Swords and Smartphones

Ok, I have a theory. My theory is that during the Crusades, which lasted for hundreds of years, 'conventional' warfare got so advanced that it started to resemble magic.

How do you make a Fire Sword? Cover the blade in fuel and set fire to it.
How do you make an Ice Sword? Leave it in the freezer (or in the old days, maybe in a sealed container in a pond).
How do you make a Lightning Sword? Magnetize the steel of your blade.
How do you make a Poison Sword? You get the idea...

I reckon you see examples of how warfare worked in those days in games like Dungeons & Dragons. And in a way, these are almost magical items.

I think a good example in modern times of something so advanced that it resembles magic is computers and electronics. A smartphone is also almost a magical item. Calls, texts, emails, social networking, camera, video camera, music, images, videos, maps, weather, shops, games - all these and more are at your fingertips. In the right hands a smartphone is an incredibly powerful device.

Just thinking along the lines of Arthur C. Clarke's quote about any sufficiently advanced technology being indistinguishable from magic. Maybe a bit random but wanted to share this.

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Absolutely correct! The word "science" really means "knowledge". And knowledge is "magic". I am forever telling the young that they are contacting me on the internet. Is that not magic?

The ability to instantly communicate with someone in a totally different part of the planet seems magical to me alright.

Agreed. I think it is awesome to talk to people from around the world, in real time, no less! Truly magical indeed...

Arthur C. Clarke was right. You take anything modern back even 200 short years ago, and you get called a witch.