How Buckyballs -- the Magnetic Toy -- Are Made

You've probably heard about Buckyballs, but do you know where they come from? Can you name some other brand names? Do you know how they got their name? This 3 minute video from Toy Fair 2011 provides the answers.

Made from Neodymium -- a rare earth metal mined in China, Buckyballs are a brand name for a set of small, strong magnetic balls, sold in sets of 216 for about $30 each. Similar magnets are sold under other brand names, such as CyberCube, EuroCube, Nanodots, NeoCube, QQMag, TetraMag and Zen Magnets.
The balls are strong enough to stay in a loop for a bracelet or necklace. They can be very dangerous if two or more are ingested, because the strong magnets could block your intestines (or worse).
It is possible to make just about any shape from a set of balls, including a geodesic dome, as designed by Richard Buckminster Fuller (hence the name, "Buckyballs").
The magnets can be plated with zinc or silver. In this YouTube video, we talk with Buckyballs brand creator Jake Bronstein during Toy Fair 2011 to learn the story of Buckyballs, how they are made and where they come from.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Buckyballs
• Children's
• Technology
• Review
• Buckleitner
• Toy
• Fair
• 2011
• STEM
• magnets
• creativity
• zen
• buckminster

[CorporalDogmeat]

Who else clicked the video because they thought the image at 0:53 was a frame made of buckyballs?

[Arkemn]

Anyone ever try to make a Buckyball Fleshlight?

[fingerblaster9000]

@Arkemn hahahaha

[flaxawoniebasic]

@CorporalDogmeat totally agree lol the bastards

[doluseb]

@Lundvalnaden and now China owns the US so technically everything is made in the US now wee!

[AvidAnnihilator]

@MrPeterpeckerpiper kinda but for all the balls you get its kinda understandable

[MrPeterpeckerpiper]

theyre damn expensive.

[XanticBlack]

we liked making buckyballs...out of buckyballs..so we named them buckyballs

trolololol

[ryanburbridge]

And it ALL happens in... Wait for it .... CHINA!!!

Epic lol

[CDOGSKIVER]

Holly fuck its Jeff Goldblume!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[THEFIREBIRD1000]

NEO CUBE!!!!

[vencafilip]

It's a NeoCube...