Is magic a real possibility? — LM, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia
I would define magic as any phenomenon that can’t be explained by the normal laws of nature. In that case, I’m afraid that it isn’t a possibility. Like most physicists, I’m convinced that the laws of physics can ultimately explain everything that we observe. Violations in those laws would have such terrible complications that even a single “magic” event just can’t occur. No doubt, there are people who believe in magic and that view physicists as just another group with a different and incorrect opinion about the world. That’s just wishful thinking. Physics has been extraordinarily successful at explaining how the world works. Unlike magic, physics has an internal consistency that is astonishing and it has the ability to predict behavior with enormous accuracy.