| abstract | - This is when a work has an intangible element that is obviously supposed to be magic, but is explicitly not called that. Maybe the word "magic" doesn't exist in their universe, maybe they are using Insistent Terminology to Do In The Wizard -- yet whatever power they're using lets them levitate, throw Fireballs and anything else that standard-issue Fantasy magic can do. This trope also applies to works where an actually practiced mystical art such as alchemy or tarot cards has been broadened to the point where it functions as all-purpose magic. In a Science Fiction setting, Magic From Technology and "psionics" are favorite stand-bys along with Minovsky Physics, possibly with a "quantum" or "nano" tacked on for good measure. If Everything Is Online, Hollywood Hacking may be utilized as well. Sufficiently Advanced Aliens that have evolved to the point where the physical laws of reality no longer apply to them (such as The Doctor or Q) generally do not count unless their powers are something Puny Humans can learn. Sometimes, a more limited power may turn into this over time, due to abuse of New Powers as the Plot Demands. Note that "magic" in our vocabulary means something that breaks physical laws. Someone who was born and raised in a consistently magical universe would see magic as logical and sensible, much like electricity seems to us. What we call "magic", they would call physics. See Also: Not Using the Z Word, A Mech by Any Other Name Examples of Magic by Any Other Name include:
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