Magic From Technology: Difference between revisions

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** Again after the time skip, where she even corrects one of the enemies by stating her abilities is "purely science" while using a new staff she calls "sorcery climate".

* In ''[[GaoGaiGar]]'' (and its later OVA, [[GaoGaiGar]] FINAL), the [[Amplifier Artifact|G-Stone]] {{spoiler|and its relative the J-Jewel}}, [[The Virus|Zonder Metal]], and the [[Matter Replicator|Pas-Q Machine]] all do things that either border on or [[Beyond the Impossible|far, FAR surpass the impossible]], and no explanation for their operation is given beyond [[Imported Alien Phlebotinum|'ancient alien technology'.]]

== Comic Books ==

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** However, a later revelation added another layer in that {{spoiler|the [[Magitek]] that formed the basis of Beta Technology is the physics and science of the previous universe, destroyed before our Big Bang. When survivors of that universe managed to thread the needle and escape into the new universe, they brought their science with them, which bent the natural laws of the new universe in ways that shouldn't be possible, thus making it Magic From Technology and [[Magitek]] simultaneously.}}

* Skartaris, setting for ''[[The Warlord]]'', not only contains genuine magic but a lot of pre-cataclysmic Atlantean technology that functions like magic to the primitive inhabitants.

== Fan Works ==

* In the [[Expanded Universe]] of ''[[Daria]]'', the ''Ringbearers'' and their weapons, the ''Defender Rings'', fall squarely into this trope.

== Film ==

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* In ''[[John Carter (film)|John Carter]]'', the ancient, immortal [[Superior Species|Therns]] wield what a modern man might call weaponized nanotechnology (powered by the "Ninth Ray"). It takes the form of an easily-concealed mass of lichen-like vines that grow and adapt to the user's needs: making [[Frickin' Laser Beams|beam weapons]] of [[BFG|various sizes]], [[Absurdly Sharp Blade]]s, and even crawling on the skin of someone else to either kill them by crushing the skull or restrain their movement by implanting themselves into the skin. Of course, since this ''is'' the very early 20th century, the stuff looks more like magic than anything.

** Other powers include a means of [[Voluntary Shapeshifting]], long-range communication and travel and a medallion that can transport people between planets via [[Astral Projection]] (that is, leaving the original body sleeping where you left it, and sending a copy with your mind in it to the destination).

== Literature ==

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* Subverted in the [[Harry Turtledove]] short story ''Death in Vesuna''. A hot-headed time traveler shoots a Roman book dealer in order to get a book that doesn't exist in his time. The locals, who only heard the gunshot and found the corpse, assume it was "Zeus's thunderbolt", but the two men investigating the case use logic and intelligence to figure out exactly what happened.

** Also subverted in ''The Guns of the South'', the novel that made Turtledove famous. Time travelers go back to change [[The American Civil War]] in the Confederacy's favor by arming them with AK-47s. The guns are never treated as magic, simply as weapons of amazing quality whose appearance makes no sense (as a Confederate gunsmith points out, the guns simply appear out of nowhere, without any precursor models, which would still be vastly superior to anything currently available). Within a couple of years, the Confederates are producing their own copies (and the last chapter says that the United States has developed similar weapons). The same thing is true of the MREs and instant coffee the time travelers had. Dessicated foods are nothing new, just the idea of preparing coffee and whole meals that way.

* Averted in the first [[Discworld]] novel, ''[[~~Discworld/The Colour of Magic|~~The Colour of Magic]].'' Incompetent wizard Rincewind has sometimes wondered whether there might be something different from magic, something better. The Agatean tourist Twoflower shows up with a camera and hires Rincewind as his guide/interpreter. When Rincewind first sees it, he surmises that it could ''possibly'' work by focusing light onto paper treated with extracts from photosensitive plants, thus creating the image. Simplifying for the locals Twoflower wants to photograph, he says, "He has a demon in the box that draws pictures. Do as the madman says and he will give you gold." He's rather disappointed to discover that the box ''indeed'' contains a demon that draws pictures.

* Averted in the first [[Discworld]] novel, ''[[The Colour of Magic]].'' Incompetent wizard Rincewind has sometimes wondered whether there might be something different from magic, something better. The Agatean tourist Twoflower shows up with a camera and hires Rincewind as his guide/interpreter. When Rincewind first sees it, he surmises that it could ''possibly'' work by focusing light onto paper treated with extracts from photosensitive plants, thus creating the image. Simplifying for the locals Twoflower wants to photograph, he says, "He has a demon in the box that draws pictures. Do as the madman says and he will give you gold." He's rather disappointed to discover that the box ''indeed'' contains a demon that draws pictures.

* Taken literally in ''[[The Book of the New Sun]]'' by [[Gene Wolfe]]—all magic comes from [[Lost Technology]].

* [[Isaac Asimov]]'s ''The Last Question'' turns out to be {{spoiler|''Divinity''}} From Technology.

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* [[David Weber]]'s ''[[Safehold]]'' series takes place on a planet where the original colonists were brainwashed to believe the founders were archangels, backed up of course by high tech and kept in a mideval state of technology by orbiting satelites that wipe out any exampe of technology that isn't muscle, wind or water powered.

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== Live-Action TV ==

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== Live Action TV ==

* The ''[[Star Trek: The Original Series]]'' episodes "Who Mourns For Adonais?", "Catspaw" and "The Squire Of Gothos". This is also vaguely implied to be what powers Q in ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation]]'' and the Prophets from ''[[Star Trek: Deep Space Nine]]''.

** The ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation]]'' episode "Who Watches The Watchers" uses this explanation to convince the people that they are not gods, by pointedly asking how they themselves might be regarded by ancient ancestors who had never seen a bow and arrow strike down an animal at range.

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** This is actually state policy. Common folk do not understand that their machines are exactly that and refer to "machine spirits" which need to be "appeased" by "rituals" to keep them working, healthy, and benevolent. Lesser "Tech Priests" usually buy the propaganda, too. Of course, the "religious" rituals tend to be good, old-fashioned maintenance with a few hymns thrown in. Based on the author (and world), this cargo cult madness might be reserved for very complex machines or might result in folks sing hymns to their noble, fallen light bulbs when they burn out. Whatever the case may be, the ''vast, vast'' majority of humans truly believe technology is magic.

* Lampshaded in ''d20 Past'', a supplement for ''[[D20 Modern]]''. The "Pulp Heroes" campaign setting includes a "Scientist" advanced class. One of the class features is that they make scientific discoveries, which they can then use to create technological devices by spending XP. The effects of these devices are taken from the spell lists for the "Urban Arcana" setting.

== Video Games ==

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== [[Web Original]] ==

* In [http://everything2.com/title/How%2520the%2520scientists%2520discovered%2520magic How Scientists discovered magic]. Inverted with [http://everything2.com/title/How%2520mages%2520discovered%2520the%2520scientific%2520method How mages discovered the scientific method].

== [[Western Animation]] ==