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trying to answer this question about portals as a fictional motif is taking me on a whole dive which i might as well document here before i lose track of it:

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anansi

in berlin

@s0ulDirect0r

· Jun 4

have stories about opening interdimensional portals been a thing in human history for longer than say, 100 years? is it just me or are we subconsciously memeing this into existence... (i just watched Stranger Things 3 fyi)

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Vivid Void

@VividVoid_

Jun 5

What do you think about the Divine Comedy or other myths that feature trips to other realities?

QC (in Berlin 7/29-???)

@QiaochuYuan

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@VividVoid_

i think they're great but i suspect there's a specific more modern provenance of the idea of deliberately opening a portal as opposed to e.g. happening to find one, and that it traces back to 20th century physics, relativity, wormholes, etc.

2:29 AM · Jun 5, 2022Twitter Web App

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and

really really interested in this and what's happening, it's becoming such a natural thing to imagine building machines that can open physical portals

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and

I think later might have displaced the former as humanity began to think we might get to play god, or at least deconstruct gods designs and repurpose them to our aims

Bailey

@baleatoric

Jun 5

Or, we have had a thought or fantasy for a very long time, that other planes existed, and science gave of hypothetical tools instead of having to wait to be gifted them by deities

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and

hmm medieval mages with summoning circles for demons though? is that so different?

QC (in Berlin 7/29-???)

@QiaochuYuan

Jun 5

in those stories you bring the demon to you rather than traveling elsewhere right? i'm not directly familiar with any stories like this except maybe faust

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