221

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

114 comments fedilink hide all child comments

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

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments

[-] BaroqueInMind@kbin.social 8 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Even more simplistic: we take rocks and etch runes onto them, shoot them with electricity to make them think.

Also, I think you meant silicon. Silicone is what flashlights are made of... Which would also blow the minds of less advanced cultures: "You craft soft holes from rocks mixed with glues and you fuck it?"

[-] Balssh@kbin.social 4 points 1 year ago

I read some other word instead of flashlight and I almost threw up in laughter.

[-] exscape@kbin.social 7 points 1 year ago

That other word IS what they meant!

[-] BaroqueInMind@kbin.social 5 points 1 year ago

No you read that right. My autocorrect is thinking like a Puritan sometimes.

this post was submitted on 11 Jul 2023

221 points (97.4% liked)

Ask Lemmy

26673 readers

1939 users here now

A Fediverse community for open-ended, thought provoking questions

Rules: (interactive)

1) Be nice and; have fun

Doxxing, trolling, sealioning, racism, and toxicity are not welcomed in AskLemmy. Remember what your mother said: if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all. In addition, the site-wide Lemmy.world terms of service also apply here. Please familiarize yourself with them

2) All posts must end with a '?'

This is sort of like Jeopardy. Please phrase all post titles in the form of a proper question ending with ?

3) No spam

Please do not flood the community with nonsense. Actual suspected spammers will be banned on site. No astroturfing.

4) NSFW is okay, within reason

Just remember to tag posts with either a content warning or a [NSFW] tag. Overtly sexual posts are not allowed, please direct them to either !asklemmyafterdark@lemmy.world or !asklemmynsfw@lemmynsfw.com. NSFW comments should be restricted to posts tagged [NSFW].

5) This is not a support community.

It is not a place for 'how do I?', type questions. If you have any questions regarding the site itself or would like to report a community, please direct them to Lemmy.world Support or email info@lemmy.world. For other questions check our partnered communities list, or use the search function.

Reminder: The terms of service apply here too.