Magic vs. Science

[AdiabaticCombustion]

Hey all, I wanted to pose a question to you on transformation triggers. It seems there's two camps on what causes a tf, science fiction based (gamma rays, tf virus, etc.) or a magic based (curses, enchanted items, possession, etc.). From a story telling perspective, is there one you prefer over the other? Or does it just not matter to you?

[EduartBoudewijn]

Personally I always enjoy magic more than science. Mostly because magic allows for more suspension of disbelieve.

[tghawk555]

I tend to prefer magic because it usually involves more in the way of process. I know that there are examples of process in terms of science, but I feel that magic has more to offer. And, like Eduart said, it allows for the suspension of disbelief: we know how science works, to an extent, but we're not exactly knowledgeable when it comes to magic. Plus, it's easier to find a way for magic to do anything than it is for science to do so.

[Obsidian]

Either one works for me.

[Nihtgenga]

Any sufficiently advanced science is indistinguishable from magic, and vice versa.

AKA, whatever fits the story's fine by me.

[Prof_Sai]

Superman and mutant powers are neither science nor magic. There is also psionics, angelic power, and reality warping. (Demonic power is often connected to magic, but angelic isn't, strangely.)

[danielsangeo]

Superman and mutant powers are technically science. Both are biological. Superman, being an alien, has his superpowers coming from the yellow star in the middle of our solar system. In other solar systems, he may not have any superpowers at all (which bodes well for us--maybe we can be superpeople around some other star. Get to it, scientists!).

In the same manner, mutants are biological as well, but I'm not sure if it's as well understood from whence the powers come.

[Prof_Sai]

Well, that's stretching the definition of "Science" to the limit. Why (and how?) would an organism evolve powers that it could never use, except in a situation that none of it's race had ever been in before? Has anyone tried eating moon rocks? Maybe that gives us superpowers!

The light from a red sun would resemble light from an incandescent bulb. Photons just don't carry that much energy. Stars emit neutrinos, but they carry next to no energy. To explain superman, you would have to invent so much babble that it might as well be magic.

[danielsangeo]

The way that I see it, it's not necessarily that the organism evolves those powers as it could be a reaction similar to what happens with radiation poisoning (only not as cancer-inducing/hair-falling-out/internal-organ-dissolving).

[EduartBoudewijn]

Originally Posted by Prof_Sai

To explain superman, you would have to invent so much babble that it might as well be magic.

That's pretty much the definition of science fiction There is still at least an attempt to explain it logically; in magic there usually isn't one.

[Scorch]

Two examples from Makodap that covers both magic and science.

The Kiss is a magical transformation, a character becomes a woman on the full moon, and when she's on that time of the month, you'd better run if you're a guy.

Eleven on the hand is sci-fi, dealing with nanotechnology that can rewrite a person's DNA and mind entirely. What I also like about Eleven is that the audience is not informed about how comon nanotech is, in a scene on the movie (scene available on youtube, so I'm not posting a spoiler) Ms Stevens mutters "Bloody hell, the nanodrones in your head are dormant." to which a confused, shit scared and sexy man turned woman replies "What nanodrones?" in a confused tone, however it could be that the former Mr. Baxter was confused due to some strange shit going on.

I tend to see more sci-fi tg's also...magic is good though.

And i typed this all on a shitty xbox keypad.

[JBird]

Magic is just science unexplained, and science is just magic explained.

In the end, what's truly important are boobs ＼（＾▽＾）／