Superhero or Wizard?

[bluestarultor]

Originally Posted by Lyaer

Nooooo. You're turning magic into pseudoscience. ;_;

This is what you get when you combine programming with fantasy writing and a light background in physical sciences. :p

[Amake]

About magic versus science, I've long thought it funny that science doesn't allow for the existence of magic, while magic encompasses science. All of science can be considered a magic spell: A very successful, large scale work that attempts to name every thing in existence in order to gain power over nature. It's a scale of practical magic that's never been matched before or since, but it's still well within the boundaries of magical thought.

The point is science offers a small and constricting way of thinking next to magic. It's a paint by numbers Elvis portrait next to a blank page.

[bluestarultor]

Well, you have to consider magic vs. the paranormal. There's a lot of stuff science has yet to explain, but that doesn't make it any less real. Things like auras have actual scientific basis or at least supporting reports. Science has followed a woman's aura through her monthly cycle, for instance, and aura photography sounds like it's all smoke and mirrors, but then my local news reported on it and one of the staff was indicated to be pregnant a week before she even knew about it because of a second bright spot that occurs over the heart in her belly.

So there's some pretty thought-provoking evidence to a lot of it.


Magic, on the other hand, is a lot more overtly religious in nature. The thought processes are different there. You can have a religion and still believe in science, but the nature of science as a profession is to be skeptical of the unexplained, and if anything is unexplained, it's religion. Religion is a matter of faith, where science is a matter of proof, so short of observable, testable, replicable proof, science doesn't recognize things.

[Professor Smarmiarty]

Originally Posted by bluestarultor

Well, you have to consider magic vs. the paranormal. There's a lot of stuff science has yet to explain, but that doesn't make it any less real. Things like auras have actual scientific basis or at least supporting reports. Science has followed a woman's aura through her monthly cycle, for instance, and aura photography sounds like it's all smoke and mirrors, but then my local news reported on it and one of the staff was indicated to be pregnant a week before she even knew about it because of a second bright spot that occurs over the heart in her belly.

So there's some pretty thought-provoking evidence to a lot of it.

I saw David Copperfield walk through the great wall of China and then fly off into the sky. I'm pretty sure that makes it real.

[bluestarultor]

Originally Posted by Smarty McBarrelpants

I saw David Copperfield walk through the great wall of China and then fly off into the sky. I'm pretty sure that makes it real.

You know what I mean. It's about the mechanics.

[Premmy]

This thread is too much Magic-babble bullshit and not enough Fly-ass capes.

[bluestarultor]

Originally Posted by Premonitions

This thread is too much Magic-babble bullshit and not enough Fly-ass capes.

You're absolutely right! We should be trying to apply a functional logic to superpowers to see how they hold up!


Thinking of it this way, superheroes usually have a standard array of powers to work with:
- psychic/magical (already covered)
- elemental (also magical)
- regeneration (explainable by a very high metabolism gone soft-science)
- healing (magical or psychic)
- flight (possibly telekinetic (psychic) or based on moving air or energy (magical/psychic), unless winged)
- energy projection (magical/psychic)
- strength, speed, durability (explained by metabolism again, or possibly physical density, again, to a ridiculous degree)
- transmutation (like Colossus, magical/psychic)
- technological (technological, of course)



So as you can clearly see, unless you're limited to just punching stuff, there's a pretty good chance your powers can be explained by you being a one-trick pony at using magic or psychic abilities. :p

[Premmy]

Originally Posted by bluestarultor

Dumb Shit Nobody Cares aboutYou're absolutely right! We should be trying to apply a functional logic to superpowers to see how they hold up!


Thinking of it this way, superheroes usually have a standard array of powers to work with:
- psychic/magical (already covered)
- elemental (also magical)
- regeneration (explainable by a very high metabolism gone soft-science)
- healing (magical or psychic)
- flight (possibly telekinetic (psychic) or based on moving air or energy (magical/psychic), unless winged)
- energy projection (magical/psychic)
- strength, speed, durability (explained by metabolism again, or possibly physical density, again, to a ridiculous degree)
- transmutation (like Colossus, magical/psychic)
- technological (technological, of course)



So as you can clearly see, unless you're limited to just punching stuff, there's a pretty good chance your powers can be explained by you being a one-trick pony at using magic or psychic abilities. :p

Yes, You ARE a dork, I don't see what this has to do with the fly-ness of Awesome capes relative to stupid pointy-ass hats.
Wizard Hat

Hmmmmm
Dunce Cap

Coincidence? I THINK NOT!

[bluestarultor]

Man, how long is it going to take for people to figure out I'm on the psychic end of things?

Seriously, screw mumbling spells and waving a wand around. I dress how I want and make reality my bitch just by thinking about it. That's WAY more badass.

[Preturbed]

Originally Posted by Premonitions

Yes, You ARE a dork, I don't see what this has to do with the fly-ness of Awesome capes relative to stupid pointy-ass hats.
Wizard Hat
IMAGE
Hmmmmm
Dunce Cap
IMAGE
Coincidence? I THINK NOT!

What about this? I think his cape is prettymuch as fly as any.