Dear Scientists,

I like the story of Dmitri Mendeleev using card games as an inspiration for the periodic table. He figured out that elements are a lot like cards: They’re most interesting when we put them next other other items based on their properties.

And the most amazing thing about the periodic table is that by grouping the elements by their properties, Mendeleev started to see patterns. And he also started to see gaps. And based on those gaps, he was able to predict elements that scientists hadn’t even discovered yet!

And it was all because he liked to play a few hands of cards.

Sincerely,

Mr. Heimbuck