Patrica C. Wrede's Worldbuilder Questions

Science and Technology

• Is the level of technology in this society comparable to that of ancient Rome, the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, the Industrial Revolution, what?
• What important inventions or advances have been made (the wheel, gunpowder, printing, flush toilets)? Have any of them been produced in quantities sufficient to affect the daily lives of the average person, or are flush toilet a luxury for nobility only?
• What inventions or advances have not been made that you would expect to see at this stage of technological development? Why? Which ones are about to be made?
• How much is known about the laws of nature, physics, and magic? How much of what is commonly known is wrong (e.g., Aristotle's ideas about human anatomy, which were wrong but accepted for centuries)?
• Are the laws of nature and physics actually different in this world, or are they the same as in real life? How does magic fit in? How do magical beasts fit in?
• Where is scientific and/or magical research done -- universities, private labs, under the auspices of the king or government, etc?
• In what areas might magic replace technology, and thus suppress its development (example: if a spell to keep food cold is easy and cheap, there's no need to invent refrigerators)? In what areas might magic cause more rapid technological or scientific development (common use of crystal balls might lead someone to think of inventing the lens/telescope sooner)?
• How do the technology levels and scientific knowledge of non-human races compare to those of humans? Are there significant differences, and if so, why?

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