Things a little strange that I've seen in the show

[Chishio Kunrin]

back on topic, I feel that the eclectic use of technology is somewhat odd.  Thatched roofs, pony-drawn carriages, pony-drawn TRAINS, yet gas ovens, electric lighting, and hydroelectric dams.  Also, metal armor and chariots and cobblestone roads in an apparently extremely wealthy area, yet steam-powered locomotives, advanced optics, biohazard suits, and skyscrapers.

...maybe the only thing they forgot to invent were computational devices and petroleum?  Because that seems to be the only place where they lack technology... well, besides never advancing their architectural abilities in places like Ponyville.

But it's not truly electricity. Lauren Faust said that everything in the show that would normally require electricity is simply enchanted with unicorn magic.

Sorry for the bold, but I have no idea how many times I've had to say that in this thread.

Well, when you see earth ponies using it, and hydro dams with power lines, and batteries, and lighting, and hundreds of other examples of applications of electricity where unicorn magic would seem insufficient for powering all of it at the same time for all of Equestria, and factor in the fact that Lauren is no longer leading the project and many things she had planned or said is no longer the case with either Season 2 or the current Season...

She said that the objects and appliances themselves are enchanted, not that the pony using it is using magic to operate it. For the hydro dams and powerlines and such, that is indeed confusing. I suppose in that part, they've strayed from her original vision.

the machinery is probably not "enchanted" by unicorn magic, my theory is that the power that unicorn magic is made from is used as electricity, makes a little sense right?

Lauren did actually say that "electric" appliances were enchanted by unicorns. The appliances themselves were.

[The Wandering Magus]

sorta   we had a "pony SCIENCE!" thread around here somewhere once...

[alexandas]

is twilight going to become an allicorn?

[Chishio Kunrin]

is twilight going to become an allicorn?

Tara Strong, the woman who voices Twilight Sparkle, said that she won't, when someone showed her a photoshopped troll picture. Unless that has changed since then...

[alexandas]

good

[Tiger]

good

You could at least say "Thanks" to Chishio 

[alexandas]

thanks chisio

[Lord of Madness]

thanks chisio

anyway I can confirm 100% a troll said that they would become an alicorn.

[alexandas]

thanks chisio

anyway I can confirm 100% a troll said that they would become an alicorn.

[Tara]

the machinery is probably not "enchanted" by unicorn magic, my theory is that the power that unicorn magic is made from is used as electricity, makes a little sense right?

Lauren did actually say that "electric" appliances were enchanted by unicorns. The appliances themselves were.

(small spoiler from Apple Family Reunion that sorta/kinda/maybe disproves this)

Spoiler: show

While I'm sure Lauren did say that, I feel I should probably point out that the sewing machines used in Apple Family Reunion seemed to be run either by a battery or a motor of some kind.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4h40JA99Wz0&t=11m32s

Although I'm not sure if they really count as electric appliances when they're run by a motor. I'm such a derp when it comes to technology. 

[GoldenTerrabyte]

the machinery is probably not "enchanted" by unicorn magic, my theory is that the power that unicorn magic is made from is used as electricity, makes a little sense right?

Lauren did actually say that "electric" appliances were enchanted by unicorns. The appliances themselves were.

(small spoiler from Apple Family Reunion that sorta/kinda/maybe disproves this)

Spoiler: show

While I'm sure Lauren did say that, I feel I should probably point out that the sewing machines used in Apple Family Reunion seemed to be run either by a battery or a motor of some kind.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4h40JA99Wz0&t=11m32s

Although I'm not sure if they really count as electric appliances when they're run by a motor. I'm such a derp when it comes to technology. 

But all the appliances seem that way. What made you think the SMs to be different? The noise? If I remember correctly, other magic-run appliances weren't noiseless.

[Tara]

the machinery is probably not "enchanted" by unicorn magic, my theory is that the power that unicorn magic is made from is used as electricity, makes a little sense right?

Lauren did actually say that "electric" appliances were enchanted by unicorns. The appliances themselves were.

(small spoiler from Apple Family Reunion that sorta/kinda/maybe disproves this)

Spoiler: show

While I'm sure Lauren did say that, I feel I should probably point out that the sewing machines used in Apple Family Reunion seemed to be run either by a battery or a motor of some kind.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4h40JA99Wz0&t=11m32s

Although I'm not sure if they really count as electric appliances when they're run by a motor. I'm such a derp when it comes to technology. 

But all the appliances seem that way. What made you think the SMs to be different? The noise? If I remember correctly, other magic-run appliances weren't noiseless.

It's the noise and the fact that to turn it on, they pull a plug thing that seems to start the motor. I mean I guess it could still be enchanted by magic, but it really doesn't look like it to me. -shrug-

[alexandas]

what about the power that unicorns use to make magic, ((my oc calls it Amal)) that might be able to put in batteries to power things right?

[Dawnstar]

Even enchanted a sewing machine would require moving parts to work properly so I can see it making at least some noise, granted likely not quite as much as they had in the episode.

Also, this wasn't the first time a sewing machine appeared on the show as I remember seeing one as far back as Suited for Success. Granted it didn't make as much noise as these three did, but that I just pass off to being there for the sake of making a "what, I can't hear you" joke.

Only machine I can think of off the top of my head that doesn't exclusively run on magic would have to be the trains as they appear to function just like old steam trains do.

[alexandas]

...

[ArtVeigar]

Well, i guess a magic charged battery isn't something impossible. I guess all the magic do in this case is to literally replace the eletricity, in other words, it's just to supply energy. Even if it's echanted by magic, a machine can't do what's supposed to do with energy alone, and it must have it's mechanical parts as well. So, by magic or eletricity, the sewing machines need the motor, making the noise.

So, there's nothing that makes magic different from electricity, making it possible to say that anything electric that appears on the show is actually run by magic.

[alexandas]

THANK YOU! that was exactly what i meant.  But then there's the whole process of charging a battery, you could put a strange charger on your horn and have the magic sucked out and go into the battery

[The Wandering Magus]

then what indeed is the difference between saying "it's magic" and saying "it's technology" when they are one and the same?

[alexandas]

they aren't, they are just powered the same

[The Wandering Magus]

it's not like there's a difference in the end, in that case.  a battery is a battery, an engine is an engine, a wire is a wire.  call it "magic", call it "lightning", call it "qi", call it "electricity".