While the world of Harry Potter might contain a lot of magic and wonder, there are many things about it that just don’t make a lot of sense. While magic allows people in the wizarding world to do a lot of things more efficiently, such as appear from place to place instantly and levitate objects, there are many things that wizards and witches do that aren’t practical. Muggle inventions and technology actually have many advantages to things in the wizarding world, and there are many inventions that the wizarding world should use but don’t.
Here are ten muggle inventions that would have made wizarding life easier for the people in the Harry Potter universe.
COMPUTERS
Computers have changed what life is like in the real world, and the Muggles in Harry’s world would also have had computers. While Harry was at Hogwarts during the 90s, a time when computers weren’t as advanced as they are now, they were still around.
However, wizards and witches don’t use any sort of computer technology which means they don’t have access to things like word processors and organizational tools. There are so many things that computers do that would make life easier for them.
PENS AND PENCILS
While some of the Muggle inventions that would help wizards out are rather complex and modern, there are others that are quite simple. Pens and pencils are simple tools that make writing so much faster and easier. However, the wizarding world doesn’t seem to use them at all.
Instead, they use ink and quill for all of their writing. Doing so is much messier and also quite a lot more difficult. Plus, you have to carry around two things, and ink definitely isn’t an easy material to work with.
CREDIT CARDS
The banking system in the wizarding world, at least in the U.K., doesn’t seem to be that efficient. First of all, there is only one branch, and the way it’s run seems rather old fashioned. The money system is made up only of coins which seems rather annoying and impractical.
Muggle banks have ways to make accessing and spending much easier. Using things like credit or debit cards and checks makes it so you don’t have to carry around money at all, so it’s strange the wizarding world is still so far in the past with how they handle money.
TELEPHONES
Telephones are another great Muggle invention that the wizarding world would be smart to incorporate. They have been around in the Muggle world for decades, but most pureblood wizards and witches don’t even understand how they work.
It’s strange that wizards use some technology like plumbing but not other things like phones. Phones allow for quick communication with people almost all over the world in real-time. While there are some methods of communicating in the wizarding world none of them are as efficient or practical as a phone.
MICROWAVE
One strange thing about magic in Harry Potter is how it seems rather difficult to transfigure and cast spells on food. This doesn’t make a lot of sense considering that you can do so many things to living beings and food is a lot less complex. So, the fact that most wizards and witches don’t use Muggle appliances means they are wasting a lot of time.
While magic can make cooking faster in some ways, a microwave is still probably more efficient and takes a lot of less focus and energy.
SMARTPHONES
While smartphones have many of the same capabilities as a telephone, they are also a category in and of themselves. While smartphones might not have been around while Harry was in school, it’s unlikely the wizarding world would ever incorporate them considering they still don’t even use the most basic kind of phone.
This means that muggle-born students must have a really hard time being at Hogwarts after getting used to the convenience that a smartphone offers, especially when communicating with transfigured coins.
TELEVISION
While many of the best Muggle inventions have to deal with making chores and communication easier, some of them are also for education and entertainment.
It seems like the wizarding world is quite lacking in the department of entertainment and storytelling. While they do have the radio and even their own bands and musicians, they don’t seem to have a television at all. It’s definitely interesting that the wizarding world would incorporate radio but not take it the next step and enjoy television, too.
THE INTERNET
This is another Muggle invention that changed the world. The internet allows people to have basically all of the knowledge in the world available at their fingertips. It also allows for quick communication through email.
While things like owl post and using the Floo network might be nice, they aren’t entirely practical. Nothing can really compare to the ease and efficiency of sending an email.
AIRPLANES
When it comes to transportation, there are definitely some ways that the wizarding world in Harry Potter does it better. Apparating is for sure one of the quickest ways to get around, but not all people know how to do this and it has its limitations. So, for traveling really long distances or taking a bunch of stuff with them, airplanes might still be needed.
Plus, using magic they could probably make for better air travel just like they improved upon bus travel with the Knight Bus.
ELECTRICITY
Electricity is the basis of so many other Muggle inventions. While magic does seem to power many things in the wizarding world, electricity would definitely make life easier.
For one thing, it seems like most wizards and witches use candles and lanterns instead of electricity. While they might be able to use magic to start fires and keep them going, electricity would definitely still have a place.
