Photograph by Martin Timmermann What it is:
Horizon Ultra Sextant by Cassens & Plath
What it's used for:
Navigating the high seas after all the other equipment breaks
Claiming to have the world's best sextant doesn't sound like much of a boast — it's like bragging about a late-model chariot or a brand-new trebuchet. But real sailors still carry these 250-year-old gizmos. After all, your Loran receiver or WAAS GPS won't get you home when there's an electrical failure. Like any good sextant, this $1,500 model measures the angle between the horizon and the sun, moon, or other celestial body, which helps you determine your coordinates to within a mile. What makes the Horizon Ultra stand out are its finishing touches: a brass-alloy frame to resist warping, a white enamel coating to deflect heat, and a lighted micro meter for judging angles at dawn or dusk. Just think how nice it'll look next to your titanium and carbon-fiber abacus.
START PREVIOUS: CNN.com Host Nicole Lapin on the Value of Citizen Journalists NEXT: Infoporn: Despite the Web, Americans Remain Woefully Ill-Informed
