A Chemistry prof suggest the “Magic Sword” legends came from the unscientific addition of carbon to the iron. Too little the iron was soft…too much the iron was brittle. Get it just right you’d have a sword that could cleave through other swords and armor. Given that the same guy could make a dozen or more swords that all broke, that one that was vastly superior would appear to be “Magic”.
Hollywood makes guns look magic. Movies have The Rock waving around a pistol like it’s a magic wand that can deal death without failure or limits. Anyone who shoots knows that pistol hits are rare in combat past 10 yards – but nobody in Hollywood and most movie watchers don’t shoot.
November 16th, 2010 at 10:22 am
A Chemistry prof suggest the “Magic Sword” legends came from the unscientific addition of carbon to the iron. Too little the iron was soft…too much the iron was brittle. Get it just right you’d have a sword that could cleave through other swords and armor. Given that the same guy could make a dozen or more swords that all broke, that one that was vastly superior would appear to be “Magic”.
November 16th, 2010 at 10:44 am
Hollywood makes guns look magic. Movies have The Rock waving around a pistol like it’s a magic wand that can deal death without failure or limits. Anyone who shoots knows that pistol hits are rare in combat past 10 yards – but nobody in Hollywood and most movie watchers don’t shoot.