alchemy

[leftsleeve]

ive been hearing things floating around about alchemy and its hard to find a solid information basis for the principles of alchemy, much less a definition that isnt vague. can anyone tell me about the philosiphy of alchemy?

[Monty Cantsin]

there might be a philosophy with the same name but as far as i know alchemy is a pseudoscientific forerunner of chemistry prevalent during medieval times...

i'm going to move this to science.

[Anti-establishment]

Isn't alchemy the quest to turn metals like lead into silver and gold?

[ComradeChris]

I think alchemy is just the process of turning an element or substance, into a more different element or substance. If you play a lot of fantasy games, its also the mix of magic and scientific properties :lol: .

The one definition says its synonymous with interpersonal chemistry too. The primary definitions mainly talks about magical properties.

[Clarksist]

Alchemy was just a fuax-science trying to turn useless things into gold. That's about it, it isn't as cool as the name makes it seem.

[ÑóẊîöʼn]

Alchemy had a lot more to do with religion than science. The pages of many alchemy books refer to ancient greek gods, the holy grail, and the Egyptian goddess Isis.

[comrade_mufasa]

Originally posted by [email protected] 3 2005, 10:23 AM
I think alchemy is just the process of turning an element or substance, into a more different element or substance. If you play a lot of fantasy games, its also the mix of magic and scientific properties :lol: .

The one definition says its synonymous with interpersonal chemistry too. The primary definitions mainly talks about magical properties.
Thats all it is. Look at the Periodic table of Elements. Pick any element: neon, now pick any other element: gold. Alchemy looks to change the first element into the second element instantaneously. There were different belifes of how to go about doing this. Some people looked at it completely scientifically others thought that one needs supernatural help to do it. It is very interesting to read about. Alchemy can be looked at as the distant father of chemestry mostly becouse of the processes of measuring and working substances came from alchemy.

Sidenote: Full metal alchemist sux :P

[h&s]

'Alchemy' involves the use of the Philosopher's Stone which just happens to give you immortality.
Hmm, a stone that lets you turn base metals into gold and gives you eternal life - how could it not be made up? :lol:
Anyway, alchemy can be done, one atom at a time, but as there a 602000000000000000000 atoms per mole, it would take a hell of a long time to get a visible ammount...

[redstar2000]

Funny story.

A few years ago, I was browsing the shelves at my public library and came across a modern book on alchemy. I thought a history of alchemy might make for interesting reading so I put it in with all the rest of the books I was checking out without looking at it really closely.

It wasn't until I got home and later started to read it that I realized that this "modern" book actually thought alchemy was real.

Needless to say, it was quite bizarre...but it turns out that one of the persistent habits of medieval alchemists was never to publish a complete recipe for achieving one of their "feats".

It was the very opposite of science...where you have to explain your methodology so that others can verify your work if they wish.

Professional alchemists wanted none of that...nor did this "modern" disciple. :lol:

http://www.websmileys.com/sm/cool/123.gif

[encephalon]

yeah, that's why they now call the modern branch of it chemistry :P

Medieval alchemists did eventually come up with the periodical table, though, or rather identified most of the elements. I forget who ended up organizing it all, I think it was well after the alchemy craze though. But yeah, they were the non-scientific forerunners to chemistry. Very unscientific. They thought of it more as a magic.

[Taiga]

Originally posted by [email protected] 9 2005, 01:09 PM
yeah, that's why they now call the modern branch of it chemistry :P

Medieval alchemists did eventually come up with the periodical table, though, or rather identified most of the elements. I forget who ended up organizing it all, I think it was well after the alchemy craze though. But yeah, they were the non-scientific forerunners to chemistry. Very unscientific. They thought of it more as a magic.
No, sweety. Mendeleev, that invented the periodical table, wasn't an alchemist. He was a scientist (he invented vodca, BTW!!!! though it is a kind of alchemical life elixir :lol: ).

As for alchemy... it is the same to chemistry as astrology to astronomy. Bullshit.

[encephalon]

No, sweety. Mendeleev, that invented the periodical table, wasn't an alchemist. He was a scientist (he invented vodca, BTW!!!! though it is a kind of alchemical life elixir laugh.gif ).

As for alchemy... it is the same to chemistry as astrology to astronomy. Bullshit.

I meant that the alchemists discovered many of the elements :)

But if they had discovered vodka instead.. they would have been better off.

[Taiga]

Originally posted by [email protected] 9 2005, 01:42 PM

No, sweety. Mendeleev, that invented the periodical table, wasn't an alchemist. He was a scientist (he invented vodca, BTW!!!! though it is a kind of alchemical life elixir laugh.gif ).

As for alchemy... it is the same to chemistry as astrology to astronomy. Bullshit.

I meant that the alchemists discovered many of the elements :)

But if they had discovered vodka instead.. they would have been better off.
I can see what you meant now. I guess I wasn't attentive enough. Like I said, I'm too sleepy today.
As for vodca -- it's a real amrita !
It disinfects the body from inside :lol:

[Organic Revolution]

the deffinition of alchemy is using spells and potions to make certain things happen.

[Severian]

Originally posted by [email protected] 9 2005, 04:42 AM

No, sweety. Mendeleev, that invented the periodical table, wasn't an alchemist. He was a scientist (he invented vodca, BTW!!!! though it is a kind of alchemical life elixir laugh.gif ).

As for alchemy... it is the same to chemistry as astrology to astronomy. Bullshit.

I meant that the alchemists discovered many of the elements :)

But if they had discovered vodka instead.. they would have been better off.
Dunno about discovering elements; they believed in four elements - earth, air, water and fire.

They did discover a fair bit of practical chemistry stuff because they tinkered around with chemicals, vessels, and retorts while more respectable people just used pure reason.

Alchemists developed procedures for making a number of acids, for example, which they called by mystical names.

Similarly, astrologists made a lot of astronomical observations that were useful when astronomers began trying to scientifically figure out how the solar system was put together.

In their time, these pseudosciences played a role in preparing the way for modern science.

The distinction between alchemy and science, or "natural philosophy", wasn't universally recognized at the time, either....Isaac Newton was heavily into alchemy, for example.

[Rural_Communalist]

Originally posted by rise [email protected] 12 2005, 06:52 PM
the deffinition of alchemy is using spells and potions to make certain things happen.
There's this game and there's this hedgegnome alchemist :lol: ...randomness rules!

But in reality's terms, you could splice atoms, atom by atom, but it would be quite painstaking. I'm not even concerned with the amount of energy that would be required, just the amount of hours involved. Scientists could spend their time doing better things in a communist society.