Join host Jack on Random Topics with Jack as he trades the periodic table for polyhedral dice in an episode devoted to the history, evolution, and cultural impact of Dungeons & Dragons. Jack traces the game’s origins from its wargaming roots and the pioneering work of Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson—highlighting Blackmoors influence, the first 1974 release, and the introduction of defining mechanics like character classes, hit points, and polyhedral dice.

The episode charts D&Ds journey through its major editions: the golden age of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, the d20 revolution of 3rd edition and its 3.5 refinement, the rise of Pathfinder, the divisive 4th edition, and the renaissance of 5th edition that propelled D&D back into the mainstream. Jack also covers the ongoing One D&D (5.5) updates, Wizards of the Coasts community-driven playtest process, and expectations for future core book releases.

Beyond the rulebooks, the discussion explores D&Ds broader cultural reach—how TV shows like Stranger Things, video games such as Baldurs Gate and Neverwinter, virtual tabletops (Roll20, Foundry VTT), and streaming phenomena like Critical Role and Dimension 20 have expanded the hobby and introduced new audiences to collaborative storytelling. Jack shares personal reflections on online play, community contributions, and Patreon-supported episode picks, and invites listeners to share their favorite D&D memories.

Tune in for an accessible, informative retrospective that celebrates D&Ds past, examines its present innovations, and looks ahead to the future of roleplaying. Whether youre a long-time player or curious newcomer, expect history, nostalgia, and plenty of encouragement to roll for initiative.

Join host Jack for a solo deep-dive into the history and modern significance of the periodic table. This episode traces the path from early pattern-seeking experiments—Döbereiner’s triads, Chancourtois’s telluric helix and Newlands’s law of octaves—through Dmitri Mendeleev’s revolutionary table and his bold predictions for undiscovered elements.

Jack explores the human side of discovery: Mendeleev’s obsession and famous dream, the rivalry with Lothar Meyer, and the national pride and politics that shaped scientific credit. The episode also tells the tragic story of Henry Moseley, whose discovery of the atomic number solved long-standing anomalies and whose death in World War I cut short a brilliant career.

Moving to modern chemistry, the episode covers how Moseley’s work led to the table we use today, the creation and detection of superheavy elements, disputes over naming rights, and the hunt for the ‘‘island of stability.’

Listeners will learn why the periodic table is more than a classroom chart: how it predicts chemical behavior, underpins technologies like semiconductors and medical isotopes, and reveals cosmic processes—stellar nucleosynthesis and the origins of heavy elements in supernovae and neutron-star collisions.

Key takeaways include the table’s predictive power, the interplay of observation and theory, and how personal ambition and international rivalry shaped scientific progress. The episode closes by reflecting on the periodic table as a symbol of human curiosity and as an evolving tool that still guides discovery.

Hosted by Jack (solo episode, no external guests). Up next: a preview of the next episode on the history and cultural impact of Dungeons & Dragons.

Join host Jack on this solo episode of Random Topics with Jack as we move from last week’s medical history deep dive into the fascinating world of linguistics. Jack introduces listeners to the scientific study of language and why it matters—how language shapes thought, culture and human connection.

We begin at the sound level with phonetics and phonology: articulation, place and manner of articulation, voiced vs. voiceless contrasts, and the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). Jack demonstrates minimal pairs (e.g., pat vs. bat, thin vs. this) and explains how phonemes function as the smallest sound units that change meaning.

Next is morphology: the study of word structure. Learn about morphemes (free vs. bound), common word-formation processes like compounding and affixation, and playful listener exercises (add a prefix or suffix to words such as play, read and care) that show how meaning is built.

Syntax follows—how words combine into sentences. Jack breaks down basic sentence ingredients (subject, verb, object), contrasts English SVO order with Japanese SOV order, and shows how word order and grammatical relations create emphasis and clarity.

The episode then explores meaning and context through semantics and pragmatics. Expect clear examples of ambiguity ("bank," "I saw a man on a hill with a telescope") and pragmatic phenomena such as implicature, politeness strategies and indirect requests. Jack highlights how what’s said and what’s meant can diverge and produce misunderstandings.

Broadening the view, Jack surveys historical linguistics and language families, with Proto‑Indo‑European as a case study. He explains reconstruction methods, language change over time (Old English vs. modern English), borrowing and the family-tree metaphor for related languages.

Finally, psycholinguistics: how the brain processes language, language acquisition in children (babbling to complex sentences), aphasia and other disorders, plus cognitive benefits of multilingualism and practical tips for language learners (short, regular practice sessions).

Throughout the episode Jack offers examples, quick experiments you can try aloud, and a call to notice language in everyday life. This solo show includes no external guests—just Jack guiding listeners through core linguistic ideas, takeaways, and next steps. Stay tuned for a preview of the next episode on the history of the periodic table, and follow Random Topics with Jack on TikTok; support options on Ko‑fi and Patreon are mentioned for early access and extras.