Severo del Valle considers the twentieth century to be an age of "light, science, and technology." Esteban Trueba is equally captivated by scientific progress and aims to improve life at Tres Marías through technological means. However, science has its limitations; it cannot break Clara's silence nor explain why Esteban is gradually shrinking. Additionally, many technological advancements at the hacienda prove to be ineffective, such as the kerosene stove, which ends up being used as a henhouse because no one knows how to operate it. Old Pedro García often highlights the limitations of science by solving the hacienda's ant problem merely by speaking to the insects. He also sets Esteban's broken bones so precisely by touch that "the doctors who examined Trueba afterward could not believe such a thing was possible."

Despite their differences, science and magic have similarities. Advanced science can seem magical because its mechanisms are often difficult to understand and require faith. For example, Father Restrepo calls the del Valle car "satanic," and the peasants of Tres Marías consider the radio news to be "fairy tales, which did nothing to alter the narrowness of their existence." Clara recognizes this connection between science and magic. She tells Nicolás during his unsuccessful attempts to develop psychic abilities, "If you can't understand how the telephone works, how do you expect to understand miracles?"