The Pseudoscience of the Modern World

1615 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: The political history of alchemy

The creation and development of Alchemy has been teeming with countless stories of philosophical theories, alchemic brilliance, and public ridicule and disgrace due to failure to create a legendary substance known as the Philosophers stone. As a result, this stone has been one of the most pursued objects of Europe an history providing the driving force for Alchemy. This sacred art is what pioneered the very first tools, process, and theories of modern chemistry (Alchemy). Current generations of Americans were most likely introduced to the concept of Alchemy in American literature such as in works by Shakespeare (Alchemy in Art). Many of these books actually portrayed real characters such as Nicholas Flamel, a real alchemist in the 13th and 14th century. There are some hidden truths in these Alchemical fictions but not much else. They are most often fictional worlds where wizards weave spells. Alchemy although somewhat misguided, was actually a logical and scientific art that was vitally important to the development of modern science.
Alchemy was not just a fantasy of random events. It had a specific goal. That goal was to produce the Philosopher's Stone. A substance that could transmute base metals into gold. A process known today as chrysopoeia. The Philosopher's Stone is not actually a stone meaning a singular object that could only be discovered through archaeological expeditions. It was a compound substance that had to be created. It’s most common description is a very dense red powder or a yellowish waxy substance. Mixing this with melted metal would create gold (Philosophers Stone). This is what misled alchemist throughout history. They were constantly pursuing a substance that didn’t exist. However, they had much reason to...

... middle of paper ...

...d
"Alchemy and the Road to Modern Chemistry." Alchemy and the Road to Modern Chemistry. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Apr. 2014.
"Alchemy in Art and Entertainment." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 21 Mar. 2014. Web. 25 Mar. 2014.
"Alchemy." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 24 Mar. 2014. Web. 25 Mar. 2014.
"Aristotle." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 31 Mar. 2014. Web. 31 Mar. 2014.
"Emerald Tablet." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 31 Mar. 2014. Web. 01 Apr. 2014.
"Hellenistic Period." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 30 Mar. 2014. Web. 31 Mar. 2014.
"Islamic Golden Age."Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 04 Jan. 2014. Web. 01 Apr. 2014.
"Paracelsus." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 31 Mar. 2014. Web. 31 Mar. 2014.
"Philosopher's Stone." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 24 Mar. 2014. Web. 25 Mar. 2014.
"The Sorcerers Stone." YouTube. YouTube, 12 Nov. 2013. Web. 01 Apr. 2014.

Show More
Related

  • How was Medicine in the 1920’s

    1945 Words  | 4 Pages

    middle of paper ... ... The Web. 22 Feb. 2014. http://www.chemheritage.org/discover/online-resources/chemistry-in-history>.

    Read More

  • A Summary Of Alchemy In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein '

    208 Words  | 1 Pages

    Today, alchemy is mostly use to change one element into another such as lead and mercury into gold and silver for undiscovered material. In Frankenstein, it tells about alchemists that who want to discover the mystery of life and the creation of inanimate objects. By look at these alchemist, Victor wants to use the alchemy that he learns from his teachers to creating life from death and he thinks it will benefit for the people.

    Read More

  • Alchemist: Santiago and the Key Elements of the Story

    859 Words  | 2 Pages

    Alchemy and the Alchemist's Gold: Alchemy in itself is the purifaction of oneselfs as they fulfil thier Personal Legend. So when the Alchemist hands Santiago the piece of gold he makes from the peice of lead it is show that Santiago that the Alchemist has finished his Personal Legend and now Santiago must complete his. The gold is a symbol of the product that hardwork, time and the fulfilment of a Personal Legend can have.

    Read More

  • Pseudoscience Essay

    624 Words  | 2 Pages

    Please use the textbook, the PPT lecture handout of Chapter 1, and internet to answer the following six questions:

    Read More

  • Medicine During the Elizabethan Era

    1103 Words  | 3 Pages

    Trimble, Russell, "Alchemy," in The Encyclopedia of the Paranormal edited by Gordon Stein (Buffalo, N.Y.: Prometheus Books, 1996), pp. 1-8.

    Read More

  • Science or Pseudoscience

    683 Words  | 2 Pages

    Often, therapies that are pseudoscience will appear to be scientifically based when in fact they are not. In their article, “Science and Pseudoscience in Communication Disorder: Criteria and Applications,” Fin, Bothe and Bramlett (2005) assert there are 10 criteria that can assist in determining if a therapy is scientifically based or if it is pseudoscience (p. 172).

    Read More

  • Napoleon's Buttons Sparknotes

    1127 Words  | 3 Pages

    This chemistry book report is focus on a book called “Napoleon's buttons: How 17 molecules changed history” by Penny Le Couteur and Jay Burreson. The publisher of this book is Tarcher Putnam, the book was published in Canada on 2003 with 17 chapters (hey the number match the title of the book!) and a total of 378 pages. The genre of this book is nonfiction. “Napoleon's Buttons” contain a fascinating story of seventeen groups of molecules that have greatly changed the course of history and continuing affect the world we live in today. It also reveal the astonishing chemical connection among some unrelated events, for example: Chemistry caused New Amsterdamers to be renamed New Yorkers and one little accident of detonating cotton apron in a minor housekeeping mishap lead to the development of modern explosives and the founding of the movie industry.

    Read More

  • The Alchemist

    675 Words  | 2 Pages

    In The Alchemist there were obviously many characteristics,one of them being hard work. In this work hard work was displayed as putting effort but also making your mind also work hard. For example Santiago showed this by helping the crystal merchant expand and make his shop popular as it was when he first opened it. Before that event he was a shepherd and of course that required a lot of work. For example, he made his internal self work hard when he embarked on the journey, and he had to thoroughly understand the meaning of his heart. He had to understand what his hearts reactions were. It was mentally telling him fear, love, understanding among other things.

    Read More

  • The Good, the Bad, and the Elements

    843 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Disappearing Spoon: And Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements, a national bestseller by Sam Kean, breaks down the periodic table and explains chemistry, an often exasperating subject, in a funny and comprehensible way. Kean, who has been featured in numerous science journals and the New York Times Magazine, demonstrates how chemistry is applied in the real world by giving amusing anecdotes rather than the generic and boring applications, such as how Billy and Pablo used chemistry to make a baking soda and vinegar volcano for their fourth grade science fair, that textbooks typically provide. Each chapter explores different elements on the periodic table; the tenth chapter, “Take Two Elements, Call Me in the Morning,” discusses the positive and negatives effects of the applications of certain elements as medicines.

    Read More

  • Nuclear Chemistry

    1999 Words  | 4 Pages

    Smith, Roland. Conquering Chemsitry: HSC course. 4th ed. Vol. 1. N/A: Cengage Learning Australia, 2010. 74-90. 1 vols. Print.

    Read More

  • Periodic Table Research Paper

    1700 Words  | 4 Pages

    The true beginnings of the modern periodic table are found in 1669 when alchemist Hennig Brand became the first person to discover an element, phosphorus. This was accomplished accidentally through an alchemical process using urine meant to produce the fabled philosopher’s stone that was highly sought after during the time period. The actual chemical process that occurred involved the reaction of sodium phosphate and organic compounds found in urine at the high heat at which brand was boiling the urine. This reaction produced carbon monoxide and elemental phosphorus which then condensed and solidified in the form of the white phosphorous allotrope, which has a tetrahedral structure, is insoluble in water, and is highly thermodynamically unstable. He named the element, though he was not aware it was an element at the time, phosphorous meaning “light-bearing” as white phosphorous glows strongly when it is exposed to air. A few years later, English alchemist and scientific investigator Robert Boyle was able to independently isolate phosphorus through an improved process by adding sand to the urine causing a reaction in which sodium phosphate and carbon from the urine reacted with silica forming sodium metasil...

    Read More

  • Distinguishing Science and Pseudoscience

    1868 Words  | 4 Pages

    To be able to demarcate science from non-science is immensely important, for our society, and its individuals. Science is our main source of knowledge and as such has many applications in our daily lives, and we need to be able to distinguish scientific findings and information from the many ideas and unbacked theories which are presented to large parts of the population, appearing as if they are fact. This may include something as fickle as weight loss plans that use diction not easily understood by the public to make the product appear authorized, certified and scientifically sound, when really the product is not scientifically tested, or trials not done in a credible manner. Another, possibly more serious scenario is in education, particularly science, many supporters of creationism and other pseudo sciences incorporate these teachings in schools, teaching them as if they were approved scientific theories to impressionable children, some who grow up retaining those beliefs, they were wrongfully taught, as fact.

    Read More

  • Alchemy -the Predecessor Of Modern Chemistry

    659 Words  | 2 Pages

    Because other metals were thought to be less perfect than gold, it was reasonable to believe that nature created gold out of other metals found deep within the earth and that a skilled artisan could duplicate this process. It was said that once someone was able to change, or transmute a "base" chemical into the perfect metal, gold, they would have achieved eternal life and salvation. In this way, alchemy turned into not only a scientific quest, but a spiritual quest as well. Although the purposes and techniques were often times ritualistic and fanciful, alchemy was in many ways the predecessor of modern science, especially the science of chemistry.The birthplace of alchemy was ancient Egypt, where, in Alexandria, it began to flourish during the Hellenistic period. Also at that time, a school of alchemy was developing in China.

    Read More

  • Exploring the History of Alchemy

    1837 Words  | 4 Pages

    Natural sciences have always interested mankind, and throughout civilization, we have sought to discover how the world works. This natural curiosity is best fueled by scientific thought and reason. Science is a constantly evolving area of study, and scholars in the previous centuries sometimes took a mystical view on science, one of these areas of study is alchemy. Many significant men contributed to the study of alchemy. Four of the most prominent include: Albertus Magnus, Cornelius Agrippa, Paracelsus, and Allesandro Volta. Although their ideas are considered erroneous by modern standards of science, they still had important scientific investigations and influenced scientific advancements in centuries to come.

    Read More

  • Division Between Ancient and Modern Science

    2594 Words  | 6 Pages

    Read, John. Through Alchemy to Chemistry: A Procession of Ideas & Personalities. London: G. Bell, 1957.

    Read More

More about The Pseudoscience of the Modern World

Open Document