No magic, only engineering

“Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.”

Arthur C Clark

In the context of this well known Arthur C Clark quote, it is common to various aspects of software called “magic”. Slack has a sign-in workflow that they call “magic link” and I will colloquially refer to command line methods as “incantations. However, computers can be understood. This quote should be re-framed more optimistic way as:

“All ‘magic’ is just good engineering”

This framing acknowledges the hard work that goes into making computers “just work”. The next time you use an computer and it is perfect, smooth experience that exactly solves your problem remember there was a team of people who worked very hard to make that happen. There is work at every level, from designing then interaction, to implementing the layers involved, to making sure the services at every layer of the stack are running to designing and fabricating the hardware. If any layer of this (massive) stack does not work just right, your experience will fail.

I find this an empowering point of view. Magic is mystical, arcane, something secret that is closely held, something that you have to be born with, something super natural. Once something is deemed “magic” it is out of the ken of mere mortals; it must be accepted as-is, there is no point in even trying.

On the other hand science and engineering exist to be understood. They are systematic frameworks to understand the physical world and bend it to our will respectively. Understanding any given system (natural or engineered) may not be easy and may take more time and energy than you want to spend, but it is always possible in principle. The statement is never “I can not understand this”, it is always “I do not understand this yet”.

The tools and methods of science and engineering are open to anyone who has the time, resources, and inclination to use them; anyone who says differently (like those who deny life is pain) is selling something. However, while this position is well and good in theory, in reality there are massive structural inequalities in who actually participates in STEM broadly and open source development specifically. It is incumbent on those of us who work in STEM fields to ensure equitable access and opportunity to all. Just like a good science challenge this is not going to be easy, but it must be “We have not fixed this yet”.

Reference

• Art responding to the Arthur C Clark quote I am (obviously) not the first person to re-imagine and re-frame this quote.
• FSF Four Freedoms of open software. Proprietary systems can be reverse-engineered, but understanding a system is far easier if you can read the source