We love a good globe at Prezents.com but none have had quite the effect that Mova Globes by Turtletech have. Literally, mind blowing...
You, literally, don't have to do anything with it. It sits in a corner of a room and on a sunny day it will rotate of its own accord. It's like a mini earth spinning on its axis for you. Plus, they're really cool to hold when you take them off of the stand. Like you're some kind of all-powerful wizard.
Now, we kind of suspected some Harry Potter-style magic was at the core of this product but it is, in fact, science.
A quick glance through the Mova Globe leaflet, that comes with this excellent product, tells you everything you need to know about the science inside this wizard-ball. Spoilers ahead...
Mova Globes contain a strong magnet inside to interact with the earth's magnetic field. Even with sufficient light level, a Mova Globe may have trouble turning steadily in a few location, such as high-rise buildings where the earth's magnetic filed is shielded by iron girders in the walls. Also, Mordor.
The inner globe floats in an almost friction-free environment. A globe has the same average density as the fluid it floats in, so there is no force of contact between the surface of the inner globe at the north and south poles and the inside surface of the outer shell. We told you, science an' that.
Here's where Turtletech really ramp up the science...
Think of a compass. The earth's magnetic field is able to reach inside a compass and rotate the needle to align it with the earth's magnetic field. Since the inner Mova globe is floating and not touching the outer shell, something is needed to reach into the globe and give the drive mechanism something solid to push against to create and maintain motion. The earth's magnetic field pushing against the drive mechanism much like it pushes against a compass to move it toward alignment.
The Mova globe gains its energy from the room light that passes through the graphic design and hits very specialised solar cells within the globe. An electric current provided by the cells powers a drive mechanism that is designed to move at a very low speed.
We still think Wizardry.
Mova Globes are a seriously cool product that make a great, albeit extravagant, gift. They're immediately noticeable and come in a variety of sizes and designs. They're all round, though...
