One reason I am interested in the nature and history of magic is because I want to stop people from confusing it with science. This is because each has its own cool properties that cannot be replaced by another

@Secret Science is a process of investigation and sometimes it includes the discoveries of that investigation. If magic is studied and understood, it thereby becomes science. The only way to keep magic separate from science is by not understanding magic.

Hmm that brought up a curious question. In almost all fictional works where spells can be used consistently, why we call that magic but not science?

e.g. we knew how to cast the spell by following some prescribed instructions, and the outcome is predictable

what do all these settings lack so that we cannot call those understandings science?

@Secret Maybe that is because the magic is never investigated and understood. We can cause it to happen repeatedly, but no one ever exploits that to actually figure out why it happens.

Ah I see, basically "used it without understanding it at a deeper level"