Magic and Hard SF

[Johnny1A.2]

Originally Posted by Anthony

Depends on the rules the magic follows and the origin of the study. Plenty of magical theories are rigorous enough to allow scientific study other than the minor problem that they don't actually work.

One problem with the scientific study of magic is that by its very nature (at least when we're talking about spirits, which is what most real-world magical traditions do), is that you can't count on it to behave the same in and out of a controlled experiment, because you're dealing with intelligence. So a failure of the experiment can mean the theory is bogus...or it can mean that the spirit-entities don't want to be studied that way.

When the subject of study is conscious and aware of being studied, that makes study fraught.