The Best Gifts For Nerds

Building or renovating an actual V8 engine is a greasy, expensive and space-consuming affair. Thankfully, this kit from Haynes will give any fan of the internal combustion engine chance to piece together their very own, fully functional model engine. Not only will they gain a hands-on insight into the workings and science behind the engine during construction, but once it's completed the transparent shell will allow the internals to be observed at will. The kit compromises of over 250 parts and requires three AA batteries to operate.

With a little bit of critical thinking, patience, and focus, 233 bits of plastic and rubber can be transformed into a fully functioning, posable and gripping hydraulic arm. The finished product is controlled by four levers, offering fast and precise control.

A celebratory Haynes Manual to commemorate a gigantic triumph in STEM history. Through a combination of text, engineering schematics and photographs, Dr Christopher Riley takes the reader through the development of the Saturn V rockets, space suits and Lunar Module.

For many nerds, their ideal way to relax from all their thinking and musing is to, well, think and muse. This book is loaded with codebreaking puzzles that'll have the reader pitting themselves against Britain's best and brightest in intelligence and security. Do they have what it takes to beat the people who cracked the Enigma code?

The beauty of science is that it covers pretty much everything – from the tendons in your arm (did you know one is missing?), the sonic capacity of your morning coffee and the DNA in your strawberry daiquiri. This book from the folks behind Festival of the Spoken Nerd delivers a huge array of deeply scientific factoids to brighten any science lover's life.

This perpetual calendar serves as a point of reference, allowing the user to check on what day dates will be falling on long into the future. Through a series of gears and disks, this analogue calendar is the perfect combination of mathematics and engineering, sure to delight any nerd. The calendar counter runs until 2040, is made up of 32 individual pieces and will take around one and a half hours to construct.

If the perpetual clock seems a little too pedestrian for your nerd, then this treasure box loaded with mechanical gears takes the challenge, reward and difficultly up a few notches. The finished box is secured with a gear, password and key. This kit is made up of 123 individual wooden pieces and takes around four hours to construct.

The Raspberry Pi has revolutionised programming. Designed as a tool for teaching youngster about computing, the dinky motherboard is loved by primary schools and software engineers in equal measure. The Pi 4's power comes from its extreme versatility. Outside of the classroom the Pi is used in homebuilt tech projects, and can be coded to run arcade games, security servers, or even make DIY smart electronics. The extras in this kit all aid the Pi 4's versatility. It's a device of endless potential and joy.

A fully programmable aluminium alloy robotic arm is a failsafe way to seriously impress a dedicated nerd. This metal construction feat comes with its own digital servo and 6-channel Bluetooth servo controller (the nerd will understand), and can be operated via a wireless controller, Android smartphone and PC.

The Photon is a fantastic choice for the budget-bound 3D printing hobbyist elite. The unit's build quality is very high, in part comprising of quality CNC components (plus it comes pre-assembled). As an SLA machine, the finished quality is of a higher standard than a visibly layered FDM printed items, offering a solid feel and sharp detail clarity. 115mm x 65mm x 155mm working volume, SLA printing.