The following podcast contains audio extracted from videos on the Harry Potter Theory YouTube channel.

Hey everyone, welcome to another installment of Harry Potter Theory. Today we're going to be

discussing magic, specifically what it is, where it comes from, and why only some people can channel it.

Expanding on that, we're going to be looking at the physiological differences between

wizard kind and muggle kind, attempting to identify biological characteristics that may

differentiate the two. Magic is defined as the power of apparently influencing the course

of events by using mysterious or supernatural forces, which on paper seems like a fairly

fitting description. However, the part of the definition I take issue with is the supernatural

component, as this implies that magic is beyond scientific comprehension.

Supernatural means just that, a force that transcends the laws of nature.

But is magic really supernatural? Is it a force that relies on religious influence, or can it be biologically explained?

From what I can tell, this aspect of magic seems to have been interpreted very differently

across a broad spectrum of Harry Potter fans.

Some fans view, have viewed magic in the Harry Potter series as being based on science,

a natural force that can be studied and understood through the study of magical

theory and the practice of magic.

Reinforcing this is the fact that the use of magic in the series often involves scientific

principles such as the conservation of energy.

However, many others view have viewed magic in this series as being based on religion,

a mysterious and unknowable force that is beyond the understanding of mere mortals.

In fact, this religious correlation is one of the main reasons that the Harry Potter books

became temporarily one of the most banned books to have ever hit shelves.

...