Arcana

2015.10.01

1001 represents the decimal 9 in binary.

“Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” – Arthur C. Clarke

The magic that conjures the form and function of the modern tech-centric world is an excellent example of Arcane Knowledge. 99% of the users consuming ubiquitous technologies of this age have NO CLUE how or why they work, or how to build them. They open smartphones and browsers and are instantly connected and living augmented reality lives without even knowing what “Augmented Reality” means.

• Stargazing apps that superimpose constellations upon the night sky…
• Virtual museum tourguides enhancing the physical collections with interactive digital multimedia tours…
• Heads Up Displays built in to windshields and glasses…
• Modern capture-the-flag games that allow you to take over virtual power centers if you are in physical proximity to their virtual geophysical location…

Examples of magic that are everyday realities RIGHT NOW. Most of the users of these technologies have NO FLIPPIN CLUE how they work. Heck, most consumers of modern technology probably don’t know how radio transmissions can make sound come out of a box.

MMXV represents the year 2015 in Roman Numerals.

Though technology is central to the essential infrastructure of much of society today, most folks who use it don’t know how to build it, service it, or advance it. Those skills are elite specializations, the exclusive purview of practitioners of modern magics: engineers, developers and sysadmins. Arcane Knowledge.

The brilliance of living in this modern world is that, while the knowledge may be Arcane, access to that knowledge is no longer limited to a subset of sacred initiates inducted into secret societies. Just as the technologies are ubiquitous, they are oftentimes also transparent. The truth is out there!

Anyone willing to dedicate the time and mental resources to learning the alchemy and spellcasting of conjuring modern technological wonders has almost unlimited access to this Arcana. Not only can you learn it, you can then feed back into the system and build upon and advance the collective knowledgebase. Cooperative perpetuation.

One Mole is 6.022 x 10²³ elementary particles. Avogadro’s Number.

As magicians who conjure modern wonders do so by standing on the shoulders of giants, there are whole communities of peer magicians dedicated to helping anyone who approaches those giants to climb up and stand tall. We collectively curate our magical tome. We are all responsible for learning, practicing, and teaching each other. Thus assuring there will always be new giants, and there will always be another wave climbing upon their shoulders.

When Michael Jordan began to play professionally he negotiated a contract to include a "Love of the Game" clause. Essentially he reserved the right to play basketball pick-up games anywhere, any time and with anyone - because he loved to play.

The reality of technology today is that the Arcana is now held in cooperative public trusts by those who love technology rather than antagonistic private vaults. Anyone who WANTS to learn to conjure the form and function of the modern tech-centric world has an open invitation to experience endless wonder. Anyone who thinks they can build it better has the tools and source materials at their disposal. And we all benefit from sharing in and contributing to this public repository of knowledge for love of the game.

Code is an open book. The Arcane is open source. Drink the Kool-Aid, dive down the Rabbit Hole, build a better mouse.¹

Just don’t ask me to explain the finer points of an internal combustion engine.

~AMP

1. A bad Apple Computer/1984/Xerox PARC joke.

… Yeah, OK, so I’ve kinda sorta gone off the Rails. Pun intended. Best I can figure is I’m working my way around to tying it all together.