When I was a kid, I had a toy Hoberman sphere. Despite the fact it did absolutely nothing of interest, it was utterly fascinating in an incredibly nerdy way—and now there's a lamp that will let me play with one as an adult, too.
Designed by Erik Stehmann, this is called the Expanding Lamp, and it relies on the folding geodesic frame of the Hoberman sphere to collapse down to a fraction of its expanded size. That means the lamp can grow from desk lamp to floor-stander in one smooth, elegant motion: a simple tug sees hundreds of intricate hinges, all made from oak, fold out in unison. It's even better than the childhood toy. [Erik Stehmann via Design Boom]