See Larry Niven’s “The Magic Goes Away” universe. He does not seem to have worked out “particle physics with magic” to explain how to cast spells exactly, but he does have a universe that makes more logical sense in terms of economics and sociology and so on.
Basically all atoms in his universe had an aura of mana which functioned as a non-renewable source of “magical energy” for “everything magical you’ve ever heard about”. Some magic can also be gimmicked out of events with emotional resonance to recharge nearby atoms but not very much, and most really huge emotions happen because of personal loss, so there is still an implicit sort of “third law of magic dynamics” at work relative to any magic that’s worth acquiring.
The reason physicists haven’t discovered it is that there’s basically none left.
See Larry Niven’s “The Magic Goes Away” universe. He does not seem to have worked out “particle physics with magic” to explain how to cast spells exactly, but he does have a universe that makes more logical sense in terms of economics and sociology and so on.
Basically all atoms in his universe had an aura of mana which functioned as a non-renewable source of “magical energy” for “everything magical you’ve ever heard about”. Some magic can also be gimmicked out of events with emotional resonance to recharge nearby atoms but not very much, and most really huge emotions happen because of personal loss, so there is still an implicit sort of “third law of magic dynamics” at work relative to any magic that’s worth acquiring.
The reason physicists haven’t discovered it is that there’s basically none left.
Rot13 for spoilers about the physics and economics but not the plots:
Fbzr betnavfzf hfr guvf nf cneg bs gurve zrgnobyvfz (abj nyy rvgure rkgvapg be fghagrq naq abj ribyivat jvgubhg zntvp, sbe rknzcyr jvgu cbavrf orvat zntvp qrcevirq havpbeaf, fbzr zbqrea yvmneqf orvat zntvp qrcevirq qentbaf, naq tbqf orvat zbfgyl rkgvapg).
Jngre zvkrf, fb gur yriry bs zntvp gurer vf zber fzbbguyl fcernq nebhaq. Ynaq qbrf abg zvk irel zhpu, fb zntvp ba ynaq vf eryngviryl pyhzcl, jvgu pvgvrf (rfcrpvnyyl tnzoyvat unyyf naq cbyvgvpny ohvyqvatf) univat eryngviryl yvggyr orpnhfr fb znal fcryyf unir nyernql orra pnfg gurer naq hfrq vg hc. Va zbqrea gvzrf gur bayl fbheprf bs zntvp ner nfgrebvq snyyf, fyhqtr frqvzragvat fbzr jnl orgjrra gur obggbz bs gur bprna, pbfzvp qhfg, naq bgure “rkgreany fbheprf”, naq n ybg bs gurfr gevpxf jrer nyernql rkcybvgrq jura guvatf tbg ernyyl yrna. Erfvqhny zntvp nppbhagf sbe ehzbef bs tubfgf naq fhpu guvatf, ohg nyfb rkcynvaf jul vg qbrfa’g znggre irel zhpu abj. Fhcre nznmvat tbqf ab ybatre rkvfg va nal sbez gung vf fhcre cbjreshy, ohg gurl unq n qbzvanag crevbq nebhaq ovt onat, naq fbzr fgvyy rkvfgrq jura uhznaf ribyirq, naq tenagrq zntvpny snibef gb crbcyr jub urycrq gurz npdhver zntvp—onfvpnyyl nf n fbeg bs flzovbfvf.
Vs V erpnyy pbeerpgyl, gur zbba unf fbzr zntvp, ohg zbfg bs vg jnf hfrq hc va n fbzr fbeg bs zntvpnyyl cbjrerq qvfnfgre gung qrcyrgrq vg gurer gbb. Fvzvyneyl, Ngynagvf jnf n pbyyncfr bs pvivyvmngvba fgbel jura zntvpny qvxrf naq nagv-grpgbavp fcryyf fgnegrq gb snvy… vzntvar Arj Beyrnaf vs nyy genpgbef sbe rnegu zbivat fgbccrq jbexvat fbzrqnl.
Rpbabzvpf naq cbyvgvpf ner frafvoyr va guvf havirefr jvgu jvmneqf orvat rabezbhfyl jrnygul naq pncnoyr bs jvcvat bhg jubyr nezvrf (ng yrnfg orsber “crnx zntvp”). Nsgre crnx zntvp, gur cbyvgvpf jrer vagrerfgvat… yvxr jrerjbyirf jvgubhg zntvp ghearq bhg gb qrsnhyg gb jbyirf vafgrnq bs uhznaf, fb gurl orpbzr n irel cbyvgvpnyyl pbafreingvir snpgvba gung snibef nagv-zntvp hfr ynjf va cynprf gurl yvir, fb gung gurl pna xrrc ubyq bs fragvrapr sbe nf znal trarengvbaf nf cbffvoyr. Qbycuvaf ner jung lbh trg jura inevbhf fcrpvrf bs zre-crbcyr ner qrcevirq bs zntvp, naq gurl hfrq gb genqr svfu sbe gbbyf va frn cbegf, juvpu rkcynvaf cneg bs jul gurl ner fgvyy genvanoyr navznyf.
May I suggest “third law of thaumodynamics”?