging port if you use batteries. It's such a little piece that we are bound to loose the piece within a month. It would be nice if there is a compartment to keep it so that we don't risk loosing it. However, I have tested using the plasma ball with and without the piece, and I don't see a difference. Lastly, when turned onto the sound mode, you need really LOUD music or loud sudden sounds to activate the "beat." Even when I put the speakers right next to the ball, it did not light up unless I tapped on the glass. Pros: I really like that this ball is tilted on the base. Also, this is a good size for your home or child's room. Any larger and it will take up too much space.