#magic and technology

[thepostmodernpottercompendium]

DUDE, THE THING ABOUT MAGIC AS ELECTRICITY. I've long felt that I have a greater affinity to technology than nature and have long been curious about technopaganism and the use of electricity as magic. Maybe there are modern-day wix who have figured out how to harness magic & electricity so that they don't combat each other but instead can enhance each other? Or they're sensitive to electrical fields but have learnt how to not get overwhelmed by them?

OMG OMG OMG OK SO LET ME TELL YOU A THING

essayofthoughts and I were on a mad headcanon binge the other day and they came up with the idea, what if wands (in addition to helping weaker wix channel their magic better) were used as punishments to help extremely powerful wix contain their magic so that they didn't accidentally end up causing too much damage etc with the great amount of magic they were channelling through them.

SO OMG WHAT IF SOME WIX LEARNT HOW TO RESTRAIN THEIR MAGIC FURTHER, (BEYOND JUST THE RESTRAINTS USING A WAND PROVIDES) SO THEY COULD OPERATE MUGGLE MACHINERY ON A MUGGLE BASIS FIRST AND THEN THEY FIGURED OUT HOW TO USE THEIR MAGIC TO ACTUALLY POWER THE MACHINERY AND THEN THEY WORK IT TOGETHER AND THEY FIGURE OUT HOW TO USE THESE MACHINES AND TECH AND STUFF TO DO THINGS MUGGLES COULD NEVER EVEN IMAGINE?

Like in another conversation with ppyajunebug, we were talking about fMRIs and how wix could have modified them so that they work on wix SO THAT THESE THINGS COULD ACTUALLY NOT JUST PICK UP BRAIN ACTIVITY OF A WIX BUT ALSO TRACES OF MAGICAL ACTIVITY (THE EXTRANEOUS ELECTRIC-BASED ACTIVITY HAPPENING IN THE BRAIN ETC) AND THEY COULD USE THAT TO FIGURE OUT HOW INTENT AND MAGIC WORK TOGETHER.

JUST GIVE ME WIX AND SCIENCE AND TECH. ALL THE THINGS THEY COULD DO.

[litrpgburrito]

The Seattle Stacks

[Lore surrounding a version of Seattle where magic and technology collide]

In the shadow of the Space Needle, amidst the verdant sprawl of what was once a bustling Seattle park, lies the Seattle Stacks. A haphazard skyline of motor homes, each one a relic of a bygone era, now stacked atop one another in a defiant monument to survival. The Stacks are more than just a neighborhood; they are a sanctuary for the misfits, the mages, and the machinists of a world where the lines between technology and magic have blurred into obscurity.

The story of the Seattle Stacks begins with the Great Convergence, an event that fused the realms of the arcane and the engineered. Magic, once thought to be the stuff of legend, flowed into the world like a tidal wave, crashing against the shores of reality. Technology, which had reached its zenith, suddenly found itself infused with this new, wild energy. The results were both wondrous and catastrophic.

In the aftermath, society reformed in unexpected ways. The Stacks emerged as a community for those who sought to blend the old with the new. Here, enchanters worked alongside engineers to fortify their homes against the elements and the creatures that roamed the wilds beyond. Poles and bars, imbued with spells of strength, held the precarious towers of homes aloft. Chains enchanted with protective wards clinked in the wind, a symphony of security for the inhabitants.

The heart of the Stacks was its people. Each tower, a small neighborhood unto itself, thrived on the cooperation of its residents. From the cyber-witches who wove spells into neon lights, giving them a life of their own, to the gearhead sorcerers who conjured mechanical familiars from spare parts and sheer will, the community was a tapestry of innovation and tradition.

At the center of it all stood the Emerald Tower, the first and tallest stack. It was here that the leaders of the Stacks convened, a council of the wise that guided the community through the challenges of their new world. They were the keepers of lore, the architects of the Stacks' future, and the bridge between the mystical and the mechanical.

As the sun sets, casting long shadows over the Stacks, the neon lights flicker to life, painting the sky with vibrant hues. The air hums with the energy of a hundred spells, and the scent of sizzling circuits mingles with the earthy aroma of the park's ancient trees. The Seattle Stacks stand as a beacon of hope, a testament to the resilience of humanity, and a reminder that even in a world divided, there is a place for unity—in the stacks where magic and machine coexist in harmony.

[pottermetaarchive]

“I don’t believe it, I’m still eight inches short. …” said Ron furiously, letting go of his parchment, which sprang back into a roll. “And Hermione’s done four feet seven inches and her writing’s tiny.”

Chamber of Secrets, Ch. 9

Physical length by feet and inches seems like an odd way to measure the length of essays, but when you’re working with parchment rolls, you don’t really have much of a choice. 

British wizarding society as a whole seems to think it peaked somewhere around the 14th century and they haven’t changed since. That’s why they’re still using parchment and quills in the 1990s, why the wizarding world seems so stagnant, and why progress is so painfully slow: they already think they’re an ideal society and they can’t be bothered to change, whether that change is as small as the writing materials they use or as big as who they choose to exclude from that society.

[cowtale-utau]

More questions. You mentioned monster tech in your other answer. If the monsters had better tech are they rapid advancing in some areas for the Cowboy era? Do they use it to their advantage? Is anyone kinda like wtf how did you do that?

Monsters basically started out with “modern” tech. They were ahead in a lot of ways (the core, etc) because of magic-tech, and behind in others (no way of knowing where the humans are at tech wise, besides what fell in the dump). When the others starting showing up they brought a variety of things with them. Some were behind, some ahead, and some... sideways? So they are so far ahead of humanity at this point, it isn’t even funny. But the thing is, they won’t share it. It was considered, and debated, but ultimately it was decided, the humans can’t be trusted. So most of the most advanced tech stays in the mountain. There are only two ways in, and both are guarded zealously. Ebott Territory and Ebott City are similarly guarded. It’s not easy for humans to get in, and most human/monster trade is done in border cities. The borders are patrolled, and they are extremely careful. There are humans living there, but they are carefully vetted, and sworn to secrecy on anything “odd” they see. 

Now that’s not to say monsters aren’t helping or anything. As humanity progresses on it’s own, they tend to... guide, if you will. Leaving helpful hints and tips and ideas about as they come up naturally. Magic though is not really shared. They haven’t really run into any magical humans aside from the occasional anomaly with a specific and minor power. Part of Aurum and Viridis’ work is figuring out what happened to the mages. (They’re still there, they’re just better at hiding now). They will give humans trust and tech as they earn it, but its unlikely as it stands, that monsters will ever trust humans with magic. But luckily it’s kinda a moot point as human magic and monster magic tends to be vastly different. 

So pretty much, monsters are way ahead, but they are very careful not to advertise it. The only hint of it that most people get is easily enough written off by humans willingness to just accept and dismiss odd things. Like the gang for instance, they use subspace to carry way more than they appear to. But because they always have out a “normal” amount of camp stuff, and take things out of subspace carefully so as to not suddenly double there supplies, no one really notices. There have probably been a few close calls with things like cell phones (magic based or satellites they snuck up, I haven’t decided yet, maybe both) and some of the devices Aur and Vir use in their research travels, but they’re pretty good at covering their own asses. Ebott city is probably the biggest “wtf” zone, as it has power and plumbing and what not beyond the rest of the world. If it were ever to come up however, they’d probably try to brush it off as “what else would we do in a cave, than design a better toilet?”.

Hope that answered what you wanted. If not, lemme know, and I’ll see what I can do. (‾◡◝)

[fairytalescrapbook]

Really interesting thoughts on how technology today compares to magic. Some quotes below:

I had a whole conversation with a friend on Twitter about a year ago, talking about how our use of the internet in particular could very well be seen as magic. Heck, we even tap into grounding magics and unseen forces (electricity, wi-fi, digital signals) by using various gateways (you need power cords or stored power, a computer and the knowledge to make the computer do what you want it to), use a ritual (plug in, turn on, software load), add an access spell (password typing, often while using phrases such as "come one, come on, come on!") to gain access to the unseen world (the internet) and our effectiveness in doing whatever it is we're wanting to do (online) being limited to how powerful in magic we are or how much power we've paid for (computer/internet knowledge, levels of access, pay our bills), our magical training (knowledge of navigation and software use), if the magic is stable and accessible that day or season (server connection and function) etc... There are even - if you look closely - a whole set of superstitions about the use and handling of computers, internet navigation and sites. And a virus could easily be seen as a curse in the most basic sense.

[...]

Once I started looking around (on the internet of course!) I found many, many instances of people virtually saying the same thing. Check out these links HERE, HERE, a more in-depth look at the ideas HERE (though I would have to add that I think there have always been magical practitioners who are interested in "taking the black box apart" and it's not just scientists who do that) and a more sci-fi vs fantasy take HERE. We live in a magical time of everyday miracles - all of which we usually take for granted. We shouldn't. Especially now where we've reached the wireless age and it wouldn't take much for our entire way of life to be wiped out.

[thepostmodernpottercompendium]

Going off the idea of technology and magic, one thing I never understood was the MoM's adversion to Muggle technology. I gess I kind of get it if they want to keep the worlds separate, but you would think there's a division of tech savoy witches and wizards at the ministry who monitor the internet and such for hinky stuff, maybe debunking sightings of flying cars and stuff. And maybe hacking to make witches and wizards appear in muggle databases when needed.

I’m guessing there is such a department, that would be the logical thing to assume. Interestingly, not all the departments in the MoM report to the Minister for Magic and not all of them are under the control of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement! The Department of Mysteries, for example, does not report to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and so basically exist outside of the law. So it’s probably safe to assume that a lot of the Ministry departments function very independently of each other and so, that they could actually have very different stances on technology use across departments. Given that, its quite possible that there’s a wing in the Muggle-worthy Excuse Committee dedicated to trawling the internet to make sure no information about the wizarding world getting out.

My personal headcanon regarding their aversion to technology is that besides it being a matter of pureblood pride (if I have magic I can do anything, which is not altogether wrong), there were a couple of wixes who saw the folly of introducing the magical world to technology, because the bad things that humans can do with technology (e.g. nuclear bombs) and the bad things that wizards can do with magic (e.g. horcruxes), combined together would cause absolute fucking chaos.

I mean, hell, you don’t even have to be a dark wizard to just think of three really bad and dangerous ideas. I mean imagine a scenario where a person splits their soul and seals it in a metaphysical container - in a string of code, or as a thing on a hard drive. That thing is now possessed. You connect that to a computer which is logged into the internet and the whole damn horcrux could easily infect the internet. Hell you could even have a dark lord/lady who resurrects themselves as an AI that lives exclusively on the internet and all the computer systems that are hooked into the internet, which y’know, at least you save on the minion-recruitment costs, but from a law-enforcement point of view, is a pain in the ass.

This isn’t including essayofthoughts' spectacular idea of magical bombs/grenades which explode with the power of ten thousand suns (even worse if they're chemical bombs, but instead of lethal bacteria, they have dissolved fairy dust inside them).

Purely from that point of view, it makes sense to keep magic and technology separated, because if there’s one thing we know about the wizarding world its that 90% of the people in power are assholes and the last thing you want is to be putting that kind of power in the hands of people who a) more or less exist above the law and b) hate everyone who isn’t pureblood.

ALSO, I don’t see why witches and wizards would need to appear on muggle databases. As far as we know, the only reasons they’d need to do so was if they needed healthcare (which is irrelevant, because most things can be healed with healing charms and potions), if they needed unemployment benefits (again, irrelevant because the wizarding world seems to have jobs for everyone, or at least allow room for enterprenurial endeavours - think WWW and the short time within which it was set up) or if they needed it for law enforcement (all law enforcement is handled by wizards themselves) OR if they needed it for international travel, which is again irrelevant because we don’t know if wix have passports/visas/restrictions on international travel in the same way that muggle populations do, though I have looked into this in detail on my personal blog over here and here.

I’m not arguing that magic and technology shouldn’t be brought together, but its my personal headcanon that the wizarding world as we see it in the HP books is not ready for it and would probably end up creating something horribly dangerous with it and then use it to kill muggleborns. Is it a possibility for the years after the war? Maybe. Maybe once purebloods realize that they can’t just go around killing people they don’t like.

[skypalacearchitect]

What do you imagine them all growing up to be? Idk about Al and James but I imagine Rose to do social work or something. And I imagine Hugo as a magical engineer? Like this is partly just based off my love of engineering but just. Magical engineering?? Like imagine all the possibilities! Useful little devices that helped people and huge, radical developments in technology (like pls these people go around in TRAINS and CARRIAGES) just I think it would be so whimsical and cool and HUGO.

I don’t really imagine them growing up to be and their careers, because, after that would be like in 2025, but yeah, Hugo could totally be a magical engineer!!! Although it’s possible that a lot of what he does is just try and introduce wizarding England to magical technology that already exists and is used widely in the international magical community 

For example: im pretty sure that other brilliant people in other parts of the world have already figured out how to convert certain forms of magical energy into electricity to charge their devices, and make a more environmentally sustainable world. Lily Luna definitely made the youth blog version on a separate internet network that people around the world made and use so that people can’t complain about new technology breaking the Statute. (Separate internet networks is totally a thing; that’s what North Korea uses for its few internet users so that they don’t start getting ideas from the rest of the world.) 

Although there is totally an anti-Statute movement: we already know that the Bent Winged Snitches feel this way for example. And like I already said, the Statute of Secrecy was totally used to justify magical imperialism and colonialism, similarly to how English muggles used Christianity as a justification.

However, I could also see Hugo becoming a teacher at Hogwarts and teaching an elective on Alternative Forms of Magic or something. Or maybe just writing or TALKING about it. 

Plus, drawing back on what I said earlier, maybe Hugo could start using the magical network to learn from other magical engineers, collaborate with them, and decide he wants to work with them on using magical technology to save the environment. He could totally then work with magical environmental conservationists like Luna Lovegood then. (Speaking of which, I like to think that at least one of Luna’s kids followed her path. Also then they and Hugo could work together!!!)  

[the-snow]

Sotha Sil was perhaps one of my favorite video game gods growing up.

He was reclusive, hiding deep away in his clockwork catacombs and tinkering with the fine line between technology and magic. He made pacts with the god-Princes and looked out for those who wielded the arcane arts. He took an evil power and used it for good, teaching others the way of power. He build life from metal, magic, and flesh. He built contraptions and machinery unlike any that have ever been seen before. He ripped his world into a bubble outside of the known universe and hid there until he was long forgotten by most.

And in the end, he was destroyed, lost, forgotten in his own grand creation. 

[limecornchip]

OMG!!! #15 for Ja'Sarra and Shaei!! Because I think you coulD MAKE IT CUTE / FUNNY!!! And um 28 for Clemence and Alessia?? IF YOU WANT???

Typing on my phone! Also gonna do one and post the other separately, it's too bad double readmores aren't a thing :c

So first up is 28 with Clemence and Alessia cause I got an idea for that one first! I hope it's okay!

"I don't actually know what this is called, but..."

Alessia leaned over and set the wooden block squarely in the center of the table. It was triangluar in shape, and dotted with holes; consequently, a number of pins lay beside it.

Clemence gazed upon the little board game for a moment. It certainly looked familiar, but theh, there was nothing particularly outstanding about its appearance.

"I've think I've seen this before," he said, picking up a pin to examine it. "Do the colors of the pins mean anything?"

Alessia's gaze shifted to the side and she shrugged, to which Clemence responded with mild surprise. "You mean you don't know?"

"Well, I -" Alessia sucked in air, puffing her cheeks. She exhaled after a moment, but she still continued to pout.

No," she finally replied. "But -- it shouldn't. I mean, I certainly wasn't aware of it if so..."

"It's fine," Clemence reassured her with a wave of his hand. "So what are the rules?"

Alessia perked up a tad at this and moved the game slightly towards herself.

"First," she said, gesturing to the board, "You put in all the pins." One by one she placed each pin inside a hole, leaving a single hole remaining.

"You can jump over a pin if there's a nearby space available, see," Alessia explained. "Each pin you jump over, you remove. You win if only one is left."

The Alakashao demonstrated this by making the first jump and taking out a pin -- and then she took out another, and another ...

She got stuck after a minute though. She rested her face in her hands and furrowed her brow, staring intensely at the game -- though she could not figure out which move would be best.

Clemence, however, had been observing for a while. He leaned over, and pointed to the game.

"Mind if I--"

Alessia shook her head and pushed the game over to him. He looked over it for a moment, before cautiously jumping over a pin and taking it out. He then moved the game back to Alessia, and she did the same.

This continued for a brief moment before the game was back in Clemence's hands. He jumped over the pin, and once more, and after this, there was only one left.

Alessia's eyes widened slightly and she nodded. "Good! You did it, there's jus one left. So, you win."

Clemence grinned and looked over the now nearly barren block. 

"Well, you did help me, after all. Still, pretty nifty! Where do you find these things?"

Alessia was silent for a moment.

"I don't really know. Any old store, I guess. This one has always been lying around the house." she paused for a moment, before resting her cheek in her hand.

"I want you to have it."

[pottermetaarchive]

…It was very hard to know where to begin, not knowing what Flamel might have done to get himself into a book.

Philosopher’s Stone, Ch. 12

This is one of those times that Wizard Google would be really useful.

[streets-of-stellarosa]

Aether

Aether is a naturally occuring energy that flows through the world. It is all but omnipresent, but invisible to the naked eye under most circumstances, and passes through most objects without reacting or interacting with them. Most people wade through a sea of aether every day without in any way experiencing its presence, more innocuous than the air they breathe. But, just like air, aether can sometimes flow in patterns that do have a more discernible impact on the world.

Aether is rarely still and rarely moves in straight lines; it is always twisting, swirling, the currents splitting off and interweaving and looping back. When aetheric energy flows through certain shapes, it produces tangible effects--anything from a slight disruption in the air to the dilation of time itself. These shapes are known as runes.

More than a thousand runes have been identified, although the exact number is disputed, and it is assumed there are many that have yet to be discovered. Each individual rune has a relatively simple effect, though variation in the size of the shape and the intensity of the aetheric flow can change the potency of that effect. However, when aether flows through multiple runic shapes in succession, more complex effects may be produced. This is a rare occurrence in nature, though not unheard of; it is, however, the primary focus of the study of magic.

[yagotpromisedoodle]

🚀 Ready for a wild ride through "A Chronicle of Blasphemy"? 🧙‍♂️ Cyrano's dealing with afterlife chaos, and Evie's got front-row seats to a coup! 🌪️ Uncover the madness on my Patreon: 📚✨

[stevensavage]

Magic, Technology, And Worldbuilding is Out!

It's out!  The latest of the Way With Worlds miniguides, this one on Magic and Technology - because for the sake of worldbuilding, they're usually the same!

Each book contains 50 questions on the specific subject, plus a bunch of extras, to help worldbuilders think, ponder, and design.  Think of it as a personal coaching session in a book!  On top of that, each is only 99 cents!

To celebrate, the flagship book, Way With Worlds, is on sale for a week!  It's your chance to pick it up!

So go on, give it a spin - and remember, more are coming . . .

- Steve

www.StevenSavage.com

www.InformoTron.com

[dragonspirebooks]

Sunday Scribbles Writing Prompts, Week 14: Trains. A wizard takes a train in the year 3000.

Sunday Scribbles Writing Prompts, Week 14: Trains. A wizard takes a train in the year 3000.

Welcome to Sunday Scribbles! Today marks week 14 of the 52 week writing challenge! Introductory post: Sunday Scribbles announcement post Past prompts: Sunday Scribbles past prompts The prompt for 9th April is ‘Trains’: When I was in London for two weeks doing work experience in editorial, I took the underground train a lot. It was interesting to say the least, and it was also pretty…

[thepostmodernpottercompendium]

Cold, burning judgement. Not breathing, but still living. Not man, but in every way his equal. A creation, yet in every way equal to the creator.

The creator, himself, a creation.

Born of steel and metal and endowed with a mind and a soul. Brought to life by a single word.

Creation and emulation or transgression and hubris?

It lives and worse still, it loves.

(Worst of all, it can be loved.)

The cold burn of steel against flesh.

___________

He wonders if he chose rightly, all those months ago when Artemisia Hyslop first approached him about the project. She had insisted that he was the right person for the job, along with the few others who had been there a decade ago when they first modified Lavender Brown’s body and made her what the muggles called a cyborg. If there’s anyone who deserves to be part of this, Hyslop had said, smiling at him, it’s you. Such high praise from the Head of the Department of Mysteries – there was no point denying the swell of pride in his chest at the thought that he had been handpicked for this job by the Head of the Department.

On the other hand, he finds he has wandered now into unknown territory. Dangerous, profane ground. There are no clear-cut answers here, only questions, questions and more questions.

Am I? Do I dare?

As long as you humble yourself, says his father meaningfully and then says no more.

But.

But.

The creature, no being, lives and thinks and feels. It is no mere Golem, made of steel and not clay. This is fully man, fully inhuman and it is wise and it speaks.

(And worse still, it can be loved.)

_________

Have not robots lips, and humble, holy men too?

_________

Has he now turned his back on the One who gave him his gift of magic? What is love and what is idolatry, when love is aimed not at man, but that which was made in the image of man?

Yet is a living, dreaming, loving creation but an image – only ever destined to remain a hollow imitation of man, though it has a soul and if it so willed, could even fashion for itself a horcrux – or is it a man?

Is this love or is this blasphemy?

One way or another, this is dangerous ground, this is drowning, this is the beginning of the fall and now there is no turning back. There is no switch, no button to switch it off, to kill it.

They cannot kill this robot.

__________

Sin from thy lips? O trespass sweetly urged! Give me my sin again.

__________

For the first time he is truly shaken and asks himself, every time as the burning cold sears his skin, where his faith lies in all of this. They have always questioned and doubted and erred on the side of caution. Only the most holy might fashion Golems and only the most holy might truly understand the mysteries of language for only holiness tempered by humility can stop man’s heart from swelling with pride and from moving to hubris.

But this, this in itself, such fiery passion, so heady, so full of folly, is not that its own hubris?

__________

This is the very ecstasy of love Whose violent property foredoes itself, And leads the will to desperate undertakings.

__________

If only. That there were rules to follow. That there were those who had gone before and who, in their greater wisdom, had laid out the rules for the future of the world. In this uncharted territory, there is only his wisdom and the halakha and that does not tell him, as a simple yes or no, whether to fall in love with a living and thinking wixen being that he has created, is blasphemy or not.

He must answer this question for all of them.

Cold lips. Dead – no living. Thrumming, humming, living. Searing electric heat, gently brushing his neck. Cold, burning cold. Cold, burning steel. Cold, burning judgement.

_________

אוֹ בְּאַיְלוֹת הַשָּׂדֶה אִם תָּעִירוּ | וְאִם תְּעוֹרְרוּ  אֶת הָאַהֲבָה עַד שֶׁתֶּחְפָּץ:

Awaken not, nor stir up love, until it please.

(For the anon who wanted to hear about Anthony Goldstein. Quotes taken from Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet and Song of Songs Ch 2 v 7. The lovely waveringbriar was an invaluable help in providing me information & help wrt AIs and debates on the ethics surrounding their creation in the Jewish community. If there is anything you think that needs to be fixed in this fic, please do tell me.)

[swinefilth]

criptydz replied to your post:im not suicidal because im sad im suicidal because...

weird science

weird ooo