Watch how to make a plasma ball out of a light bulb

If you've ever had aspirations to become a mad scientist, or just look like one, you not only need an impressive lab, but also fun and interesting gadgets to display. One such scientific-looking artifact is a plasma globe. These illuminated spheres use various noble gases with a high-voltage electrode to create beams of colored light that dance along the inside of the glass dome. While the first plasma lamp was invented by Nikola Tesla in 1892, inventor Bill Parker created the modern day plasma lamp design in 1971. They became a trendy collectible during the 1980s.