- #1
AaronK
- 35
- 14
So, I just had a thought about something I heard from Harry Potter a long time ago (not sure if it was from the films or the books-or both). One of the characters--I think it was Hermione--said something like: "Electronics don't work in Hogwarts." Or something to that effect--that electronic devices notoriously fail when they encounter whatever magic "field" the school is encompassed within.
Supposing Hogwarts was a real place--and that you with a reasonably deep understanding of modern physics were able to go there--how might you figure out why electronic devices don't operate under the "magic" umbrella of the school? We know that electronics consist of tiny electric currents (and, in theory, single electrons) that are carefully directed around complex circuits to process signals (such as those that carry radio and television programs) or store and process information. Might we put forth the hypothesis then that this "magic field" surrounding the school is interfering with the controlled direction of electrons in given electronic devices? Or maybe that some component(s) within the electronics (resistors, diodes, capacitors, transistors, etc.) are engineered in such a way that it inevitably interacts with the "magic field" such that the electronics stop working?
More pertinently, how might we attempt to observe and reason about physical phenomenon in a place like Hogwarts, given that electronic devices don't work there? (assuming this applies to electronic equipment working on information in both analog or digital format).
It's ridiculous, I know, but I've always remembered enjoying HP when I watched or read it when I was younger and just wanted to see if anyone had anything interesting to add. It's fun to think about the physics of a place like the HP universe--how their physics might be described and how a mysterious force/energy they call "magic" might work in a true physical sense (I know it's inherently contradictory since "magic" by definition is traditionally something "beyond" quantification or understanding--but since we here in the real world know that literally everything is a product of complex physical motion and interaction at varying scales within our universe, that always seemed nonsensically lazy to me, and that a good story could be written where characters attempt to understand "magic" utilizing the tools of science; particularly physics and rigorous mathematical reasoning/analysis).
(..though of course the general public would never jibe with a fantasy book that went into any depth about the mathematical properties of their "magic" system. Probably only mathematicians would read that story, and probably only to poke holes in it still, it would be a creative (albeit essentially otherwise useless) project regardless).
P.S. any other comments on the physics of Harry Potter are welcome
Supposing Hogwarts was a real place--and that you with a reasonably deep understanding of modern physics were able to go there--how might you figure out why electronic devices don't operate under the "magic" umbrella of the school? We know that electronics consist of tiny electric currents (and, in theory, single electrons) that are carefully directed around complex circuits to process signals (such as those that carry radio and television programs) or store and process information. Might we put forth the hypothesis then that this "magic field" surrounding the school is interfering with the controlled direction of electrons in given electronic devices? Or maybe that some component(s) within the electronics (resistors, diodes, capacitors, transistors, etc.) are engineered in such a way that it inevitably interacts with the "magic field" such that the electronics stop working?
More pertinently, how might we attempt to observe and reason about physical phenomenon in a place like Hogwarts, given that electronic devices don't work there? (assuming this applies to electronic equipment working on information in both analog or digital format).
It's ridiculous, I know, but I've always remembered enjoying HP when I watched or read it when I was younger and just wanted to see if anyone had anything interesting to add. It's fun to think about the physics of a place like the HP universe--how their physics might be described and how a mysterious force/energy they call "magic" might work in a true physical sense (I know it's inherently contradictory since "magic" by definition is traditionally something "beyond" quantification or understanding--but since we here in the real world know that literally everything is a product of complex physical motion and interaction at varying scales within our universe, that always seemed nonsensically lazy to me, and that a good story could be written where characters attempt to understand "magic" utilizing the tools of science; particularly physics and rigorous mathematical reasoning/analysis).
(..though of course the general public would never jibe with a fantasy book that went into any depth about the mathematical properties of their "magic" system. Probably only mathematicians would read that story, and probably only to poke holes in it still, it would be a creative (albeit essentially otherwise useless) project regardless).
P.S. any other comments on the physics of Harry Potter are welcome