tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24761391.post5663150627806308243..comments2023-10-26T22:06:11.166+11:00Comments on Metamagician3000: Sean Carroll's Thor connectionRussell Blackfordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12431324430596809958noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24761391.post-79280771150904481102011-05-12T07:05:31.918+10:002011-05-12T07:05:31.918+10:00Sort of an JLA: Act of God story, except that one ...Sort of an JLA: Act of God story, except that one made no damn sense.Svlad Cjellinoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24761391.post-15573130539944848622011-05-11T23:39:53.627+10:002011-05-11T23:39:53.627+10:00Svlad, it wasn't directed at you, it was simpl...Svlad, it wasn't directed at you, it was simply a stream of consciousness thought.<br /><br />The point being that in an infinite multiverse there will exist at least one where quantum probability will act in such a way as to give people the belief in magic. They will for 'science' around it and try to find out which causes have which effects (magic being a given by induction) and who knows what they'd come up with.<br /><br />Obviously this is an extreme version of the multiverse theory but I think there is a relatively interesting story there for a world that appears to work by magic and one day it stops. Especially if we find that, rather than random quantum chance, an alien civilisation had a machine that read the minds of people and used extreme tech to make it appear to the people as if magic was true. One day the machine breaks and they then have to try to survive in the 'natural' world.March Harehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13116034158087704885noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24761391.post-87655338603269339372011-05-10T23:17:55.197+10:002011-05-10T23:17:55.197+10:00It took me almost a week to figure out where I had...It took me almost a week to figure out where I had posted this. :)<br /><br />I'm not sure if March Hare was addressing me, but the comment still reminded me that "technology" is generally something people do, whereas "magic" is not necessarily so, and I should replace all instances of "magic" with "magical art".<br />In fact I'm not sure why I didn't from the start. I had that in mind before I started typing, but apparently forgot all about it.Svlad Cjellinoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24761391.post-8415091404949762782011-05-06T10:04:02.377+10:002011-05-06T10:04:02.377+10:00Imagine a true multiverse where every possible thi...Imagine a true multiverse where every possible thing that is physically possible will, in some universe, happen.<br /><br />In one of those universes some (and in another just one, and in another all) people's internal thoughts will actually be realised through quantum probability, whether that be the apparently magical appearance of a very confused cow in front of the wand or the disappearance of a jumbo jet from an open runway.<br /><br />In at least some of those universes physical forces will convince the people there that magic is a reality.<br /><br />I don't see how we can deny this if we assume the multiverse theory is true. Not that it makes magic correct any more than betting on all lotto numbers means you knew which were going to come up.March Harehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13116034158087704885noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24761391.post-45405159064486361512011-05-05T20:46:16.186+10:002011-05-05T20:46:16.186+10:00Actually that was something I really liked about T...Actually that was something I really liked about Thor, the fact that the scientists were genuinely likeable. It was more than anything an honest portrayal and that definitely stands out in recent memory.That Guy Montaghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10387637105335886493noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24761391.post-60043916195961109582011-05-05T18:41:57.174+10:002011-05-05T18:41:57.174+10:00Something about Clarke's law has been gnawing ...Something about Clarke's law has been gnawing at me. I'd venture that magic is technology. Is there a general description of what technology is which would strictly exclude some kinds of magic or all magic?<br />Is there a description of magic which does not conform to what it is to be a technology?<br /><br />This is mostly relevant to fiction.Svlad Cjellinoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24761391.post-90718918411890340872011-05-05T13:36:32.234+10:002011-05-05T13:36:32.234+10:00Thanks, Russell. I should mention that Ash Miller...Thanks, Russell. I should mention that Ash Miller and Zack Stentz, who wrote the final screenplay (as well as X-Men: First Class), are big science buffs, and in fact are shopping another screenplay based on Richard Feynman. There are plenty of science-friendly forces in Hollywood ... we just have to encourage them.Sean Carrollhttp://cosmicvariance.comnoreply@blogger.com