The Science of Harry Potter: How Magic Really Works

by Roger Highfield

Book Overview

Magic and science may seem like strange bedfellows, but in this captivating and far-ranging book, respected science journalist Roger Highfield nimbly illustrates how the two disciplines are actually deeply intertwined in the Harry Potter books. Like Highfield's The Physics of Christmas, The Science of Harry Potterteases out the scientific explanations and surprising factual foundation of marvels and mysteries-only this time instead of reindeer and...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0670031534
• ISBN13: 9780670031535
• Release Date: October 2002
• Publisher: Viking Books
• Length: 322 Pages
• Weight: 1.19 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.3" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

High praise for this book!

Roger Highfield is to be commended for his solid scientific work in this clever and informative book. His obvious knowledge in many fields of science in combination with his discussions of old myths and legends are a delight to read. And he certainly knows his Harry Potter stories, and admires them as much as I do! Dr. Highfield manages to inform us and amuse us with his sly references to the Rowling characters. And yes - I am over the age of 13 - by 63 years!!

Engages kids in bleeding-edge science

I am a kid who is quite up-to-date in science. I have always enjoyed the fact that I am more knowledgeable about topics like teleportation, time travel, game theory, etc. than my peers. Now I'm afraid. Very afraid. Why? Because with this book, anyone even moderately interested in Harry Potter can easily learn all the interesting stuff I have found by wading through lots of boring science. This book attempts to use Harry Potter as an introduction to the far more fascinating and wonderful world of science -- and succeeds brilliantly. If there are parents out there whose child has an interest in Harry Potter and would like their child to develop an interest in science, this is the book for you. This book uses Harry Potter as a medium to engage children in bleeding-edge science, and is good at it.

A good book to think on

This book is for people who enjoy reading about what people have tried/done in the past and what people will be trying and doing in the futureThis book is not really directed towards children more to someone who enjoys reading about science. From start to finish a lot of names, ideas, experiments, and questions are given. A great read for anyone who likes to wonder. This book provokes hundreds of what if questions and the reader is left to just wonder how the world would be with these things.The thoughts and ideas in this book are LOOSELY based on the 'magic' in Harry Potter. The ideas in the Harry Potter books are expanded and talked about at great length with not only what if questions but how scientists in the past and present are (without first seeing it in Harry Potter) trying to achieve real life 'magic'

Scientific explanations for all things Harry Potter

The initial quote from Clarke's Law, that the highest form of technology is indistinguishable from magic sets the basis for this book. And in reading the Harry Potter books and watching the movies, one can't help but wonder, how does that work in the world of Hogwarts? The bottom line is that the world of Hogwarts has got a technology that far surpasses 21st century technology, so to us, it does appear like magic. Think of what the Aztecs thought when Cortes and his men fired their guns. Surely they thought the guns were magic, as that was alien to their civilization.The Science Of Harry Potter is the name of this book. What science, you might ask? Well, how about alchemy, astronomy, biology, genetics, physiology, quantum physics, time travel, And there's some more, like history and mythology, on where creatures like Fluffy the three-headed dog guarding the Sorcerer's Stone and games like Quidditch were based on. He also incorporates work from Einstein, Rutherford, Hawking, B.F. Skinner, John Nash (A Beautiful Mind) and Kip Thorne from the Muggle side.The Sorting Hat, which sent the first-year Hogwarts students into their respective houses, might have had some interface that interpreted brain waves from the students, but there's also the concept of recognizing personalities a la Jung or Keirsey, so I wonder if the Hat's technology can correlate the brain's wiring with that of a Guardian, Rational, Idealist, or Artisan, to use Keirsey's classifications, and then say "Gryffindor" or "Slytherin."The theory of time travel in the Muggle world is that one can't go back in time before the machine was built, and also to prevent a mistaken killing of one's ancestors, because then one would be erased from existence. Hogwarts technicians must've overcome that glitch. Hey, if it's possible in Dr. Who, why not in Harry Potter?However, the fact that Nicolas Flamel is based on a real life 14th century alchemist and that Queen Elizabeth I's conjurer John Dee was the inspiration for Albus Dumbledore will jerk some eyes open.As for an example of a psychological aspect of Harry Potter, Highfield uses bereavement syndrome to explain the Mirror of Erised, with the mirror as an output device that's receptive to the brain's trauma-ridden visions.Apart from using J.K. Rowling's first four books, Roger Highfield exhaustively used respected biology, psychology, physics, and medical journals, and history books as his sources.If one is of a highly fantastical and romantic nature, not wanting to spoil the magic of Harry Potter by possible scientific explanations, go elsewhere. Those who are able to accept Clarke's Law and assimilate these theories into the Harry Potter universe without it spoiling the magic, this book's for you. Well, time to put on my silvery cross-connected fiber-optic cape that records images from the background over me. See ya.

Discussions of scientific and historical issues

The Harry Potter books are used here as an interesting and attention engaging foundation for sound and informative discussions of scientific and historical issues ranging from connections between hallucinogens and flying sensations to the science of ethnobotany. Readers of Harry Potter will find within the pages of The Science Of Harry Potter a set of lively scientific insights which go far from Harry's fictional fantasy realm to the world of real science.