Arthur C. Clark once said "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic". What technologies do we have today that would look like magic to people from the past? (lemmy.world)

submitted 1 year ago by BarrelAgedBoredom@lemmy.world to c/asklemmy@lemmy.world

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I think lasers are pretty wack when you think about them through this lens. A small, wand-like object in your hand can make light appear from seemingly nowhere. If it's powerful enough it can set things on fire or blind people. Not to mention larger ones like laser cutters or the LLD, used to destroy missiles midflight. Thats sure to blow some feudal peasant minds

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[-] Rexelpitlum@discuss.tchncs.de 17 points 1 year ago

l can think of one magic-technology that appeared during my lifetime:

E-Ink-Readers.

I mean, script suddenly appearing out of thin air on flat, solid surfaces? WTF?

I even studied enginering in the early 90's and would not have been able to come up with a technological explaination if I had encountered one of those back then...

[-] Zagorath@aussie.zone 10 points 1 year ago

I mean sure, but…from an uninformed perspective an LCD or even a CRT monitor are going to appear just as magical, if not more so.

[-] Rexelpitlum@discuss.tchncs.de 9 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

But that's exactly the point.

E-Ink Displays would have been unable to explain for me from my thoroughly * informed * perspective as an HF and digital communications student.

Active displays in one form or another had been around for 50 years or so at that time. So have been practially all base technology concepts of the much mentioned smartphones. Nothing magical about an optimized version, just extrapolation.

But E-Ink? A * brand new * technology * without prior art * rapidly emerging from obscure theoretical concept to widespread use within just 15 years or so...

I am actually still a little bit awed each time I switch on one of those...

this post was submitted on 11 Jul 2023

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