Description
Science buffs will be enthralled with the underlying fluid mechanics of the lamp, which are a form of Rayleigh-Taylor instability. The hot wax inside is a different density than the surrounding liquid, but its density changes as it's exposed to heat, making it rise as it's heated by the bulb at the base, then fall once it cools down at the top of the lamp.
It's a hypnotising, scientific marvel that fits comfortably on a side table.