Book Review. Ra (Novel) 2018
This novel, Ra, is available online gratis at http://qntm.org/ra. Apparently in that place is a paid version of the mass amongst a different ending available on bookstores.
But I didn't acquire to the ending of the book. The mass got deadening for me afterwards a while, in addition to I dropped reading it. That said, I loved the book's premise in addition to the outset one-third, in addition to that is why I wanted to beak over the book.
The author, Sam Hughes, proposes to us a basis where magic is existent in addition to is employed equally a technology.
The spells too require mana/energy to burn downwards (like electricity inwards datacenters or gas inwards Ethereum). There are some basic spells, similar doing an "ls" inwards a novel environment, or querying an object or spell. And y'all tin shape spells to manipulate matter. But they require to a greater extent than mana/energy to move collected first, in addition to this requires particular equipment, similar long metallic poles in addition to wearable bracelets in addition to rings. Magic is similar a forcefulness of nature to move harnessed via these equipment in addition to actuated via spells.
In other words, the magic is pretty much calculator programming, but without the computers. (This setup should non move surprising since the author is a fiction author in addition to calculator programmer.)
You know the maxim "Any sufficiently advanced engineering is indistinguishable from magic". This magic equally engineering topic reminds me of Mark Weiser's ubiquitous computing vision. And too Neal Stephenson's mass Diamond Age.
I am attaching some parts I highlighted from the mass without context below. But earlier that, I similar to driblet some speculative questions.
1. In this basis where magic is a technology, kind of similar programming but amongst affair instead of computers, what arrive at y'all facial expression the spells to evolve like?
How would people compose the spells equally a team? Would they move able to come upwardly up amongst similar structures similar programming abstractions? Go-to-considered harmful? Structured spell writing, object-oriented spells, functional spells amongst no side effects?
As 1 interesting tangent, the mass mentioned spells that are self-replicating, quines, which made me read nearly actual quines inwards programming languages. A radiation-hardened quine is a quine that tin receive got whatever unmarried graphic symbol removed in addition to all the same produces the master programme amongst no missing character.
2. Can nosotros exercise this fictional basis to instruct programming?
It may move possible to engage some middleschoolers amend via a flush format, in addition to instruct them algorithms using this world. Remember, nosotros don't quest computers to instruct algorithms.
3. What is a expert fictional setup/story to instruct Paxos?
I envy blockchain, they already solved this problem. They are ever streets ahead.
A human being comes to y'all in addition to claims that spoken mantras receive got literal power. You'd dismiss the claim out of hand, wouldn't you?
Before the cease of 1973 he has discovered a instant spell, "eset", which emits small-scale amounts of mana into the basis in addition to records the echoes bouncing dorsum off nearby thaumically-aligned materials in addition to architecture
A mage-in-training is a individual who intends to pass most of his or her adult life waving a magic staff to a greater extent than or less for a living in addition to a magic staff is a six-foot-long metallic pole for propelling in addition to coercing mana into the right shape.
She intends to brand history; she intends to acquire literally everything in that place is to know nearly magic over the adjacent 3 years, in addition to hence kicking the bucket along at the same measurement of uncovering for the residuum of her life.
Magic is pretty predictable now, because nosotros receive got some corporation theories nearly how magic moves in addition to nosotros receive got simulations that tin model mana menses inwards 3 dimensions properly.
He's a treasurer, no mage, but he knows that a spell similar this takes nearly a calendar month of writing in addition to a calendar month of practice, because of the laundry listing of failure cases that receive got to move handled.
Magic isn't magic. It is a champaign of science. You arrive at non sit down on results. Not results similar that/
I merely quest the right words to say. I desire autokinetics, air UI, the fluid ticker spell she used for O2, non-vocal casting, DWIM, dynamic shielding, in addition to whatever it is she used for a mana source. To start with. I desire it all in addition to I desire to move the outset individual to become into infinite without a vehicle.
It is, at its root, a collection of dry out in addition to unpalatable nonlinear partial differential equations which are known to move non totally accurate.
Without a human heed behind it, it's merely pressure level waves inwards air. There've been dozens of experiments. Thousands. Machines can't spell. Machines can't arrive at magic. It has to move a human being
Machines don't receive got mana resources. Machines don't receive got Names. Where's the liberate energy coming?
It's a quine, Laura thinks. She tin experience that she's almost got it. It's a magic spell which casts a magic spell which casts a magic spell. Nobody's done that before.
I don't assist how right y'all retrieve y'all are. I don't fifty-fifty assist how right I retrieve y'all are! I desire to encounter a LATEX-typeset newspaper from you. You quest to demo your working, because in that place are demons at piece of work inwards your working."
You've got to sell the work to the mathematicians?" "Yeah. If y'all desire them to bite."
Of course, the laws of physics aren't that stupid. You can't pocket limitless thermal liberate energy that way. It's merely a freak of mathematics."
One says the right words, in addition to thinks the right thoughts at the same time. Then, a physical number occurs.
But I didn't acquire to the ending of the book. The mass got deadening for me afterwards a while, in addition to I dropped reading it. That said, I loved the book's premise in addition to the outset one-third, in addition to that is why I wanted to beak over the book.
The author, Sam Hughes, proposes to us a basis where magic is existent in addition to is employed equally a technology.
Magic is real. Discovered inwards the 1970s, magic is similar a shot a bona fide champaign of engineering. There's magic inwards heavy manufacture in addition to magic inwards your home. It's what's adjacent afterwards electricity.Magic is real, but it is difficult work. The spells quest to move written rattling carefully, in addition to it takes a long fourth dimension to compose/create the spells. And hence the spells don't ever work, they are rattling sensitive equally to how y'all cast it. (Hey, it worked at habitation on my machine!)
The spells too require mana/energy to burn downwards (like electricity inwards datacenters or gas inwards Ethereum). There are some basic spells, similar doing an "ls" inwards a novel environment, or querying an object or spell. And y'all tin shape spells to manipulate matter. But they require to a greater extent than mana/energy to move collected first, in addition to this requires particular equipment, similar long metallic poles in addition to wearable bracelets in addition to rings. Magic is similar a forcefulness of nature to move harnessed via these equipment in addition to actuated via spells.
In other words, the magic is pretty much calculator programming, but without the computers. (This setup should non move surprising since the author is a fiction author in addition to calculator programmer.)
You know the maxim "Any sufficiently advanced engineering is indistinguishable from magic". This magic equally engineering topic reminds me of Mark Weiser's ubiquitous computing vision. And too Neal Stephenson's mass Diamond Age.
I am attaching some parts I highlighted from the mass without context below. But earlier that, I similar to driblet some speculative questions.
1. In this basis where magic is a technology, kind of similar programming but amongst affair instead of computers, what arrive at y'all facial expression the spells to evolve like?
How would people compose the spells equally a team? Would they move able to come upwardly up amongst similar structures similar programming abstractions? Go-to-considered harmful? Structured spell writing, object-oriented spells, functional spells amongst no side effects?
As 1 interesting tangent, the mass mentioned spells that are self-replicating, quines, which made me read nearly actual quines inwards programming languages. A radiation-hardened quine is a quine that tin receive got whatever unmarried graphic symbol removed in addition to all the same produces the master programme amongst no missing character.
2. Can nosotros exercise this fictional basis to instruct programming?
It may move possible to engage some middleschoolers amend via a flush format, in addition to instruct them algorithms using this world. Remember, nosotros don't quest computers to instruct algorithms.
3. What is a expert fictional setup/story to instruct Paxos?
I envy blockchain, they already solved this problem. They are ever streets ahead.
Some selected parts from the book
Magic is to a greater extent than complicated than pointing a mitt in addition to reciting words; 1 has to retrieve one's means through the spell piece maxim it, inwards companionship for the number to "catch". It is non different performing advanced mental arithmetic.A human being comes to y'all in addition to claims that spoken mantras receive got literal power. You'd dismiss the claim out of hand, wouldn't you?
Before the cease of 1973 he has discovered a instant spell, "eset", which emits small-scale amounts of mana into the basis in addition to records the echoes bouncing dorsum off nearby thaumically-aligned materials in addition to architecture
A mage-in-training is a individual who intends to pass most of his or her adult life waving a magic staff to a greater extent than or less for a living in addition to a magic staff is a six-foot-long metallic pole for propelling in addition to coercing mana into the right shape.
She intends to brand history; she intends to acquire literally everything in that place is to know nearly magic over the adjacent 3 years, in addition to hence kicking the bucket along at the same measurement of uncovering for the residuum of her life.
Magic is pretty predictable now, because nosotros receive got some corporation theories nearly how magic moves in addition to nosotros receive got simulations that tin model mana menses inwards 3 dimensions properly.
He's a treasurer, no mage, but he knows that a spell similar this takes nearly a calendar month of writing in addition to a calendar month of practice, because of the laundry listing of failure cases that receive got to move handled.
Magic isn't magic. It is a champaign of science. You arrive at non sit down on results. Not results similar that/
I merely quest the right words to say. I desire autokinetics, air UI, the fluid ticker spell she used for O2, non-vocal casting, DWIM, dynamic shielding, in addition to whatever it is she used for a mana source. To start with. I desire it all in addition to I desire to move the outset individual to become into infinite without a vehicle.
It is, at its root, a collection of dry out in addition to unpalatable nonlinear partial differential equations which are known to move non totally accurate.
Without a human heed behind it, it's merely pressure level waves inwards air. There've been dozens of experiments. Thousands. Machines can't spell. Machines can't arrive at magic. It has to move a human being
Machines don't receive got mana resources. Machines don't receive got Names. Where's the liberate energy coming?
It's a quine, Laura thinks. She tin experience that she's almost got it. It's a magic spell which casts a magic spell which casts a magic spell. Nobody's done that before.
I don't assist how right y'all retrieve y'all are. I don't fifty-fifty assist how right I retrieve y'all are! I desire to encounter a LATEX-typeset newspaper from you. You quest to demo your working, because in that place are demons at piece of work inwards your working."
You've got to sell the work to the mathematicians?" "Yeah. If y'all desire them to bite."
Of course, the laws of physics aren't that stupid. You can't pocket limitless thermal liberate energy that way. It's merely a freak of mathematics."
One says the right words, in addition to thinks the right thoughts at the same time. Then, a physical number occurs.
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