Inspired by her popular Wild Thing podcast, journalist Laura Krantz incorporates the scientific method and her journalistic skills to determine if magic might be real in Do You Believe in Magic?

Magic—spells and curses, hexes and potions, superstition, and rituals. We’ve all heard stories of alchemists attempting to turn abundant lead into precious, rare gold. Or of poor, unfortunate souls asking potion masters to brew up unappetizing concoctions that will help them find love. And of course, we’re familiar with curses—muttering magical words for the purposes of exacting revenge on an enemy, or protecting a hidden treasure.

Who wouldn’t like the idea of special powers, or control over the natural world? It seems pretty fun, even if it’s just the stuff of fantasy books and movies. But a lot of what we call “magic” has grounding in real practices. In fact, magic is at the root of many scientific fields—from chemistry to botany to astronomy—and has been an important part of human culture for thousands of years.