History Main / MagicPoweredPseudoScience

** The major difference between the Technocracy (the primary villain faction) and the Sons of Ether (a {{Steampunk}}-themed player faction) is that the former try to lie to themselves about this not being the case, insisting that what they use is "merely [[ClarkesThirdLaw hyper-technology]]", whilst the latter accept that "science" and "magic" are really the same thing through different lenses. In fact, the Etherites originally began as a specific branch of the Technocracy, but left it after decisions amongst the higher-ups struck their particular branch of "science" from the Technocracy's Paradigm -- essentially, they complained that the Technocracy was "killing off all the cool science".

* ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive'': Tedd invented a Magitek glove to allow him to create magical watches that contain spells, making them basically small and compact {{Magic Wand}}s. He is later informed that the glove is mostly ornamental--while the glove allows him to store data and create wands with more precision than would normally be possible, he's doing the vast majority of the heavy lifting himself, and the glove won't work for anyone else. He's very disappointed, since he was proud of his invention.

* ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive'': Tedd invented a MagiTech glove to allow him to create magical watches that contain spells, making them basically small and compact {{Magic Wand}}s. He is later informed that the glove is mostly ornamental--while the glove allows him to store data and create wands with more precision than would normally be possible, he's doing the vast majority of the heavy lifting himself, and the glove won't work for anyone else. He's very disappointed, since he was proud of his invention.

** In the ''HollowWorld'' subsetting for ''TabletopGame/{{Mystara}}'', the people of Blackmoor believe their technology is for real, but it's actually magic and will stop working if removed from their native valley. Zigzagged in that it ''used'' to be real technology, but has been replaced by divinely powered magical equivalents (robots replaced with unique {{golem}}s, for example). The Immortals, who preserved the Blackmoor culture from extinction, set it up this way ''partly'' so the people couldn't export their technology to any ''other'' preserved culture, which would defeat the entire purpose of the HollowWorld as a giant unchanging museum for extinct races and cultures; but ''mostly'' because when Blackmoor's technological civilization was at its peak, it caused a [[FantasticNuke global disaster sounding suspiciously like a nuclear war]] that almost destroyed Mystara and the Immortals would like to avoid that happening again.

** In the ''HollowWorld'' subsetting for ''TabletopGame/{{Mystara}}'', the people of Blackmoor believe their technology is for real, but it's actually magic and will stop working if removed from their native valley. Zigzagged in that it ''used'' to be real technology, but has been replaced by divinely powered magical equivalents (robots replaced with unique {{golem}}s, for example). The Immortals, who preserved the Blackmoor culture from extinction, set it up this way ''partly'' so the people couldn't export their technology to any ''other'' preserved culture, which would defeat the entire purpose of the HollowWorld as a giant unchanging museum for extinct races and cultures; but ''mostly'' because when Blackmoor's technological civilization was at its peak, it caused a global disaster sounding suspiciously like a nuclear war that almost destroyed Mystara and the Immortals would like to avoid that happening again.

** In the ''HollowWorld'' subsetting for ''TabletopGame/{{Mystara}}'', the Blacklore elves believe their technology is for real, but it's actually magic and will stop working if removed from their native valley. Zigzagged in that it ''used'' to be real technology, but has been replaced by divinely powered magical equivalents (robots replaced with unique {{golem}}s, for example). The Immortals, who preserved the Blacklore culture from extinction, set it up this way so the elves couldn't export their technology to any ''other'' preserved culture, which would defeat the entire purpose of the HollowWorld as a giant, unchanging museum for extinct races and cultures.

** In the ''Literature/{{Dragonlance}}'' setting, the [[OurGnomesAreWeirder tinker gnomes]] are racially cursed to be both [[ScienceRelatedMemeticDisorder insanely fixated on doing "science" experiments]] but [[BunglingInventor incapable of doing science sensibly]]. As such, any gadgets or gizmos they produce that work often do so because they are inadvertently incorporating magical items. The race lives in strict denial of this truth, as [[MagicVsScience they are firm advocates of the idea that science is superior to sorcery]], despite their complete inability to prove it. In 3rd edition when the race gained [[SquareRaceRoundClass the ability to take magic-using classes anyway]], it was explained that gnomish mages are either trying to find a way to "prove" magic is a form of technology, seeking to find a way to reverse-engineer magic so that their technology can emulate it, or in strict denial of the fact that their "successful technology" is actually magical items and spells.

* VentureBrothers has the Joy Can, which presents whoever goes in it with their greatest fantasy. There is a debate between Dr. Venture and Dr. Orpheus about whether it is magic or science, but ultiamtely Venture reveals that while he built it scientifically, it's PoweredByAForsakenChild, pretty much pushing it into this category.

* The majority of Linkara's "Arsenal of Freedom" in AtopTheFourthWall is actually [[spoiler: literal toys he's enchanted with magic. This includes many things that are technological in the series they are based on, such as [[Franchise/{{Pokemon}} Pokeballs]], [[Franchise/StarTrek Tricorders]], and [[Series/DoctorWho sonic screwdrivers.]]]] This does not however include any of the robots or AI Linkara has worked on, as Nimue, Pollo, and Holokara remained functional when he lost his ability to use magic.

** In the ''Hollow World'', the Blacklore elves believe their technology is for real, but it's actually magic and will stop working if removed from their native valley. The Immortals, who preserved the Blacklore culture from extinction, set it up this way so the elves couldn't export their technology to any ''other'' preserved culture.
** In ''TabletopGame/{{Ravenloft}}'', mad scientists believe the golems that they craft are a product of science, but it's actually the Dark Powers that grant animation to these obsessives' creations. Likewise, while Victor Mordenheim is convinced he single-handedly created Adam, it's alleged that the gods of his native world are the ones who'd imbued the creature with true animation to spank Mordenheim for his hubris.
** Gnomish helms in ''TabletopGame/{{Spelljammer}}''.

** Many of the Orks' machines actually run on ClapYourHandsIfYouBelieve, which only works [[AchievementsInIgnorance because they think they're functioning technologically, not psychically]]. When no Orcs are present, the machines stop working.

* ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}''
** The Orks, though this may be an example of ClapYourHandsIfYouBelieve.

* A fan theory, which was also suggested in the RPG, is that in ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' Warren's inventions (androids, mind control devices, etc.) only work because of the Hellmouth's power.

* [[Series/TheVampireDiaries Johnathen Gilbert]] was a crazy inventor trying to build devices to let the town destroy the vampires in their midst. None of them worked, until the vampires' pet witch enchanted them to work as intended, assuming they were put together properly.

* Done in ''Film/{{Daybreakers}}'', though not to limit the effects or reproducibility of the AppliedPhlebotinum. Everyone in the vampire world of the future refers to vampirism as a "virus" in their research papers and news reports. What kind of virus could possibly give people all the traditional supernatural vampire traits of undead immortality, needing human blood to survive, extreme vulnerability to sunlight, glowing eyes, no reflection in a mirror, and exploding in fiery chunks when staked but not when beheaded? [[VirusMisnomer None, really]], but since their condition spreads like a virus and the remaining normal humans and their sympathizers are seeking a cure for it like a virus, a "virus" it is by their working definition. In real life medicine, this would fall under the broader term "pathogen".

* Done in ''Film/{{Daybreakers}}'', though not to limit the effects or reproducibility of the AppliedPhlebotinum. Everyone in the vampire world of the future refers to vampirism as a "virus" in their research papers and news reports. What kind of virus could possibly give people all the traditional supernatural vampire traits of undead immortality, needing human blood to survive, extreme vulnerability to sunlight, glowing eyes, no reflection in a mirror, and exploding in fiery chunks when staked but not when beheaded? None, really, but since their condition spreads like a virus and the remaining normal humans and their sympathizers are seeking a cure for it like a virus, a "virus" it is by their working definition.

* Mecha-Hisui in ''VideoGame/MeltyBlood'' is a [[SuperPoweredRobotMeterMaids Heavily-Armed]] RobotMaid in ''VideoGame/MeltyBlood''. She was created by Kohaku, under the influence of the [[RealityWarper Tatari.]] Regardless, it is ''extremely'' unlikely this is the traditional robotics. Should one play as Mecha-Hisui against a certain mage end-boss, she refers to her as a "Magic Doll".

* The majority of Linkara's "Arsenal of Freedom" in AtopTheFourthWall is actually [[spoiler: literal toys he's enchanted with magic. This includes many things that are technological in the series they are based on, such as [[{{Pokemon}} Pokeballs]], [[StarTrek Tricorders]], and [[DoctorWho sonic screwdrivers.]]]] This does not however include any of the robots or AI Linkara has worked on, as Nimue, Pollo, and Holokara remained functional when he lost his ability to use magic.

* The majority of Linkara's "Arsenal of Freedom" in AtopTheFourthWall is actually [[spoiler: literal toys he's enchanted with magic. This includes many things that are technological in the series they are based on, such as [[{Pokemon}} Pokeballs]], [[StarTrek Tricorders]], and [[DoctorWho sonic screwdrivers.]]]]

* In Lisanne Norman's ''SholanAlliance'', it turns out that Vartra was using his own telepathic abilities (unwittingly) to mutate DNA, which was why only his experiments resulted in more powerful telepaths.

* An unusually in-depth example in A.L. Phillip's ''Literature/TheQuestOfTheUnaligned''. The fire-magic of aeshes can be used not only to power devices designed to run on electricity but also to give devices far more power then mundane physics would provide, or even to do things that are physically impossible, like flying cars. Interestingly, it also cuts the other way, in that MagicItems can sometimes run on electricity.
** WordOfGod explanation: http://princealaric.tumblr.com/post/53785735512/laeshana-is-the-aesh-touch-synonymous-in-cadaeren-with#notes

* The city-state of [[ShiningCity Laurentia]] in the ''[[NexusWar Nexus Clash]]'' universe was a technologically advanced society that led its world in bionics. When the world ended and Laurentia became the supernatural battlefield of the Nexus, most of the human expertise needed to keep Laurentian bionics going by mortal means were wiped out, but plenty of bionics are still in action as a {{Magitek}} "focus" for Nexus magical powers.

* The various futuristic technology and weaponry in ''Literature/TheReckonersTrilogy'' falls into this. Around the time Epics began showing up, humanity made incredible advances with technology, a lot of which should be near-impossible to make. David, not knowing much better, assumes that the technology is made through research into the processes through which Epics violate and ignore the laws of physics. [[spoiler: It's later revealed that the "technology" just motivates dead cells from Epics to stimulate a similar effect to their powers. That's right, all but probably three or four bits of futuristic technology the heroes used were powered by dead people.[[AssholeVictim They were probably dicks, though]].]]

* [[TheVampireDiaries Johnathen Gilbert]] was a crazy inventor trying to build devices to let the town destroy the vampires in their midst. None of them worked, until the vampires' pet witch enchanted them to work as intended, assuming they were put together properly.