Interesting. I hadn’t thought about that. Now that I think about it, you’re right; most fictional magic does act on things that are fundamental concepts in people’s minds, rather than on things that are actually fundamental.
That said, I still say it all sounds like magic. I couldn’t tell you exactly what algorithm my brain uses to come up with “sounds like magic”, though.
Now that I think about it, you’re right; most fictional magic does act on things that are fundamental concepts in people’s minds, rather than on things that are actually fundamental.
I didn’t just have fictional magic in mind; concepts like sympathetic magic are widespread, maybe even universal in human culture. Humans seem to have strong innate intuitions about the working of magic.
Interesting. I hadn’t thought about that. Now that I think about it, you’re right; most fictional magic does act on things that are fundamental concepts in people’s minds, rather than on things that are actually fundamental.
That said, I still say it all sounds like magic. I couldn’t tell you exactly what algorithm my brain uses to come up with “sounds like magic”, though.
I didn’t just have fictional magic in mind; concepts like sympathetic magic are widespread, maybe even universal in human culture. Humans seem to have strong innate intuitions about the working of magic.