M-magic? Lafayette stuttered. "Nonsense. Electronics." - Keith Laumer

It's a failing of your culture, Foster said, that hypothesis becomes dogma almost overnight. You're too close to your Neolithic, when the blind acceptance of tribal lore had survival value. Having learned to evoke the fire god from sticks, by rote, you tend to extend the principal to all 'established facts.'

“Take it easy, girl,” I said, and patted her shoulder; I knew my touching her would chill her down again. Not a nice thing to know, but useful.

One nice thing about working with a piece of machinery: you don’t waste time trying to justify your actions.