" Tricky,” he said as they moved. “One day they will invent names for the properties of objects, such as the tendency of a thing to move once it is placed in motion.” “Of what use would that be?” Reena asked. “Everybody already knows that that’s what happens.” “Ah! But one might put numbers to the amount of material involved and the amount of pushing required, and come up with wondrous and useful calculations.” “Sounds like a lot of trouble for a small return,” she said. “Magic’s a lot easier to figure. "

― Roger Zelazny , Dilvish, the Damned