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Advanced Technology and Magic Arthur C Clark, the science fiction writer said that Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. In the book Sorcerer’s Apprentice Tahir Shah went on travels around India to find out the methods of cunning and deceit used by fakirs and other ‘gurus’. He mentions a showdown between two fakirs, I think from memory one was male and one female, which was a close run thing until the man brought out an innocent-looking pen, spoke to it and then, magically, the pen played back his command – in his own voice! This won the day. The technology appeared at that time to Indians who probably had never even seen a television, to be magic. If we examine some of the practices that are on, or beyond, the fringe of scientific respectability such as mind reading, telekinesis, spirits or prophesy it is apparent that they appear to be magic (which is why science is highly distrustful about them). In fact, they operate on a technology that is largely unknown to present day scientists. You can’t measure what you don’t understand. Imagine being in a room when suddenly the pet dog and cat simultaneously jump up and look startled. One observer may say this was coincidence, another that is paranormal activity and another, who has very sensitive hearing, may say that it was a high-frequency noise that that the others couldn’t hear but he, and the pets, could. I’ll discuss this more later.