Deus ex machina is a Latin calque from Greek ἀπὸ μηχανῆς θεός (apò mēkhanês theós) 'god from the machine'. The term was coined from the conventions of ancient Greek theater, where … See more

Aristotle (in the Poetics 15 1454b1) was the first to use a Greek term equivalent to the Latin phrase deus ex machina to describe the technique as a device to resolve the plot of tragedies. It is … See more

In medicine, the phrase is often used for supposedly "magical remedies" which are not likely to work in practice. For instance, in the 2020 COVID-19 outbreak, when double lung transplantation for terminal COVID-19 patients was suggested, it was immediately … See more

The deus ex machina device is often criticized as inartistic, too convenient, and overly simplistic. However, champions of the device say that it opens up ideological and artistic possibilities.
Ancient criticism See more

Thought experiments and speculations in theology, computer science, robotics and AI technology have considered the possibilities and consequences of a machina ex machina - a self-reproducing automaton. See more

1. ^ Random House Dictionary
2. ^ Beckson, Karl E.; Ganz, Arthur F. (1961). A Reader's Guide to Literary Terms: A Dictionary. Noonday Press.
3. ^ "Deus Ex Machina - … See more

• The dictionary definition of deus ex machina at Wiktionary
• "Deus ex Machina" . New International Encyclopedia. 1905. See more