Reed Richards Is Useless: Difference between revisions

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** In a reversal, electronics and other modern technology doesn't work in magical places like Hogwarts, which is why wizards don't use the internet and all information therefore must be painstakingly researched in gigantic tomes in the library. As the first six books were set in 1991-1997, the characters wouldn't be able to just google "Nicholas Flamel" or "How to breathe under water" anyway, but they'd still have a shitload more (and better organized) information if wizards used computers.
** In a reversal, electronics and other modern technology doesn't work in magical places like Hogwarts, which is why wizards don't use the internet and all information therefore must be painstakingly researched in gigantic tomes in the library. As the first six books were set in 1991-1997, the characters wouldn't be able to just google "Nicholas Flamel" or "How to breathe under water" anyway, but they'd still have a shitload more (and better organized) information if wizards used computers.
*** Actually, the wizards are still idiots -- magical paintings are effectively artificial intelligences based on the memories and personalities of the wizards painted in them, and yet nobody ever seems to think of finding out which wizards of the past were really cracking reference librarians and hanging a few paintings of them in study carrels for students to consult.
*** Actually, the wizards are still idiots -- magical paintings are effectively artificial intelligences based on the memories and personalities of the wizards painted in them, and yet nobody ever seems to think of finding out which wizards of the past were really cracking reference librarians and hanging a few paintings of them in study carrels for students to consult.
**** Averted in fanfic -- "Guardian" by 'Logicalmagic' has school textbooks that are sold with a miniature copy of the author's portrait on the inside of front cover, so that students who have questions about the material can simply consult the portrait for a personal tutoring session. Of course, in order to preserve the setting timeline, these textbooks are deprecated by the British Ministry of Magic's educational department and so Sirius has to import them for Harry from overseas.
*** For that matter, the Hogwarts library doesn't appear to have a reference librarian of any kind -- Madam Pince's only visible function is to check books in and out, and shush noisy students.
*** For that matter, the Hogwarts library doesn't appear to have a reference librarian of any kind -- Madam Pince's only visible function is to check books in and out, and shush noisy students.
* Actually explained very nicely in ''[[Young Wizards]]''. When Nita's mother develops cancer, she seeks out to heal her and it becomes the primary goal of the fifth book. It's stated that even though curing cancer is possible, it's very tricky to do. It's also stated that you not only have to heal the person, but also the cancer as well.
* Actually explained very nicely in ''[[Young Wizards]]''. When Nita's mother develops cancer, she seeks out to heal her and it becomes the primary goal of the fifth book. It's stated that even though curing cancer is possible, it's very tricky to do. It's also stated that you not only have to heal the person, but also the cancer as well.
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* Attempted in the [[Roald Dahl]] story ''[[George's Marvelous Medicine]]'' where the titular character ''does'' somehow come up with a medicine that increases the size of livestock that could in theory end world hunger. However, he never knew the recipe for the medicine, since he made it out of dozens of random items by pure accident, and all his attempts to recreate it result in increasingly bizarre results.
* Attempted in the [[Roald Dahl]] story ''[[George's Marvelous Medicine]]'' where the titular character ''does'' somehow come up with a medicine that increases the size of livestock that could in theory end world hunger. However, he never knew the recipe for the medicine, since he made it out of dozens of random items by pure accident, and all his attempts to recreate it result in increasingly bizarre results.
* In ''[[Wearing the Cape]]'', Verne-types (gadgeteers) are superhumans whose power is the ability to create Weird Science stuff, like powersuits and antigravity pods--but only for themselves; nothing can be mass-produced from the designs and formulas they create.
* In ''[[Wearing the Cape]]'', Verne-types (gadgeteers) are superhumans whose power is the ability to create Weird Science stuff, like powersuits and antigravity pods--but only for themselves; nothing can be mass-produced from the designs and formulas they create.



== Live Action TV ==
== Live Action TV ==
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