ObservationsScience began with observation. Noticing what occurred in the natural world, recognizing consistencies and trends, and then testing individual variables in controlled environments. In many cases there were previous studies to look at, many factors already determined, with numbers and statistics and established validity creating a framework upon which future knowledge could be built.
Kaleb was used to that world of scientific literature. Yet on this side, where he could feel the magic in the air and shape it on a whim, there were no prior studies to reference. Anything was possible. How was he supposed to create a hypothesis of any sort, when the answer to every question was 'yes'?
He was tired of the uncertainty... So he figured he would start right at the beginning. Observations.
At a first glance, every visitor seemed to have their own unique skills. That indicated some sort of logic, some reason he had no awareness of, which would predispose different people to different magics. Yet it wasn't entirely unique. He had learned to draw magical lines after seeing Shiloh's ability to do so, and there were two whole classes of differentiated visitors who shared magical abilities.
Kaleb had noted on a piece of paper in a loose, gentle scrawl:
Quote:
Assumptions
- Different magic must have underlying differences, or every magical person would be able to do every magical thing.
- Commonality? There are magic skills shared across groups, there is some potential for classification and grouping.
- There is capacity to learn other magics.
From there he wondered, if abilities could be categorized, how far did those magical categories extend? How much did each skill rely on what might be considered a central magical ability? Would focusing on one particular skill somehow enhance this global ability, or were skills too far separated to see that sort of benefit?
He realized there was another side to consider as he thought back on his basic assumptions. Motivation and interest had their own place in determining what a person might be good at. On a more mundane level, some people were experts at distinguishing different birds, and others might be experts at distinguishing car models, yet these were just two examples of a certain skill set, relying on the same underlying mechanisms. Kaleb couldn't rule out the possibility that magic functioned in a similar manner, and what looked like individual skills were merely different applications of the same mechanism.
Perhaps that differentiation might make itself more clear after some basic observations were done, right now Kaleb didn't even have an idea of what variables would be important... Trends and observations, that was what he had to focus on. Objective measurements, upon which he could build and test additional theories.
But that was another stumbling block, how did you quantitatively measure magic? He didn't know if there were any tools specifically designed for that purpose, and even then, he could feel how much magic existed around him, and would a device even be giving him numbers he could use? Was there any way at all to completely control for magic itself?
Instead, he might just have to get creative. While Physics and Biology used very direct forms of measurement, Psychology had always been a bit more enigmatic. Memory was tested indirectly using variables like speed and accuracy even before technology had brought the insight of EEG and fMRI to the field. Perhaps instead of measuring magic, Kaleb had to find ways to measure the effect magic had on it's environment.
A couple lines down he added:
Quote:
* * What magical skills can be measured? How can they be measured?
Thinking about his own skills, he knew how to make shields. Maybe there was a way to measure those, for area or hardness... But would he be able to hold a shield at the edge of his ability long enough to measure it? Or would he be able to get the specific tools required? It wasn't like he could bring pieces into the labs at the college for measurement. It would have to be something he could do by himself, on the other side.
What else could he do other than shields? He had glowing writing at his disposal, maybe with some help he could measure the length of a line before it started to disappear. What else could he do on the other side? Perhaps picking up a new trick or two right from the start would be a good idea, it would definitely give him another thing or two to think about.
He added a couple more notes.
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Units of measurements should be:
- objective scales
- quick to take measurements
- simple, no complicated equipment required.
- tape measure, stopwatch, ???
Finally closing his notepad, Kaleb let himself just mull over the ideas. It would take a lot of work, but he would start small. For now, just observations.
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