Wizard Genetics

[naama_gat at hotmail.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 6418

--- In HPforGrownups at egroups.com, Amanda Lewanski <editor at t...> wrote:
> naama_gat at h... wrote:
> 
> > I must say I agree with you. We have been told many times that wizardry excludes 
technology
> > (and by implication, science) so it would be an obvious fallacy to subsume wizardry and 
its
> > causes under science.
> 
> However, genetics and the passing of talents and characteristics was around for millions of
> years longer than the science thereof. Wizardry has to be genetically linked, to some 
degree,
> or there would never have been "wizarding" families, and squibs would not be the rarity 
they
> are. Genetics also, by way of the "hybrid vigor" effect, explains why the half-bloods and
> Muggles are often better at wizardry than the pure-bloods.
> 
> --Amanda

I agree that the "heredity" of wizardry seems analogous to heredity of physiological traits. 
However, I still maintain that its causes are categorically different from the causes of 
genetic heredity (=>DNA, genes, recombinations, mutations..). The whole point of magic is 
that it is a sphere of existence with a different causality than our physical reality. (That 
is, after all, why the Dursleys are so afraid of Harry - he is a focal point of powers that 
are inexplicable for them, that they cannot control or understand. He represents disorder.) 
Magic is a different view of the world than science, so the way it is passed to children 
should be explicable in magical terms, not scientific ones. 
 
Naama