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Fascinating Gadgets, Gizmos, and Gear Based Technologies: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Daniel J. Glenn
Making your favorite fictional technology a reality
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- 2 days ago44 min
Ep. 214 Arcane Magic Users
Show Notes Can neuroscience and physics explain how D&D spell slots actually work? In this episode of FGGGbT (Fascinating Gadgets, Gizmos & Gear-Based Technologies), the Brain Trust — Daniel J. Glenn, Dr. Michael Dennin, and Ben Sieper — crack open the skulls of arcane magic users to figure out what’s really going on inside. We break down Vancian magic and why wizards forget spells after casting them (spoiler: it’s RAM, neural pathways, and sleep science). We explore spell slots as discrete energy units using battery analogies — from AA batteries to D batteries to full-on thermal runaway. We also dig into magic scrolls as portable energy storage, the key brain differences between wizards, sorcerers, and warlocks, and the science of necromancy. Plus, Dr. Dennin introduces his original house rule — Dennin’s Law of Unused Magical Energy — which asks: what if you could downcast a spell by forcing high-level energy through a low-level spell slot? (Hint: it involves lithium battery fires and a barbarian with a fan.) Whether you’re a D&D player, a science nerd, a fantasy fan, or all three, this episode will change the way you think about magic forever. Listen to all our episodes on magic: The Magical World of….well MAGIC! Episodes We Discussed Fascinating Nouns Ep. on Memory w/ Rebecca Sharrock Facebook Twitter Support the show by buying cool merch at Glennco Designs!
- 1 weeks ago40 min
Ep. 213 What is Magic?
What is magic, really? In this episode, The Brain Trust dig into one of fantasy’s most fundamental questions — not just what magic does, but what it is. They explore why every great fantasy setting gives magic its own internal rules (and why breaking those rules breaks the world), how magic functions less like a supernatural miracle and more like a natural force nobody fully understands yet — a fifth fundamental force, sitting alongside gravity and electromagnetism. From there the conversation gets into the different kinds of people who use it: wizards who treat magic like science, sorcerers running on raw instinct, and clerics and druids who don’t need to understand the rules because they’ve got someone powerful on speed dial. Along the way there’s a detour into why your remote is basically a magic wand, why Alexa is closer to a spell than anyone admits, and the surprisingly thorny question of why, in a world where some people can rewrite reality with a word, those people don’t just run everything. Facebook Twitter
- Nov 12, 202532 min
Ep. 212 Vampires
Vampires are the one monster that seems to have been around forever (I mean they are immortal), and they never seem to go away. Their popularity may wax and wane, but these predators are always present, ready to suck away our life force in order to preserve theirs. Even when it seems like we have discussed everything there is to say about these creatures of the night, the Brain Trust comes through with a new perspective. This week we discuss their relation to the mosquito, how blood types play a major factor, and how a virus could keep you alive while you are biologically dead. Podcast Links Castlevania Man-Eating Plants Facebook Twitter
- Nov 5, 202537 min
Ep. 211 Snake Folk
Everyone remembers the famous line in “Raiders of the Lost Ark” where Indy says “Why did it have to be snakes?” Well our Daring Druid (and resident ophiophilist) Ben Siepser often wonders “Why isn’t it ALWAYS snakes”? So this week we take a look at a few of our favorite snake-based humanoids including the naga, the ophidians, and the dreaded Yuan-Ti. Just a bit of a warning, the reproductive cycles of these creatures gets REALLY weird, so make sure to have a pen and paper ready. Also keep an ear out (no pun intended) for my DeKalb Flying Corn shout out! Facebook Twitter
- Oct 30, 202537 min
Ep. 210 Basilisk
Are you ready for MORE petrification! This week we discuss the basilisk, a creature that can turn you to stone just by looking at you. Well it has to meet your gaze, but we get into the specifics so you won’t get fooled. It is also gigantic, which is something to consider. Listen as we talk about how near-sightedness as an advantage, the deliciousness of magic shell, and how spitting on goggles may or may not prevent fogginess. Facebook Twitter
- Oct 23, 202530 min
Ep. 209 Cockatrice
There are certain creatures in myth and legend who have been said to have the ability to turn those they encounter into stone. This week we profile one of those creatures, the cockatrice. With the head of a rooster, the body of a lizard, and the wings of a bat, this tiny creature can petrify the largest of creatures with a single touch. They are feared in the fantasy world, since their small size and extreme accuracy make them fearsome opponents. This week we discuss how this would be possible, and what to do if you find one of your companions looking more statuesque than usual. Facebook Twitter
- Oct 16, 202536 min
Ep. 208 Horse-based Creatures
There is a reason every little girl wants a pony: Because horses are really cool. They are so great that the world of D&D is filled with horse-based creatures including the unicorn, pegasus, nightmare, and even the centaur. Why this form? What tactile advantages does it provide? How can a horse fly but a pig can’t? We will answer all these questions on this week’s episode. Facebook Twitter
- Oct 8, 202536 min
Ep. 207 Man-Eating Plants
As human beings, we are lucky enough to be at the top of the food chain. Being at the top means there is nothing above us. No predators to watch out for, nothing evolving to eat is specifically. We never have to check our rear view. Or do we? In this episode we discuss what makes a good human predator, and it turns out its plants! That’s right, if we are going to be taken out, it will be by an attractive, seemingly harmless plant with beautiful flowers and hallucinogenic pollen. Listen as we discuss the dangers of high coconuts, using a pitcher plant as a toilet, and how Ben deals with nightmares of Muppets. Podcast Links The Muppets on Fascinating Fights Facebook Twitter
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