Coming Soon đ At the beginning of April, youâll be
introduced to a brand-new GoComics! See more information here. Subscribers, check your
email for more details.
I actually toyed with the idea of a fanfiction character in the Harry Potter universe who gets into enormous trouble asking these exact questions. What is magic? How does it work?
I once thought up a couple of sort of Little Prince, O.C.s. One is a scientist on an eternal quest to know everything. He doesnât know what this will accomplish, but insists that heâll eventually find out. The other is a guru who claims that he already knows everything from having spent years meditating. But ask him questions, and itâll become obvious that everything he believes is completely wrong.
Magic is science that we havenât figured out the workings of yet. At one time an electric light bulb was magic. Radios that deliver voice and sound right out of thin air were magic. Then we figured out how to make them. Magic becomes science.
I read fantasy stories that use magic and enjoy them. I was convinced I could write a story that uses magic. However, Iâm such a science nerd, when I tryied, I ended up explaining the magic with science, thus the story turned into science fiction.
If you can say that magic will âprobablyâ do something or not do something, youâre assuming itâs a stochastic system and so is to some degree knowable.
Also, is that why princes get turned into frogs? They ask questions about magic?
And THIS is why the protagonist in the trilogy Iâm editing the final entry in distrusts magic. Well, that and, in that case, the stuff is sentient, eccentric and just plain annoying.
Itâs also probably Dana not wanting to establish rules for magic that sheâd then have to try and remember to uphold later when itâd be least convenient. :P
A (still-ongoing) Harry Potter fanfic Iâve been reading has a scene of Hermione Granger clashing with the insert character. Hermione takes a view something like Marigoldâs, though without being smug about it. Sheâs really P.O.âd that the insert, whoâs become a teacher at Hogwarts, says magic is simply another aspect of science. He comes from a different world where thatâs mathematically proven and fully understood. Miss Granger doesnât know that about him ⊠yet. Even though sheâs acknowledged heâs a first-rate instructor, being told she needs to teach her old dogma some new tricks infuriates her.
Existence is either magic or a magic show. If itâs a magic show, a few in the audience still believe theyâre seeing magic. Most believe theyâre being tricked, but can enjoy the show without worrying about how every trick works. And a few CANâT enjoy the show UNLESS they figure out all the trickery (or think they did). Albert Einstein, at least, held that understanding the universe should never eliminate the capability to wonder at it.
âThe universe is not only queerer than we suppose, it is queerer than we can suppose.â â J.B.S. Haldane
Mildly surprised no oneâs made the connection with Spiderman No Way Home, where he used his math skills to understand and counter Dr Strangeâs magic.
In his last several âDiscworldâ books, Terry Pratchett shifted from magic to science and engineering. He said something to the effect (I am quoting from memory) that âthe wizard used magic to light up the roomâ is not interesting, while âa water wheel miles away spins a magnet in a coil of wire, causing electrons to move through that wire, across miles of additional wire, and eventually heat up a different piece of wire to the point where it gives off lightâ is very interesting indeed.
Having an engineering background, I agree with him.
I canât remember if it was Asimov, Heinlein, or someone else. But to paraphrase, they stated that any technology that was sufficiently advanced, would seem like magic to the uninitiated.
andacar about 1 year ago
I actually toyed with the idea of a fanfiction character in the Harry Potter universe who gets into enormous trouble asking these exact questions. What is magic? How does it work?
Sugar Bombs 95 about 1 year ago
Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.
codycab about 1 year ago
Better call Twilight Sparkle.
Averagemoe about 1 year ago
I once thought up a couple of sort of Little Prince, O.C.s. One is a scientist on an eternal quest to know everything. He doesnât know what this will accomplish, but insists that heâll eventually find out. The other is a guru who claims that he already knows everything from having spent years meditating. But ask him questions, and itâll become obvious that everything he believes is completely wrong.
Antiyonder about 1 year ago
Yeah, only Unicorns, Boiling Isle citizens, Amphibians and such pull off the âItâs magic, we donât have to explain itâ bit.
Take a lesson Quesada.XD
Uncle Kenny about 1 year ago
âAny sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.â âArthur C. Clarke
Enter.Name.Here about 1 year ago
Magic is science that we havenât figured out the workings of yet. At one time an electric light bulb was magic. Radios that deliver voice and sound right out of thin air were magic. Then we figured out how to make them. Magic becomes science.
MeanBob Premium Member about 1 year ago
Douglas Adams wrote about ineffability, but I donât think I could write it here. IYKYK.
eldeecee about 1 year ago
I read fantasy stories that use magic and enjoy them. I was convinced I could write a story that uses magic. However, Iâm such a science nerd, when I tryied, I ended up explaining the magic with science, thus the story turned into science fiction.
eddi-TBH about 1 year ago
Magic looks like science. Or at least itâs output. A series of useful rules concerning how things work.
iggyman about 1 year ago
What is termed magic is sometimes just an illusion!
iggyman about 1 year ago
Phoebe as a lizard?, could be interesting!
Jungle Empress about 1 year ago
I think Phoebe has turned into Bizarro Twilight Sparkle!
Tigressy about 1 year ago
Schmendrick knew.
DaBump Premium Member about 1 year ago
âScience is just⊠knowing how things work.â One of the many misconceptions that have caused science to be bloated.
Decepticomic about 1 year ago
Itâs magic; we donât have to explain it. Nobody has ever had a problem with that.
Ignatz Premium Member about 1 year ago
No, but it might just blow up your whole city, which will have nothing to do with you, personally, at all.
Eala Dubh Sidhe about 1 year ago
When one rewrites reality, one uses invisible ink.
prrdh about 1 year ago
If you can say that magic will âprobablyâ do something or not do something, youâre assuming itâs a stochastic system and so is to some degree knowable.
Also, is that why princes get turned into frogs? They ask questions about magic?
Wichita1.0 about 1 year ago
And THIS is why the protagonist in the trilogy Iâm editing the final entry in distrusts magic. Well, that and, in that case, the stuff is sentient, eccentric and just plain annoying.
scyphi26 about 1 year ago
Itâs also probably Dana not wanting to establish rules for magic that sheâd then have to try and remember to uphold later when itâd be least convenient. :P
DHBirr about 1 year ago
A (still-ongoing) Harry Potter fanfic Iâve been reading has a scene of Hermione Granger clashing with the insert character. Hermione takes a view something like Marigoldâs, though without being smug about it. Sheâs really P.O.âd that the insert, whoâs become a teacher at Hogwarts, says magic is simply another aspect of science. He comes from a different world where thatâs mathematically proven and fully understood. Miss Granger doesnât know that about him ⊠yet. Even though sheâs acknowledged heâs a first-rate instructor, being told she needs to teach her old dogma some new tricks infuriates her.
sueb1863 about 1 year ago
Thereâs a saying that to a primitive society, science and magic are indistinguishable from each other.
fritzoid Premium Member about 1 year ago
Existence is either magic or a magic show. If itâs a magic show, a few in the audience still believe theyâre seeing magic. Most believe theyâre being tricked, but can enjoy the show without worrying about how every trick works. And a few CANâT enjoy the show UNLESS they figure out all the trickery (or think they did). Albert Einstein, at least, held that understanding the universe should never eliminate the capability to wonder at it.
âThe universe is not only queerer than we suppose, it is queerer than we can suppose.â â J.B.S. Haldane
syzygy47 about 1 year ago
Mildly surprised no oneâs made the connection with Spiderman No Way Home, where he used his math skills to understand and counter Dr Strangeâs magic.
eishtmo about 1 year ago
Science is the rules that govern the universe. Magic is the exceptions to those rules.
artjohn42 about 1 year ago
Science is different from magic in that it always works. Until the power goes out.
willie_mctell about 1 year ago
Opinions differ. There have been a lot of stories written about systematized magic starting with Pratt and DeCampâs Harold Shea series.
puddleglum1066 about 1 year ago
In his last several âDiscworldâ books, Terry Pratchett shifted from magic to science and engineering. He said something to the effect (I am quoting from memory) that âthe wizard used magic to light up the roomâ is not interesting, while âa water wheel miles away spins a magnet in a coil of wire, causing electrons to move through that wire, across miles of additional wire, and eventually heat up a different piece of wire to the point where it gives off lightâ is very interesting indeed.
Having an engineering background, I agree with him.
MeanBob Premium Member about 1 year ago
I canât remember if it was Asimov, Heinlein, or someone else. But to paraphrase, they stated that any technology that was sufficiently advanced, would seem like magic to the uninitiated.
Aladar30 Premium Member about 1 year ago
But someone could use science in that way against you, Phoebe.
BWR about 1 year ago
Is any significantly advaced science indistinguishable from magic?
Or is any significantly advanced magic indistinguishable from science?
SNVBD about 1 year ago
Magic sounds a lot like faith.
Eala Dubh Sidhe about 1 year ago
Physics: âThis is what the rules dictate should and shouldnât be possible.âMagic: âSCREW THE RULES I HAVE MANAâ