Comments on: Ball of Whacks magnetic creativity toy/tool

By: Roger von Oech

Roger von Oech — Sat, 15 Dec 2012 20:30:00 +0000

Hi David!
Thanks for reviewing my “Ball of Whacks.” I’m glad your family is enjoying playing with this creativity tool. It was fun to design and develop.

Several of your commenters have compared the Ball of Whacks to Bucky Balls. A significant difference between the two products is that each Ball of Whacks piece “passes” the small objects choke test, that is it will not pass through the 1.25″ choke cylinder (and cannot be ingested by small children). Because individual Bucky Balls were the size of BBs, they failed the small objects choke test.

By: kiptw

kiptw — Sat, 15 Dec 2012 00:34:00 +0000

Magnetism. How the f does that taste?

By: Andrew Clausen

Andrew Clausen — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 15:43:00 +0000

At 22 years old one would say I’m too old for toys; I don’t know about that, I’ve found the device to be excellent for meditation and keeping one’s hands busy.

Plus it is just too much fun to abruptly toss it to someone and say “Catch” as they fumble and watch it fall to pieces in their hands.

By: optuser

optuser — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 22:08:00 +0000

Buy em now before the FTC sues them pantsless.

By: Michael Polo

Michael Polo — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 20:59:00 +0000

Boo to living in Canada… UPS tacked on a $128 shipping charge. I blame the magnets. Does anyone knows a retailer in Toronto for this?

By: GeorgeMokray

GeorgeMokray — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 20:04:00 +0000

Here’s a video of a magnetic cube made up of its constituent least common symmetrical irregular tetrahedra, the A and B Quanta according to Buckminster Fuller’s Synergetic geometry:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEinwxzzUEs

It may spark some ideas.

I’ve made similar magnetic models of all the five Platonic Solids after finding the least common symmetrical irregular tetrahedra for the icosahedron and pentagonal dodecahedron. All five can be made from four different irregular tetrahedra, each of which include one particular right triangle.

By: Karl Schmieder

Karl Schmieder — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 19:27:00 +0000

My 13 y.o. son just got one of these. I have spent the most time using it and am giving away several for holiday gifts. HIghly recommended.

By: Senor Schaffer

Senor Schaffer — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 18:38:00 +0000

Bro, magnets are delicious.

By: RedShirt77

RedShirt77 — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 17:58:00 +0000

But them now, because in 2 years or so they will discover that if swallowed magnets if swallowed separately can connect in the intestines and either kill or severely injure children, dogs, and adult idiots. That’s what just happened with Bucky-balls, I remember the same thing happening when i was kid with some other magnetic toy. The world needs to decide to either trust each other with magnets or create some international ban on any magnetic toys that look appetizing.