Can unicorn magic be harnessed as a kind of technology?

[Akemi Homura 7,681]

Unicorn magic is a pretty potent thing. It's probably been used to help design Equestrian architecture and construct houses, for example. That said, you think it can be harnessed by Earth ponies and Pegasi one day, similar to how electricity is generated? It would be a great help in their pursuits to improve their own species as a whole.

 

What I had in mind was some kind of contraption that could "fire" a spell which would have an effect like levitation or a spell which would work not unlike Twilight's teleport spell. Some levitation magic would also help out Earth ponies very much with their manual labour work they seem to do quite a bit.

[Dusty Soul 2,613]

I wouldn't doubt it, plus it seems this could only help Equestria, though the whole tampering with the way things should be could be a little dangerous...

[Starshine 16,335]

Ding ding!

 

 

I'm pretty sure Unicorns' magic are much more versatile than electricity. And it also somehow can be used to input a comand to the machinery (just like when the idiotic twin doubled their production rate)

[Akemi Homura 7,681]

I'm pretty sure Unicorns' magic are much more versatile than electricity.

 

Hey, maybe that's why we haven't seen many electrical appliances as we would have been expecting to be seeing? Maybe they have relatively little use for it, other than some pretty convenient things like some lighting and television.

[Starshine 16,335]

Hey, maybe that's why we haven't seen many electrical appliances as we would have been expecting to be seeing? Maybe they have relatively little use for it, other than some pretty convenient things like some lighting and television.

Nope, it's just the writers are somehow keen enough to remove any need for visible electronic applications and other heavy stuff from the episodes

 

One thing for sure, non-unicorn ponies have some kind of electricity (to turn on ovens on Sugarcube Corner, lighting on CMC's disastrous show, various party stuff, and other things I forgot). But where did they get the energy from? Do they use something like stored unicorn magic, or just plain electricity?

[GotPonies 6]

Earth ponies could probably harness magic as a power sorce. Problem is gathering enough of it to run effectively. How many unicorns would it take to power a single home? And then you would have to develop a system to run, house, and feed that power an wide area.

 

And I don't think that they are that technologically advance.....yet

[Chespin 180]

I think it's like Natural technology because all unicorns were born with magic, Earth ponies were born to interact with the environment(?) and Pegasi were born to fly.

 

Artificial technology when something is made by someone like this

 

 

Edited October 21, 2012 by Danger Dashie

[Galex Dj 173]

I guess it could be taken, but that would take a lot of power and energy to do it. And how long would that kinda thing take? But what would the non unicorns do with the magic? Of course we would have to see it in person or on show to figure out all these questions we have. It makes me have a lot of questions.

[I used to be a stranger 7,994]

It is true that if they wanted to have steam-turbine electricity with the external combustion provided by a unicorn heating the boiler, yes that would be very efficient for continuous energy creation, but it would make for one singularly boring pony to just stand there and heat a kettle for umpteen hours of the day.

 

The deepest considerations (without examining it all from a stringently engineered standpoint) means that while Yes so many technologies could be solved by harnessing magic like a fossil fuels or natural sources, it's also exceptionally boring.

[Minath Khalsi 195]

I think earth ponies and pegasi have really no need for it. Pagasi are strong and wouldnt need any help, and earth ponies just prefer not to usa magic. If the ponies triend hard enough they most likely could though...

[~Asuka <3~ 867]

I'm sure it can be, but it rarely is. Most unicorns use it right on the spot, and don't really store it up. Pegasi and earth ponies have no real use for it at the current time either, so it's rarely collected.

[kirbyboi 588]

Oh yeah, I'm pretty sure they can. I mean, if teleportation and magic exist in the first place, and that they have all that cool stuff, I think that at one point they will. However, if they do that, then what's the point of Unicorns? They'd become useless.

 

But in general, of course they can. But if they do that then some evil pony (Or Discord) can harness that machine for themselves and use it for bad. And like I said before, we have unicorns! They can just help out other ponies by using magic like they do now. More simple, and doesn't really require as much work to build that stuff!

 

That like saying we have a machine that controls the weather or creates a tornado. Then what would be the point of having Pegasi in Equestria? But if they wanted to, I'm sure they could somehow harness that power with a machine.

[</pony> 8]

Perhaps they stick with out of eyesight gears/steampunkish stuff. Cloudsdale's Rainbow creation center surely had to have been more than just Pegasi staring at rain until it turns colorful. I can't remember the episode as a whole, but I think there was some sort of colossal facility right beside the spicy rainbows with gears on it... I can't remember at all, sorry lol.

[Shift 4,274]

Unicorn magic comes in many different varieties, such as Electricity, Water, Fire, Healing, Shadow, etc. Technology is basically powered using electricity...so yes, they could. They could assemble and mine the parts using magic and pickaxes and then power it using electricity/magic.

 

As for being harnessed by Earth Ponies and Pegasi...of course. Equestria still has centuries and centuries to grow. Celestia must of seen many changes during her time and a lot more up-coming. Technology will come around, but until then, they're stuck with farms and markets.

[Akemi Homura 7,681]

Oh yeah, I'm pretty sure they can. I mean, if teleportation and magic exist in the first place, and that they have all that cool stuff, I think that at one point they will. However, if they do that, then what's the point of Unicorns? They'd become useless.

 

 

Not useless... just viewed as "that race with bony appendages protruding from their heads" much more than before. Magic would become so commonly used that it wouldn't be such a big deal anymore in regards to who actually wields it, but there will always be some limits like who can be Element of Magic should the time come. That sort of stuff, for example, cannot be artificially produced.

[Blitz 127]

I think that even if not in the present, eventually somepony would figure out that it could possibly be harnessed and use possible some sort of head piece so that earth ponies and pegasi could use it the way they wanted/needed to.

[XrosOver 613]

The obvious answer is....yes because it is magic! What can't magic do!? The fact that it is magic means that it can do anything and everything with the right amount of practice. Also twilight said during the sleepover episode that she has a "magic" lightning rod (I know it's for the weather) which purpose could change to fit the current need.

[iLegovideo 152]

Well, if Flim and Flam can use their magic to make their machine run, I suppose it is possible to POWER a device, such as a lamp, with contained magic... like putting magic in a bottle and making that a lamp.

[Courageous Thunder Dash 7,824]

Unicorn magic is versetile. If earth ponies and pegasus can radiate the energy out of their hooves, they might have to learn how to stand on their hind legs. But maybe, they could have the magic, in the form of electricity, but the question still remains, how will they get the power and where will this power be accessible, also what would happen if a villan got hold of this power?

[Akemi Homura 7,681]

The obvious answer is....yes because it is magic! What can't magic do!? The fact that it is magic means that it can do anything and everything with the right amount of practice. Also twilight said during the sleepover episode that she has a "magic" lightning rod (I know it's for the weather) which purpose could change to fit the current need.

 

I see Equestrian magic as a kind of science - one that can be manipulated in some manner or form and not just exclusive to unicorns although their anatomy allows them to utilize its full potential, depending on the unicorn and how much magical prowess they might have.

[I used to be a stranger 7,994]

I bet magic could definitely be used for highly practical purposes on a continuous and repeatable basis. But the employment of technology would quickly decimate tradition and culture because of how quickly it would spur innovation and mechanical development. I think that Equestria is founded on older and less profit-driven culture than our own, and as such has far less of a drive to inspire speed and excitement to their technology.

 

Note how no one was a neighsayer of the SSCS6K for the employment of advanced technology; everypony talked down at the Flim Flam Brothers for sacrificing quality.

[CluelessLlama13 55]

Yes, it definitely can. Just look closely at Tank's helicopter device at the end of "May The Best Pet Win" for example. It's glowing EXACTLY like any unicorn's horn does when they use magic!!