In which Tory's subconscious produces Wizarding computers...

[wired_lizard]

So in my dream last night, I was talking with somebody--likely cktraveler--about random aspects of the Potterverse, and somehow, in dream logic, somebody was asking us what we thought the general computational ability of the wizarding world was. cktraveler asked, "in integer or floating point

Comments

[slipjig]

Okay, you are going to write this cyberPotter fic, yes?

[ineffablewombat]

I suspect that you'd need quite a lot of mathematical theory to put together a magical computer- perhaps Arithmancy is the general magical perspective on mathematics, and building magical computers is something that you do for NEWTs in Arithmancy!

[jiggliusceasar]

I always figured that Arithmancy was the study of any number-based mysticism, such as gematria/kaballah or isopsephy - more like Divination, but with more math and less tea leaves.

That said, I'd also like to see the magical computer story.

[ursule]

That was my thought, too. But a kabbalistic computer would be pretty sweet.

[jiggliusceasar]

As long as it doesn't turn out like the MAGI in Evangelion...

(yes, I know that there's nothing kabbalistic about the MAGI other than random images in the opening, but it was still the first thing that popped into my head.)

[marmota]

http://www.networkworld.com/news/2007/071807-hogwarts-it-director.html

[kickair8p]

Although I haven't given much thought to computers, I have wondered what it would take to bring TV (with the cultural crossover that would imply) into the wizarding world. I was thinking magic mirrors or crystal balls for screens.

But if you're gonna give computing + magic a go (please!), you might wanna take a look at the only (that I know of) prior art on the subject: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Cook#Wizardry_series

~

[kickair8p]

And note the link at the bottom of that page -- the first two books are available free at the Baen Free Library. That should give you the basics of the concepts involved -- Cook did a really good job, no matter what direction you go in you wanna give this a look.

~

[jiggliusceasar]

http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0376.html ?