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nasredin · 05-26-2009, 08:30 AM

Hi guys,

I know not everybody shares my opinion, but here are my rouble 0.02:

For me, the only difference between magic and science is the direction of the time-scale: when the knowledge actively grows, it's science, when it's decaying, it's magic. Let me illustrate by example (note that I reversed the usual definitions of magic and technology):

My grandfather noticed that a certain incantation made his hands warmer. My father knew that incantation from childhood and later learned to cast the 'burning hands' spell. Working together, we found a more powerful variation, 'flame shroud'. My son invented a way to cast it over an area, here goes 'flame storm'. My grandson is a baby yet, he can't speak. Yet he sees what we do and learns. When he feels the room is not sufficiently warm, he lights a fire in the furnace with a gesture of an eyebrow. Surely, he is a talented boy, but even if he were not, we now know enough about fire to teach the tricks to any kid, and since the kids start where we've finished, they will certainly invent something new and exciting.

That's technology.

On the contrary,

My grandfather was an engineer on an FTL interstellar transport that brought us to this planet. My father still understood how the nuclear engines work. I still remember his explanation about magnetism and electricity, but I can't explain that to my son, who will have to live with a steam engine. It is rumoured that my grandfather left some books and notes in a hidden cache. Perhaps, a few generations later one of my descendants will be able to find them and learn to us some of the vast knowledge confined within.

That's magic.

Other than that, technilogy and magic are essentially interchangeable. The way most of use deal with a TV set (in real life!) is actually magic - I press a button, it starts showing me the film. How many of us can repair a TV or even explain in sufficient details how it works? On the other hand, if real magic comes to Earth today, the common research methodologies will be applied to it and in a few years all the incantations etc. will become a part of regular science as the appropriate physical laws (non-deterministic, if you wish - that doesn't really change anything) are formulated.

Back to the ogriginal theme, the magic-or-technology dualism shoudn't be a problem at all for a fantasy or an sf world. In either case a typical adventure is a quest; the adventurers may seek an ancient magic book in a lair of a nasty dragon, or they may look for a suitable place for some dangerous experiments that open the way to new exciting technologies, in either case it's "go ahead and explore". The success clearly depends on the skill of the storyteller and their ability to keep the interest of the reader rather than on mechanics of "Sesame, open".

05-26-2009, 08:30 AM	#18
nasredin Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Name: Boris Location: Moscow Home MUD: ArcticMUD (mud.arctic.org 2700) Posts: 38	Re: The Lost Cause of Magic Hi guys, I know not everybody shares my opinion, but here are my rouble 0.02: For me, the only difference between magic and science is the direction of the time-scale: when the knowledge actively grows, it's science, when it's decaying, it's magic. Let me illustrate by example (note that I reversed the usual definitions of magic and technology): My grandfather noticed that a certain incantation made his hands warmer. My father knew that incantation from childhood and later learned to cast the 'burning hands' spell. Working together, we found a more powerful variation, 'flame shroud'. My son invented a way to cast it over an area, here goes 'flame storm'. My grandson is a baby yet, he can't speak. Yet he sees what we do and learns. When he feels the room is not sufficiently warm, he lights a fire in the furnace with a gesture of an eyebrow. Surely, he is a talented boy, but even if he were not, we now know enough about fire to teach the tricks to any kid, and since the kids start where we've finished, they will certainly invent something new and exciting. That's technology. On the contrary, My grandfather was an engineer on an FTL interstellar transport that brought us to this planet. My father still understood how the nuclear engines work. I still remember his explanation about magnetism and electricity, but I can't explain that to my son, who will have to live with a steam engine. It is rumoured that my grandfather left some books and notes in a hidden cache. Perhaps, a few generations later one of my descendants will be able to find them and learn to us some of the vast knowledge confined within. That's magic. Other than that, technilogy and magic are essentially interchangeable. The way most of use deal with a TV set (in real life!) is actually magic - I press a button, it starts showing me the film. How many of us can repair a TV or even explain in sufficient details how it works? On the other hand, if real magic comes to Earth today, the common research methodologies will be applied to it and in a few years all the incantations etc. will become a part of regular science as the appropriate physical laws (non-deterministic, if you wish - that doesn't really change anything) are formulated. Back to the ogriginal theme, the magic-or-technology dualism shoudn't be a problem at all for a fantasy or an sf world. In either case a typical adventure is a quest; the adventurers may seek an ancient magic book in a lair of a nasty dragon, or they may look for a suitable place for some dangerous experiments that open the way to new exciting technologies, in either case it's "go ahead and explore". The success clearly depends on the skill of the storyteller and their ability to keep the interest of the reader rather than on mechanics of "Sesame, open".