The History of Magic, by Professor Chris Gosden

Chris Gosden, Professor of European Archaeology, discusses his latest book "The History of Magic: From Alchemy to Witchcraft, from the Ice Age to the Present" for a very special Halloween Public Lecture for Michaelmas Term 2020

[JosephKulik]

Dear Professor Gosden: Thank You for a very informative and provocative lecture.
The boundaries between Magic, Religion, and Science are not so clear cut after all.

[traderfairy]

Fantastic insight I wish it would have more views!

[andyc]

I've always been intrigued with magic, occult, etc. and their history. This is an excellent lecture on magic that piqued my interest. I hope to see more content like this!

[salemwitchoftheeast]

especially with CERN observing quantum entanglement

[brucekent]

I like the undertone beeps... Like people are logging in.. Nice game. It also realerts the listener. Gj.

[salemwitchoftheeast]

Really wish oxford would create an online degree or certificate on this topic

[mattnewhouse]

Newtons writings in hebrew is fascinating.

[peter]

I have a some what not complete understanding of quantum physics, although I believe, they have been able to teleport particles as well as use quantum entanglement to communicate faster then light. But the belief of particles being affected by observation is very much modern magic at it's finest. It is not the only example of gaggles of scientist who believe instead of work trough tangible proof. Just look at the scientist who have been searching for dark matter for over 100 years now. The theory of dark matter is almost considered a fact now, even if the only "proof" is a 100 year old observation that did not compute using our basic understanding of physics and the only way for the man who coined the term could make it compute, was by adding matter that he could not see. Hens why these dark matter theorist believe the the universe is like 80% dark, invisible, undetectable matter and not that our equations whom where flawed before are flawed now.

As for the affecting of particles trough observations, I believe that it's scientist who believe that particles like light acts as a wave until it is observed, where it then acts as a particle. This believe is called wave-particle duality. An infamous experiment, demonstrated that single particle shoot at a double slit would give a pattern of impacts similar to the pattern observed if a wave of water was sent trough double slits. The believers of wave-particle duality came up with the explanations that it must act as a wave, but as soon as we try to observe it, the mathematical function that predicts this pattern some how collapse and the wave becomes a singular particle.

Now trough multiple theories that have been proven, I believe that matter, light and everything is simply composed of energy waves, which would explain it being predispose to fallow the wave function. funnily enough, people who just believe in particles also just think that the function just predicts the position of the particle and that in no way are detection of it affect its being. So although these two view are some what contrary., since both of them rely on facts and some of those facts are the same, they both conclude the same how ever you have you special magical case of beliefs which cannot be proven since it's impossible to not observe and therefor prove it.

The same thing can be observed in dark matter theorist. The people who are trying to update the mathematics formulas of gravity to explain what leads to the beliefs of dark matter, do have similar ideas while how ever, since dark matter is the popular theory because its simpler to not admit that the math are wrong, these new formulas have to be tested in models against everything attributed to dark matter. This can be transposed to scientist who try to convert religious being to the idea that there are other explanations then a god but some how need to come up with 1 universal theory to replace god entirely.

Sorry for this verbal vomit, in conclusion modern Science has much more in common with beliefs in gods and magic and less with the idea of the scientific revolution which is to prove trough repeatable experiments.

[wendydee]

Thank you, just what I needed. I'm writing a book and need to contextualise the main subject alongside an understanding of the history of magic. I've ordered your book.
If you are interested in modern physics and magic - have you read Dan Winter's stuff? Here's a link to his latest video, specifically discussing physics and magic, with a bit of John Dee thrown in.