Magic's been a rather popular topic of late, appearing without warning as the centerpiece in several major Hollywood films. My favorite of the two was The Prestige, mostly because I was amused by the allusions made towards science. In particular, this movie portrays Thomas Edison in a rather unfavorable light. Wow, I just stumbled across that pun without even trying - unlike Edison's many attempts to invent the light bulb. Maybe he was a little bit dim. Heh, I did it again. All unprovoked bashing of Edison aside, the movie claims that he basically employed his own gang of thugs to intimidate and bully any of his fellow scientists who were working on similar projects, such as Nikola Tesla. Talk about the ruthless pursuit of science in action. These days, all we get are cases of academic dishonesty. This is a rivalry that's more than just academic. Take note, future mad scientists. Let Edison's example light your way.
I'd like to examine this point in further detail. Now I'm not usually one to disqualify such theories based on the fact that they have only a most tenuous connection to reality, but I have to wonder where a scientist like Edison would find goons to fill out his gang. I mean, academic funding wasn't exactly in vogue back in those days. I am left with no choice but to assume that they were all graduate students, and that this gives new definition to the grad student algorithm. Then again, grad students are usually left to do most of the dirty work anyways, even though that usually doesn't involve violence. In this case, they would probably experience a very literal thesis defense.
Considering the above, I have to say that The Prestige was a rather entertaining movie. In the end, they seemed to indicate that science is the true magic, which means we should all be even more amazed by the new dishwashers they've come up with recently. The way that they manage to clean even the toughest stains still almost defies explanation, though the real magic trick has to be getting people to watch the ridiculous DVDs that come with these appliances.
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