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Ben, Evan, and Steve talk about magic in fiction and reality.
The article that got them to finally talk it through:
Magic Is Not Different than Science in Fiction
The Magic Episode! – SA188
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One response to “The Magic Episode! – SA188”
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Good show, guys.
I had come to the conclusion that there are two types of magic as well, an invoking magic, ie: calling on an “other” force, and what I would call “formulaic” magic where doing a particular thing leads to a particular result.In my mind, neither one has to be supernatural. For example, if I were able to communicate with the bacteria in my body and get it to (say) close a wound, that might be a type of invocational “magic”. It seems supernatural to someone who doesn’t understand microscopic organisms, and to someone else who doesn’t think that you can get bacteria to do what you want them to do, but, theoretically, it wouldn’t be any different than getting your dog to sit.
In my mind, formulaic magic, which is similar to Steve’s incantational magic, isn’t supernatural at all, just an unknown use of natural properties. It could be something as simple as holding this piece of paper, and waving it around which creates a gentle breeze to carry away my sweat (fanning myself). It might be as strange as producing these four notes in this sequence in this cadence whereby grass grows faster. It has been shown that talking to plants actually does effect their growth… this fictional version of that is just an exaggerated version of that. To my mind, “magical” potions and alchemy would be simply unexplained natural phenomena. The “love potion” simply stimulates parts of the brain to make a feeling of obsession, possessiveness, or even submissiveness. To a culture who doesn’t understand brain chemistry such an act is fantastical and magic.
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