<![CDATA[Arthur C. Clarke: "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."]]>Arthur C. Clarke: "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."

Me: "Therefore, any sufficiently complicated technical problem is indistinguishable from a curse."

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/topic/20043634-08ea-4aa0-b3c5-87e5c626bf69/arthur-c.-clarke-any-sufficiently-advanced-technology-is-indistinguishable-from-magic.RSS for NodeSun, 05 Jul 2026 02:21:06 GMTThu, 02 Jul 2026 12:20:35 GMT60<![CDATA[Reply to Arthur C. Clarke: "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." on Fri, 03 Jul 2026 02:43:49 GMT]]>@drwho how could I say no to the Doctor? ๐Ÿ˜Š

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://chaos.social/users/FlohEinstein/statuses/116853743885768448https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://chaos.social/users/FlohEinstein/statuses/116853743885768448Fri, 03 Jul 2026 02:43:49 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Arthur C. Clarke: "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." on Fri, 03 Jul 2026 02:18:45 GMT]]>@FlohEinstein Thank you kindly.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://masto.hackers.town/users/drwho/statuses/116853645340645542https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://masto.hackers.town/users/drwho/statuses/116853645340645542Fri, 03 Jul 2026 02:18:45 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Arthur C. Clarke: "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." on Fri, 03 Jul 2026 01:56:10 GMT]]>@FlohEinstein See mysterious physical and mental ailments, biology and psychology being the ultimate complex systems (although economics is also a contender).

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://spacey.space/users/60sRefugee/statuses/116853556538881676https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://spacey.space/users/60sRefugee/statuses/116853556538881676Fri, 03 Jul 2026 01:56:10 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Arthur C. Clarke: "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." on Fri, 03 Jul 2026 01:34:22 GMT]]>@FlohEinstein A probably-misremembered quote of an old IBM engineer: "Of course I believe in miracles. Without them, computers wouldn't work at all."

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/dancingtreefrog/statuses/116853470809430049https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/dancingtreefrog/statuses/116853470809430049Fri, 03 Jul 2026 01:34:22 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Arthur C. Clarke: "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." on Fri, 03 Jul 2026 01:25:35 GMT]]>@FlohEinstein YES

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mindly.social/users/Lionesslady/statuses/116853436272629158https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mindly.social/users/Lionesslady/statuses/116853436272629158Fri, 03 Jul 2026 01:25:35 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Arthur C. Clarke: "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." on Fri, 03 Jul 2026 01:04:14 GMT]]>@FlohEinstein My god.

That's *deep*.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://writing.exchange/users/orionkidder/statuses/116853352359851272https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://writing.exchange/users/orionkidder/statuses/116853352359851272Fri, 03 Jul 2026 01:04:14 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Arthur C. Clarke: "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." on Thu, 02 Jul 2026 23:30:16 GMT]]>@FlohEinstein

That is beautiful and way too true and is going into my quotes file.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.sdf.org/users/goosey/statuses/116852982818796761https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.sdf.org/users/goosey/statuses/116852982818796761Thu, 02 Jul 2026 23:30:16 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Arthur C. Clarke: "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." on Thu, 02 Jul 2026 22:21:11 GMT]]>@anderesu

Como solรญa decir mi hermana: "La maldad intrรญnseca de los objetos inanimados".

@FlohEinstein

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mast.hpc.social/users/gerardo/statuses/116852711226875776https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mast.hpc.social/users/gerardo/statuses/116852711226875776Thu, 02 Jul 2026 22:21:11 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Arthur C. Clarke: "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." on Thu, 02 Jul 2026 21:13:10 GMT]]>@FlohEinstein aka printers.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://infosec.exchange/users/kluthulhu/statuses/116852443768737117https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://infosec.exchange/users/kluthulhu/statuses/116852443768737117Thu, 02 Jul 2026 21:13:10 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Arthur C. Clarke: "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." on Thu, 02 Jul 2026 20:40:14 GMT]]>@FlohEinstein Generative systems are necromancy.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mstdn.plus/users/gcvsa/statuses/116852314233682531https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mstdn.plus/users/gcvsa/statuses/116852314233682531Thu, 02 Jul 2026 20:40:14 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Arthur C. Clarke: "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." on Thu, 02 Jul 2026 19:45:38 GMT]]>@FlohEinstein I have a more (contra)positive take: "Any technology distinguishable from magic is insufficiently advanced."

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://hachyderm.io/users/BoydStephenSmithJr/statuses/116852099573238707https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://hachyderm.io/users/BoydStephenSmithJr/statuses/116852099573238707Thu, 02 Jul 2026 19:45:38 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Arthur C. Clarke: "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." on Thu, 02 Jul 2026 19:34:53 GMT]]>@FlohEinstein
Any technology distinguishable from magic is insufficiently advanced.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodonapp.uk/users/mysturji/statuses/116852057261506541https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodonapp.uk/users/mysturji/statuses/116852057261506541Thu, 02 Jul 2026 19:34:53 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Arthur C. Clarke: "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." on Thu, 02 Jul 2026 19:10:49 GMT]]>@FlohEinstein "It was DNS"

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://calamity.world/users/witch/statuses/116851962630542551https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://calamity.world/users/witch/statuses/116851962630542551Thu, 02 Jul 2026 19:10:49 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Arthur C. Clarke: "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." on Thu, 02 Jul 2026 18:55:54 GMT]]>@mrgrumpymonkey @FlohEinstein It's funny to me every time a fantasy author tries to rationalize magic, as there wouldn't be any wizard in such a world, but "ether engineers", "flux technicians" and "mana managers".]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://friendica.mrpetovan.com/objects/735a2029-166a-46b4-3a19-1e6022961748https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://friendica.mrpetovan.com/objects/735a2029-166a-46b4-3a19-1e6022961748Thu, 02 Jul 2026 18:55:54 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Arthur C. Clarke: "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." on Thu, 02 Jul 2026 18:52:49 GMT]]>@hypolite @FlohEinstein completely understandable.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://techhub.social/users/Sonikku/statuses/116851891879461255https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://techhub.social/users/Sonikku/statuses/116851891879461255Thu, 02 Jul 2026 18:52:49 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Arthur C. Clarke: "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." on Thu, 02 Jul 2026 18:51:23 GMT]]>@Sonikku @FlohEinstein Fair enough, I've been jumpy recently as people have more frequently attributed thought to computers because of the newfangled natural language interface.]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://friendica.mrpetovan.com/objects/735a2029-116a-46b3-2b00-bf7885602644https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://friendica.mrpetovan.com/objects/735a2029-116a-46b3-2b00-bf7885602644Thu, 02 Jul 2026 18:51:23 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Arthur C. Clarke: "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." on Thu, 02 Jul 2026 18:46:41 GMT]]>@FlohEinstein And those of us able to fix these indistinguishable problems are wizards. I guess magic is still alive and well.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/mrgrumpymonkey/statuses/116851867748734118https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/mrgrumpymonkey/statuses/116851867748734118Thu, 02 Jul 2026 18:46:41 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Arthur C. Clarke: "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." on Thu, 02 Jul 2026 18:35:36 GMT]]>@FlohEinstein that is pure insight. As the population skyrockets, intelligence per capita begins to quickly degrade. We attempt emergency compensation through artificial means which serves only to exacerbate the problem. This is fully Planet of the Apes but, I'm just plug my own micro-fiction:

https://mastodon.social/@NathanMurdock/116833545996909193

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/NathanMurdock/statuses/116851824186906449https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/NathanMurdock/statuses/116851824186906449Thu, 02 Jul 2026 18:35:36 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Arthur C. Clarke: "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." on Thu, 02 Jul 2026 18:31:11 GMT]]>@FlohEinstein I fix computers and sometimes when a customer looks at me and say something like "how have you fixed that?"
I wiggle my pen and say "just shake the magic wand abd say the magic words and it's fixed"

Not many people laugh.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://infosec.exchange/users/kabutor/statuses/116851806819119821https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://infosec.exchange/users/kabutor/statuses/116851806819119821Thu, 02 Jul 2026 18:31:11 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Arthur C. Clarke: "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." on Thu, 02 Jul 2026 18:22:55 GMT]]>@FlohEinstein https://freefallmirror.com/ff300/fv00255.htm

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://sueden.social/users/ascii158/statuses/116851774306015638https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://sueden.social/users/ascii158/statuses/116851774306015638Thu, 02 Jul 2026 18:22:55 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Arthur C. Clarke: "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." on Thu, 02 Jul 2026 18:17:29 GMT]]>@hypolite @FlohEinstein was just thinking how to describe it to someone 300 years ago heh.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://techhub.social/users/Sonikku/statuses/116851752914499458https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://techhub.social/users/Sonikku/statuses/116851752914499458Thu, 02 Jul 2026 18:17:29 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Arthur C. Clarke: "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." on Thu, 02 Jul 2026 18:12:51 GMT]]>@NathanMurdock I still strongly suspect that there is a finite amount of intelligence assigned per planet. We are already thinning it out with the number of humans. No amount of killing dolphins and apes will save us from the dwindling supply, and now we created AI... ๐Ÿ˜†

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://chaos.social/users/FlohEinstein/statuses/116851734725707336https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://chaos.social/users/FlohEinstein/statuses/116851734725707336Thu, 02 Jul 2026 18:12:51 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Arthur C. Clarke: "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." on Thu, 02 Jul 2026 18:02:36 GMT]]>@FlohEinstein

This lends toward there being a specific ratio of Mysticism to Explanability, of course Multiplied by Coefficient of Human Stupidity...

Oh dear, help us all if Raised to the Power of AI... if we dare.

Yep, it's basically philosophical mathematics. I knew first year Philosophy Class would pay off one day!

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/NathanMurdock/statuses/116851694370860450https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/NathanMurdock/statuses/116851694370860450Thu, 02 Jul 2026 18:02:36 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Arthur C. Clarke: "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." on Thu, 02 Jul 2026 18:00:40 GMT]]>@drwho of course, my utterings are CC-BY-SA ๐Ÿ˜„

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://chaos.social/users/FlohEinstein/statuses/116851686779478546https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://chaos.social/users/FlohEinstein/statuses/116851686779478546Thu, 02 Jul 2026 18:00:40 GMT