The Magic Box

Tom

An Old Friend
The Magic Box
You have a box. You open the box and there is a box inside and inside that box is another box. This keeps going until the inner box is so small it can no longer be considered a box.
Nesting Boxes: Dimensional Awareness, Relativity, Condensing...

The Magic Box
You have an open box on its side. On the top panel you have a pipe. Inside the box you have fire. Fire inside your home in a box. This makes your home warm in the winter, gives you light at night and allows you to cook your food inside your house.
Fireplace: Thermal Dynamics, Convection, Drafting, Practicality, Convenience, Reflectivity, Phase state changes of matter...

The Magic Box
Ice is manufactured and sold. You bring it home and put it in this box. The ice keeps the food in the box chilled and it lasts longer. You have cold water on hot days.
Icebox: Thermal Dynamics, Insulation, Food Preservation, Phase State changes, Portable Weather...

The Magic Box
This box is metal or ceramic and is placed inside the fireplace. Foods are placed inside this box and heat is used to cook them. Non-food items are placed in this box and the heat changes some of their properties.
Oven: Thermal Dynamics, Convection, Tempering, Nutrition...

The Magic Box
Letters and numbers are arranged in a pattern on levers. You press the lever and a representation of that letter or number is imprinted in ink upon a sheet of paper. The paper advances and whole sentences are printed using this box.
Typewriter: Physics, Mechanical Engineering, Communication...

The Magic Box
You have a box on the table. It is fed electricity from your home's electrical supply. You turn some knobs and music and talking comes out of the box.
Radio: Conductivity, Vibration, Communication, Awareness, Social Structure...

The Magic Box
You have an electrically supplied box on the floor or table. You manipulate knobs and pictures and sound show up on the side of the box.
Television: Waveform Manipulation and Conversion, Communication, Social Structure, Advertizing...

The Magic Box
In the kitchen you have a box on the counter. You put food in it and a light comes on. Food is cooked fast and hot. Cooking time is reduced significantly.
Microwave Oven: Waveform Manipulation and Conversion, Nutrition, Convenience, Time Saving...

The Magic Box
In your pocket is a small box. It makes noises and vibrates to alert you that another person is wanting to talk to you or give you information. You talk to this box and you are able to put your voice in their hearing range even tho you are miles apart.
Cell Phones: Waveform Manipulation and Conversion, Communication, Convenience, Knowledge...

The Magic Box
A microscopic box in your ear and eye relays signals directly to your brain from the outside world. Sights and sounds are manipulated. Fabrication and Reality lines are blurred. Communication becomes instantaneous and personal.
Audio/Visual Implants: Biology, Communication, Waveform Manipulation and Conversion, Understanding...

As human beings we have surrounded ourselves with magic boxes. As we grow more intelligent and practical these magic boxes morph and expand. Which new magic boxes will evolve in the next few years? What new trends and examples of science will they introduce to us on a daily basis? We have been using Magic Boxes to advance our civilization for as long as we have been able to invent them. There is no reason to think that this will stop at our present level of understanding. The newest Magic Box may be just around the corner.

I created this thread to discuss the Magic Boxes. As a place to discuss and invent new ones. Some will be scientific, some speculative and some fantasy.

Personally, I understand the basic mechanics of how my computer works but when I use it I still feel it is just another Magic Box.
 
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