Harry Potter Forums

Posts: 163 · Joined: Nov 8, 2007 Location: Carn Dum Posts: 163

What would happen in the wizarding world if wizards aquired muggle technology, weapons, etc.? Would it change the story much if they could look up stuff on the internet instead of leafing through thousands of books? Would cell phones and radios allow quick communication? And would long range firearms change the system of warfare and the outcome of important battles throughout the story?

Posts: 11494 · Joined: Aug 1, 2007 Location: Sharon, PA Posts: 11494

The wizarding world doesn't want anything to do with muggle technology, or else it would have begun using it a long time ago.
_________________

Please support the Diabetes Walk

Posts: 28238 · Posted: November 13, 2007 11:43 pm Post subject:

None of that stuff works, the magic messes up the signal. It's all there in Hogwarts, A History.

As far as guns and stuff like that goes... the wizards don't need them, they have wands. The muggles didn't have magic, so they had to invent stuff instead of magic.
_________________

Blame it on a simple twist of fate ~ Bob Dylan
Team Cucumber, FTW!

Posts: 163 · Joined: Nov 8, 2007 Location: Carn Dum Posts: 163

It would be nice if JKR wrote Hogwarts, A History
_________________

Posts: 28238 · Posted: November 14, 2007 12:56 am Post subject:

I really thought she was going to. Or at least call the Potterpedia that instead.
_________________

Blame it on a simple twist of fate ~ Bob Dylan
Team Cucumber, FTW!

Posts: 28374 · Posted: November 14, 2007 1:25 am Post subject:

Posts: 163 · Joined: Nov 8, 2007 Location: Carn Dum Posts: 163

How does "magic" interfere with muggle technology, anyway? Most of it is electrical, and I can't see how magic would interfere with that.
_________________

Posts: 28374 · Posted: November 14, 2007 1:30 am Post subject:

read GoF. its somewhere between the chapter "the dream" and the last part of the book. hermione says that all these electronics dont work in the magical world because there us just too much magic in the air.
_________________

Posts: 28238 · Posted: November 14, 2007 1:31 am Post subject:

Posts: 28374 · Posted: November 14, 2007 1:33 am Post subject:

well they could make wizard phones, or make it run via magic, or something like that, like how colin creevey's camera could work in the wizard environment.
_________________

Posts: 163 · Joined: Nov 8, 2007 Location: Carn Dum Posts: 163

Yeah, but the question was if they could use muggle technology, how would it change the story?
_________________

Posts: 28238 · Posted: November 14, 2007 3:06 am Post subject:

Posts: 11494 · Joined: Aug 1, 2007 Location: Sharon, PA Posts: 11494

Posts: 163 · Joined: Nov 8, 2007 Location: Carn Dum Posts: 163

What is rather inconvienient about brooms is that they have no comfortable seats, windshields, or even seatbelts!
_________________

Posts: 11494 · Joined: Aug 1, 2007 Location: Sharon, PA Posts: 11494

Posts: 28374 · Posted: November 14, 2007 5:15 am Post subject:

thing is they dont have to pay for gas since it runs on magic.

there might be wizarding cars, but its not as popular as broomsticks.

for instance, in POA, since the ministry of magic was so overly protective of harry potter, they granted the weasley family ministry cars on their way to king's cross. and dont forget the amazing flying ford anglia.
_________________

Posts: 11494 · Joined: Aug 1, 2007 Location: Sharon, PA Posts: 11494

I assumed that the ministry keeps cars for their dealings with muggles. You don't want to show up for a muggle meeting on a broomstick. The ford anglia was illegal. Arthur was not supposed to have it.
_________________

Please support the Diabetes Walk

Posts: 28238 · Posted: November 14, 2007 12:47 pm Post subject:

Broomsticks have comfort charms on them. And it's not like there are hundereds of them up in the air, so crashes are minimal.

And whether or not magic powered cars are common or not, you have t admit, they're probably way better for the environment.

The owls are just what they use instead of the postal service. They have owl mail, we have snail mail. There is really no difference there.
_________________

Blame it on a simple twist of fate ~ Bob Dylan
Team Cucumber, FTW!

Posts: 856 · Posted: November 14, 2007 8:35 pm Post subject:

Why would you want them to have muggle technology? I think it awesome that they are almost stuck back in time(according to muggle technology).
_________________
Amor Vincit Omnia!

Wand: 11 1/2 inches; Oak; Dragon Heartstring
Signature Spell: Stupefy
Patronus: Phoenix

Posts: 157 · Posted: November 19, 2007 1:51 pm Post subject:

The books show they don't want anything to do with muggles, notice how they're always protrayed as the massive "sphere" outside magic, totally mundane and pointless, dull and ignored - a nuisance at best.

Which makes me feel they greatly underestimate Muggles and the Muggle technical mind, just due to the lack of magic.

I don't see how having Muggle tech would make a difference though, Magic seems to be too strong to be mechanically overcome, so why would they lower themselves?
_________________
'Brightness was drenching through the branches
When she wandered again,
Turning sliver out of dark grasses
Where the skylark had lain,
And her voice coming softly over the meadow
Was the mist becoming rain.'

Posts: 66 · Posted: November 20, 2007 5:09 am Post subject:

Actually, they do have radios. In DH Ron actually tuned in and the trio listened to "Potterwatch" by Lee Jordan. They do have muggle technology, but they kinda modified it, adding magic to the gadgets.
_________________
I am a:

Posts: 28374 · Posted: November 20, 2007 9:51 am Post subject:

yes that.

they modify muggle technology.
although i dont see the reason why they dont use cellphones... i mean, cellphones powered by magic and not batteries.
maybe, in some aspects, they can be a bit arrogant towards muggle technology. they greatly underestimate muggles.
_________________

Posts: 856 · Posted: November 20, 2007 7:51 pm Post subject:

Again, why would you want them to have muggle technology? How fun would it be if Harry just called Sirius on his cell phone, "Oh your not at the Department of Mysteries being tortured. Well never mind then." I mean they could prank call the Death Eaters but thats only fun for awhile. lol. Or, how stupid would it be if they got on the internet instead of looking through books in the library. Hmm, they would have found Flamel a lot faster but that is detrimental to the story.
_________________
Amor Vincit Omnia!

Wand: 11 1/2 inches; Oak; Dragon Heartstring
Signature Spell: Stupefy
Patronus: Phoenix

Posts: 28374 · Posted: November 21, 2007 1:04 am Post subject:

actally i dont want them to. i think their old fashioned styles are quite fascinating. im just merely saying that they are looking down on muggle technology
_________________

Posts: 66 · Posted: November 21, 2007 5:40 am Post subject:

One of the things that strike me post about the Potter series ( Yes, I'm going to refer to the 7 books as such from now on.), is that JKR made a mix between Real life and fantasy life. This kind of blending between the 2 worlds excites me. It allows me to imagine that there are some other interesting world besides the boring( ok maybe some things are fun.) world we live in and we are connected. It was a breeze accepting JKR's wizarding world in my mind.

For these 2 worlds to co-exist, there have to be some similarities, for instance: Raw materials- oak, timber Land- trees, grass, dirt Clothing- Robes, hat.

So some technology could be something that are the same that muggles use( despite the fact that they don't use electricity), like the radios and cameras.

Others could be brought in by those wizards interested in studying muggles. It tells us that muggles are not really an interesting bunch of people and yes ,

Harry Potter Forums

Harry Potter Community and Bulletin Boards