Joel and Alan Aronie, two brothers from Concord, Ma, both engineers in love with physics, developed the Zero Blaster, a perfect toy which demonstrates the toroidal vortex ring, the donut shape.

Why does a ring keep its shape was the question; the Buck Rogers guns of their childhood, the inspiration. What can we make that wouldn't be violent that would still be a gun, and maybe even teach? They brainstormed one night after work in their small shop where they manufacture tools for the restoration of old buildings.

The Camel Ad on Broadway in New York City was one of their earliest memories. "How about smoke rings?" they said, almost in unison. From the drawing board to the marketplace took about two years.

Last May they traveled to China to see that the factory workers were being treated fairly. They were impressed with the gentleness of the people. Gentle is what the rings look like as they float up to 14 feet across a room. The material used is the same non-toxic vapor that is used in theatrical productions.

They have been written up in Wired Magazine, Fortune Magazine, Focus Magazine (Italy), and in many physics periodicals. Science teachers all over the country are using the blaster as a teaching tool in their classrooms. It's the perfect gift for the kid in all of us.