Do you know someone who is a class 'A', dyed-in-the-wool, true-blue nerd? Of course, you want to get them a right-up-their-smarty-pants-alley gift that they will remember for eons. Yet, while it is fun and rewarding to be thoughtful about a gift, sometimes a nerd's unique preferences can make that task seem to require a course in itself. There is hope, though! Even though nerds come in all shapes and sizes, there is a bonafide, scientific recipe that you can use to ensure genuine nerd love at every special occasion.
Step 1
Find your nerd friend's passion. Nerds are generally somewhat obsessive or very knowledgeable in one particular area. You might even say they know "way too much" about the topic for any kind of practical application (e.g. memorizing about 500 digits of pi, or appreciating the subtle differences between versions of the Starship Enterprise). Fortunately, a nerd is generally passionate enough that he will tend to wear it on his sleeve, making it easy to locate.
Step 2
Think of a gift relating to that passion. Keep in mind that nerds--math nerds, chemistry nerds, pirate nerds, etc.--will enjoy something that either relates to obscurities about their expertise, alludes to their obsession with it, or flatters their deep knowledge of it. For example, take a common nerdy obsession: Math. What would a math nerd consider a cool gift? Indeed, something obscure about the topic or something particularly unique will be a great place to start. Nearly any math book would be readily gobbled up. However, snag the author's autograph, and you will transform your already clever contribution to their towering library into one of their prized possessions. A clock is a nice practical gift; however, a clock that has the mathematical unit circle on it instead of the numbers 1 through 12 will be the centerpiece of their conversations for months and years to come. Of course, posters, thank-you cards, t-shirts, a math puzzle that you have written, or anything else that lets your numerical nerd surround himself with her own intellectual obsession will be long-appreciated.
Step 3
Search high and low for gifts related to his passion. The Internet has brought hundreds of genuinely thoughtful and unique gifts to your fingertips. There are millions of websites now that have classic nerdy stuff. Some good gifts are available from well-known providers like eBay and Amazon; however, if you have a few more minutes, run searches for "pi nerd", "ping-pong geek", etc. Digging a little deeper will help you find the real gold at "geek stores" dedicated to satisfying specific geek needs. Also remember that you don't always need to buy something--the Internet can provide great ideas for making something nerdy, too.
Step 4
Add an extra touch. The more thickly you can pour it on, the better. Be creative with the wrapping, the card, etc., in ways that, again, refer to his or her passion. For a computer nerd, find wrapping paper that looks like a circuit board. For the science nerd, hand them some safety goggles while they open the package. For the math nerd, make a mathematical scavenger hunt to get to their gift. Try wrapping the gift in a map, if you have an old one around. There are hundreds and hundreds of possibilities; explore them...Your friend will love you for it!
Tips
- Remember that, though ideal, a gift doesn't have to have a lot of real-life practical application in order to be a great gift. Take, for instance, an alarm clock that gives the time in binary instead of decimal. Sure it tells the time, but why would one want to go to the extra effort of translating the binary into decimal just to know what time it is? This is the coolest gift in the universe for a math nerd (or computer nerd) because it flatters his/her understanding of binary and his/her ability to transfer numbers from one base to another.
- An obscure or esoteric 'toy' is almost sure to pique their interest. Example cool gifts for a physics/math nerd would include: a super-egg, a snail-ball, orbitz soda (hard to find), a home-brew holography kit, fog zero-blaster, and a glass klein bottle. These are great because they give nerds an opportunity to explain the gift to their friends.
A nerdy shirt is a pretty safe gift for any class of nerds, especially because there is such a large variety all across the Internet. Try "pi shirt", "computer t-shirt", etc. to land an easy winner. - If you have a well-known university in your area, chances are it will have a few very well known professors in a specialized field. Most profs enjoy talking about their research and are very good about signing books that they've written regarding a particular subject.
- If you are still concerned about getting "the wrong thing", consider enabling them to fund their own obsessions by paying off their library fines so they can get more books or by giving a gift certificate so they can choose for themselves.
Warnings
- Though used somewhat interchangeably throughout the article, some regard geeks and nerds as different people, and some are adamant about being labeled correctly. Consider reviewing the article How to Tell the Difference between Nerds and Geeks if you are concerned.
- If one thing is for sure, nerds like the fact that they know a lot about certain things that others know very little about. A big no-no on a gift, then, is to get him something generic that refers to his obsession. For example, even though a math nerd loves math, don't get them a calculator. Everyone has a calculator, and so it's not a compliment to their unique position in society as the person who has "nerdy" math stuff. Nerds are interested in gifts that identify them as a nerd. Geeks are interested in gifts that identify them as a geek. Which would you think pegs someone as a math nerd: "He has a calculator" or "He has a clock that is the unit circle instead of the numbers 1 through 12?"
- Buy a gift of appropriate complexity for the recipient. Don't embarrass a computer geek with "Windows Vista for Dummies." Conversely, don't buy a PhD level book on TCP/IP for a sixth grader.
- If your nerdy friend is only semi-self-proclaimed (i.e. only their closest friends know of their nerdyness) make sure not to give them the gift in front of a large crowd, thereby making their sort-of-secret passions known to the world.
- Be careful about buying electronics and specialized gifts or anything that will "be of use" to the geek. Even something like a wireless mouse may require careful consideration for a computer geek as it is very important to not get "the wrong one." Make sure the hardware you buy is compatible with the geek's computer. There's nothing worse than eagerly opening a box of hardware and finding it doesn't work on your system.
- Be careful when giving books as gifts. If it is a well-known reference, he/she might already own it.
Star Wars, Star Trek and Stargate are not all the same thing.
