What is the Difference between Magic and Science?
On a surface level, this question seems like it has a relatively obvious answer. Magic is the occurrence of unexplainable events that defy the established set of abilities that people can perform. Science, however, creates a theory for an unexplainable event and backs it up using math and research and rounds of experimentation from multiple different scientists. It’s important to note that while these definitions express magic and science as polar opposites, they are two branches from the same tree. Both start merely as belief systems, but when further investigated, science ends up holding more stock because it can be understood in a way that humans comprehend. Magic, on the other hand, is chalked up to imagination, the trick of the light, or sleight of hand.
Despite there being a variety of different branches of science, they all operate by the same rules: the scientific method. Whether it is astronomy, physics, or genetics, every science is bound by this method and must strictly adhere to its rules. Without going through the structured steps of “observation, hypothesis, prediction, experiment, theory,” a new concept has little credibility within the scientific community. Magic, however, is entirely more lenient because different types of magic can operate by different rules. For example, there is the witches and wizards, Harry Potter type of magic in which a flick of the wand or wave of the hand can disrupt the laws of physics and create something unexplainable. This trope is saved exclusively for stories and movies, though. Unless you’re a young child or have a very active imagination, you know this is inherently impossible anywhere other than a person’s mind.
Nevertheless, that doesn’t mean that other types of magic can’t be found in the real world. Today, magicians are a largely accepted profession. They perform at high end revenues just like the best musicians and comedians do. Despite magic being a part of their name, there is no otherworldly powers about them, aside from their mastery of deception. While watching a magic show, one knows that there’s no actual magic being performed and that everything is simply sleight of hand and misdirection. Yet it is still entertaining and it is still considered “magic.”
The last type of magic blurs the line between science and magic the most. Everyone has heard of miracles. Most believe in them. Some have witnessed them. There is proven documentation of medical miracles: when the tumor suddenly disappears with no explanation, or when a person should be paralyzed for life but mysteriously is able to walk again. This defies scientific theory and it defies all logical reasoning, so theoretically it should be considered magic. But the stigma that goes along with that word is too high, and a doctor’s credibility would most likely be severely damaged if one were to say “it was magic.” So it’s deemed a miracle instead. It’s the explanation for the unexplainable.
There is no denying that magic and science are different. Science is more widely accepted and has more credibility because it is unarguably more credible. While magic is fun to imagine and read about, there is no substantial proof that it’s real. At the same time, perhaps magic is just misunderstood. To anyone who doesn’t understand a certain advancement of science, it could easily look like magic to them. Therefore, maybe the real difference between magic and science isn’t what can be proven by facts and figures, but by the level of understanding one has towards them.
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