We etch runes into stones, imbue them with lightning, and thereby make them come alive and do our bidding... and you want to tell me computers are not magic?!
Again, we etch runes into stones, and by imbuing the runes with lightning, make the stones come alive and do our bidding. Tell me again computers aren't magic!
Computers are literally (literally) magic. Take a rock, use light to inscribe it with arcane runes, then infuse it with lightning and recite the proper incantation to complete the spell.
Technology in general and software in particular. Magic is affecting the world through words. This is what we do, we weave our spells of C, Ruby, shell or whatever and ... Things Happen.
Of course, most of the time nothing much happens, but that's par for the course :-)
It is still magic even if you know how it's done. -Terry Pratchett
I consider programming the most magical thing we have: We put mysterious incantations into mysterious contraptions and mysterious things happen. Harry Potters wand is not really impressive compared to a smartphone. I find software wonderful even after doing for over twenty years.
Haha yes, many have laid the link between magic and computers/programming. I remember as a child being very interested in magic and that fascination naturally refocussed to computers in my adult life.
Also check out this website for a funny parable about computers, DNS, wizards and the NSA:
http://grimoire.computer/
Some sort of high level body magic would work too, I'm thinking about some kind of general purpose blood-magic ritual.
I know optimism in and around computer tech is through the roof, but the levels of delusion on tech disruption topics in our community never ceases to amaze me.
With much of the world we interact with being digital, or at least digitally connected, the ability to interact with that world is like unlocking a magical power.
Invoke regex to search through or fix thousands of pages of documents. Instantiate a daemon to help you around the house. Cast a bot army to do your bidding. Prove an idea true or false by creating a simulation of it. Create the app that no one would ever make because only you in particular need it.
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