there were beakers , test-tubes , bunsen-burners , soldering irons , petri dishes , protective eyewear and plastic gloves , charts of the lunar cycles , remote control robots and mechanical arms , super magnets , crystal radio kits , inertial guidance systems , prisms , a basket full of small polished rocks and geodes , erector sets , clear plastic steam engines , calculators with special functions beyond basic math , science oriented software programs for home computers , special wristwatches that could keep time in up to five separate time zones , happy drinking birds , water balloon catapults , sea monkeys , potato cannons , walkie-talkies , currie-effect heat engines , magnetic levitation kits , telescopes and astronomical charts , and t-shirts and sweaters with pictures of einstein saying things that were funny if you knew about einstein .