Disco Biscuit said:
This is going to be a matter of which tropes you're trying to include, and which laws of physics you're interested in. This is FICTION right? So the point isn't to be painfully accurate and make sure that you conserve your 4-momentum, right? You can't invent a particle that breaks the laws of physics, without re-writing those laws. That's ok of course, that's the whole point of theoretical and experimental particle physics, to search for something to confirm or crush a theory. Even more tantalizing is always the prospect of something new.
So on one hand, you never know what's possible and what the future holds. That's kind of the point of fantasy, and if you want to couch your fantasy in terms of, "In the future, humans discovered through their science, wonders which we today would call magical" that's always fine. It's not going to be rigorous or scientific, but then, you already identified the contradiction in "Scientific Magic". If you touch that bubble, it pops and only "Magic" or "Science" can ever be left.
Good points.
The tropes I'm going for are the classic D&D/Tolkien/Medieval Fantasy stuff. Orcs, elves and men, dragons and monsters, lots of swordfighting, and of course magic. But instead of being a fantastically magical universe I'm trying to reinvent it from a more...I guess "realistic" perspective, in lack of a better word. Humanoid sentient races are all evolved from the same sentient humanoid ancestor because of improbable parallel evolution, there are no otherworldly dimensions for demons or angels, and "magic" turns out to not really be magic, but just a natural phenomenon with it's own physical limitations and so on.
Laws of physics will remain consistent in the sense that gravity applies similarly to our own planet, the law of conservation of mass applies and things of that nature which I for some reason can't name off the top of my head right now. Combatants can't hover mid-air while attacking dramatically, you won't find warriors with grossly oversized weapons and arms and there will be no such thing as stylized chainmail bikinis on the battlefield, because those simply don't work.
You're probably right about having to rewrite the laws of physics for the universe a little, to allow for this fictional particle to exist. And as far as "scientific magic" goes, I suppose it will technically be science. However the inhabitants of the world will consider it "magic" due to their inability to fully understand the process, despite being able to utilize it.
Lets just talk about telekinesis, because it is the perfect power for this discussion. Lets ignore any semantic issues of "magic" and "science" and I'll try to tackle what you're saying in the spirit that I think you mean it. If I'm wrong, let me know ok?
If you want to move something (and we can avoid most math here) like a lead brick, you're doing Work, expending energy, and generating heat. Lets assume that whatever your source of energy, all of that is still true. The more Work you do, the more energy you expend and the more heat you produce. The question then, aside from just how the energy source works or why it works or how you control it, is: What is the efficiency of your power? The answer might be: "How efficient do I want to make it in my story?"
HOWEVER, and here's where we get slightly physicky, there are limits if you're in this universe based on anything even remotely familiar with our current understanding of physics. Some of those limits have fancy names, but they describe things like;
How dense something can be in a certain state of matter
How much information can be contained in a given volume of space
And a lot of other theoretical limits on how "big" or "small" or "fast" or "slow" things can be.
You see what I mean? Even if you get a bunch of "White Dwarf Star Matter" for your super belt, or Unobtanium, you have limits. Then our current understanding of physics places all kinds of other nasty limits such as conserving momentum. When you fire a gun, you experience recoil. If you throw a ball, you expend energy bracing yourself and accelerating the ball. If you use TK of whatever stripe to throw a truck at someone, what's going to happen to you?
Now, I find all of this really fun, but in my experience I am not typical in that regard. Most people don't pick up a fantasy novel and expect a lesson in physics. Unless you're setting out to right truly HARD sci-fi, just try to stay within some broadly believable limits. It's magic after all, if you could explain why you're able to exert a force without an equal and opposite force being exerted then would it be magic?
The problem with "Eezo" or any other glossy pseudoscience is that it's just very VERY longhand for "Magic".
Telekinesis is perfect, and you're absolutely spot on. In fact I've often referred to this magic myself as super advanced telekinesis since it's abilities essentially only extend to affecting what is already tangible, albeit very thoroughly.
I think I see what you mean, although my brain
is a little overwhelmed with information by now. If I understand correctly though, these are exactly the types of things I need to consider, or define for myself within my own theoretical system of laws of physics.
For the conservation of momentum, moving a truck might even be out of the question if it's going to exert reactive force on the caster. I've always imagined it being exhausting for the caster to use magic.
As an end product, what I imagine is that someone may be able to throw a fireball. But since you can't conjure matter from nothing, not to mention have fire without a fuel source, the caster would have to accumulate enough flammable particles from his surroundings (dust or whatever may be available), while simultaneously expending energy to heat this sphere of debris to the point of combustion, while
also maintaining the flame one way or another, to finally throw the damn thing and ignite the intended target. All the while being at risk of setting himself on fire if he or she makes a mistake.
So what I need to do is figure out, or define, exactly how the caster is able to do this through will instead of throwing tinder and flint at their targets
Does that make sense?
I guess I'm really just trying to come up with a sciency excuse for magic, just like Eezo. I'd just like to make sure I understand enough to define
how it works, instead of saying "there's this thing, it just works".