Alchemy is an ancient fine art , arise inEgypt , that combines pragmatic experiment andphilosophicalthinking around the nature of topic . While it ’s often dismissed as quackery due to some of its outlandish object lens — like seek immortality or changingleadintogold — the experimentation carry out by alchemists have been credit with lay the base for modernscience . Here are eight fact about this spooky practice .
The wordalchemyderives from the old name for ancient Egypt.
The English wordalchemycomes from the Arabical - kimiya , which itself likely derives from the ancient name for Egypt , Khemia , meaning “ land of black earth . ” It refers to the Nile delta , where after seasonal pelting the seemingly free earth would be covered in brilliant gullible crop growing from fat black soil . This linguistic origin points towards the base of alchemy — that all matter might be transformed into something better .
Alchemy mixed proto-scientific experiments and mystical philosophy.
Although alchemy tends to be popularly reduced to the quest to turn base metals into atomic number 79 , it was based on a far more complex portmanteau of occultism , natural doctrine , chemical science , and alloy workings . alchemist attempted to find answers to key question , like “ how are things made ? , ” “ what are they made of ? , ” and “ can one thing be transformed into another ? ”
Alchemy emerged inGreco - Roman Egyptin the first century CE and spread through the convoluted and Arab humankind , take over ideas from Indian and Taiwanese refinement along the style , before being reimagined in Renaissance Europe . While it was concerned with formulate experiment into the properties of matter , alchemy also had a mystic and philosophic undercurrent . Alchemists believed that a deeper spiritual awareness was essential to their experiments , suggest that trueenlightenmentcould only number through the interconnectedness of spirit and affair .
Practitioners sought the Philosopher’s Stone.
The Philosopher ’s Stone — now mostlyassociatedwithHarry Potter — was a central alchemical quest . It was believe to be a substance which could quicken up the transformation of materials , allowing coarse metals to be turn intosilveror amber and , ultimately , providing the Florida key to everlasting spirit .
Alchemists suspected that thePhilosopher ’s Stonemight be an ordinary substance whose properties had yet to be discovered . As a result , medieval alchemists spend many hr experimenting with various substances to see how they interact with others in the hope that they might eventually trip up upon this particular grail . Needless to say , they were unsuccessful , but their legion experiments with metal , topic , and substances all bring to our knowledge of materials and paved the manner for the modern written report of alchemy .
Many ancient alchemical texts have been lost or destroyed.
The oldest alchemic book of account were make in Egypt and , due to disasters like the burning down of the Library of Alexandria , many were lost or sternly damaged . Much of the oldest cognition survived only in fragmentary manuscripts . These trace of erstwhile alchemic texts were often meld or copied down incorrectly , so the data became garbled and ever more arcane , contributing to itsmystery . Scholars found the foreign symbolisation impenetrable , and they often drop lifetimes trying to decode the ancient knowledge contained within .
TheBook of the Seven Climes(Kitāb al - aqālīm al - ṣab’ah ) is one example . It was originally written in the thirteenth century by Abū al - Qāsim al-‘Irāqī but today survives only as lavishly illustrated 18th - century reproduction . The text has clearly been copied multiple times and its meanings have been hotly contested . As with many alchemic texts , the recipes are not publish out simply , but are typify by symbolism to argue the processes require . Animalsare used to denote substances : an eagle stands in for sal ammoniac ( a mineral also call “ ammonium chloride ” ) , and aravenrepresents either lead story or iron . This make much of the text very open to interpretation and the meanings knotty .
The first known alchemist was a woman.
Mary the Jewess(a.k.a . Maria the Prophet or Maria Prophetissa ) is know only throughZosimos of Panopolis ’s writing in the earliest surviving record book on alchemy , published around the fourth one C CE . He refers to Mary as a teacher or “ sage ” and indicates that she live sometime between the 1st and 3rd century CE . Some traces of her piece of writing survive in other texts , including a recipe for making atomic number 79 from plant , but most of what we know of Mary come from other alchemist . She get pieces of scientific equipment that she used in her experiments , including the water bath orbain - marie(named in her honor ) , in which a container is nestled inside another and surrounded by hot water to control the contents of the intimate container are not heat beyond the simmering point of water .
Secrecy was essential.
Alchemy surged in popularity during theRenaissancein Europe , but as the scientific revolution gathered steam in the sixteenth century , enlightened scholars began to view alchemic methods and quests ascharlatanism . It was at this point that alchemy and chemistry split from each other : Chemists focused on grounds - based method to interpret raw law , while alchemists became more implicated with mysticism and the metaphysical pursuit of immortality .
Unlike emerge scientific thought that bank on the free exchange of approximation , alchemy relied on secrecy . Concepts , methods , and recipes were record through symbolism and allegory , making their meaning obscure and imprecise . Some alchemist justify the silence by argue that , without it , too many the great unwashed would be pretend gold , the food market would be flood , and the economy would crash .
Sir Isaac Newton conducted alchemical experiments.
Isaac Newton ’s vast share to modernphysicsis well known , but he also undertook investigations into alchemy and even seek to turn radix metal into gold . Newton needed to keep these experiments under wraps , though : By the former 18th hundred , alchemy was viewed as heretical . His interest in chemistry becamemore wide knownin 1936 when a substantial batch of his unpublished papers came up for auction bridge at Sotheby ’s in London . The memory cache of papers was buy by the renowned economist John Maynard Keynes , and he kept the assemblage integral , allow next scholars to study Newton ’s alchemical writings .
One of the most startling discoveries was that Newton had writtena recipefor the Philosopher ’s Stone . Modern scholars continue to revisit Newton ’s piece of work on alchemy and reconsider its lieu in the history of scientific discipline .
Alchemists made legit scientific discoveries.
During the 18th century , scientists let on the principles of non - convertible component that take form the basis of theperiodic tabular array . The knowledge debunk the musical theme that virgin element could be create by mixing others , seemingly placing the final nail in alchemy ’s casket .
But somehistoriansargue that modern scientific discipline owes a immense debt to alchemists ’ exploration of the nature of matter . The work of alchemist , which quiz materials and explore their properties , pose the groundwork for empiric science . alchemist ’ contribution include the find of new admixture and element , such as daystar and Zn ; the development of methods to manufacture Zen ; the invention of scientific equipment like thebain - marieand thetribikos(a glass apparatus for distillation ) ; and setting the ground of scientific experimentation .
While the ultimate aim to turn lead into amber or witness the paint to immortality was never achieved ( as far as we know ) , alchemists ’ experimentation was an significant stride in our rational history .
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