Paracelsus (or Philip von Hohenheim) made many large advances in the medical field, all of which can easily be construed as alchemy because they deal with chemical imbalances. He believed that people needed to balance their body (a microcosm) with their surroundings in nature the macrocosm), and that most physical illnesses could be cured through chemical means. He is also considered the father of toxicity, in that he theorized that poisonous substances are so only when taken in correct amounts, and that any and all substances can be dangerous if overused (i.e. overdosing).
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Alchemy: A Dangerous Science
Alchemy is known today as the beginning of chemistry as we know it, as well as creating the first real advancement. The science of alchemy had two goals. The first was to take any common element (iron, copper, lead, iron, etc...) and transmute them into gold. This was known as the Philosopher's Stone and was well sought after by many chemists in many different countries and continents (though mainly Europe and Asia). The idea of having a nearly limitless amount of gold was too good to pass up for most who heard about it and readily dove into the science of Alchemy. The other main goal of Alchemy was to create what is known as an “elixir of life” which would grand the drinker eternal life. Going by the Emerald Tablet, which gave instructions to create both the stone and the elixir. Even though all attempts were failures, Alchemy still contributed to various scientific fields.
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That would be awesome to drink that and have eternal life! I think that is definitely a cool thing to think about especially since we are talking about science fiction in class. I hope that one day medical advances will come up with something that can do such a thing, however it could lead to both bad a good outcomes. So who knows....I am interested in hearing your presentation in class!!!
ReplyDeleteSounds like a profitable proposition, if nothing else. Aren't you worried about the stone getting stolen, or falling into the wrong hands? But wait--I thought the church of the time already promised eternal life for those of us that repent for our sins . . .
ReplyDeleteYes, in the modern world, we still seek the ability to create something out of nothing, and of course, to live forever. The contemporary counterpoarts are too numerous to mention, even if they no longer look like good old-fashioned alchemy!
I don't mean to sound geeky, but whenever I hear/see The Philosopher's Stone I think of Harry Potter (that's what they called the Sorcerer's Stone in Britain). Eternal life and wealth SOUNDS cool, but is it really all it's cracked up to be?
ReplyDeleteI agree with the Harry Potter reference. It's the first thing that pops into my head as well.
ReplyDeleteI wonder what it would be like to live forever. I'm sure it would have it's pros and cons. Though I think the worst of all would be losing everyone you care about. For me, that would be enough to not want to live forever.
Very nice introduction to your presentation. I've always found alchemy to be an interesting topic. I also would like to avoid sounding geeky, but whenever I hear "Alchemy" I'm always reminded of the show "Fullmetal Alchemist." Looking forward to your presentation.
ReplyDeleteI should have posted this prior to your presentation, but as Cyndi said today in class "better late than never." With that being said I truly enjoyed your groups presentation, the idea of alchemy is not one I think of often seeing as chemistry was one of my worst subjects in high school and had to bust my balls the last week in order to even pass the final. But the idea still interests me, the approach you guys used was very original, for example creating your own elixirs while using accents. Two questions came to mind after your presentation today; the first being, would you rather have the ability to make gold and be rich for the rest of your life, or drink the "elixir of life" and become immortal? The second question I had was, is mixing gatorade and kool-aid a good combination? Totally off topic but it made me really want to try mixing the two.
ReplyDeleteI'll definitely back up Joe D. I think of Fullmetal Alchemist. The actual "science" of alchemy is interesting. How it was an actual field of science in its day is what really attracts my attention. How people would buy into it.
ReplyDeleteIt is very interesting that the research into alchemy was done globally, and did not originate in any single place. Did the idea of the philosophers stone, and elixir of life arise globally as well? or did they come from Europe? It's interesting as well to find that alchemy was a step towards medicine. Previously medicinal help came from the local flora and fauna. One of the most renowned doctors in ancient Greece was Hippocrates, who created the Hippocratic oath, and created the seal used by many medical fields of the serpent and the walking stick.
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