Alchemy
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| − | '''Alchemy''' is the attempt at science that was a precursor to modern {{cat|chemistry}}. It sought to figure out ways to turn one element into another, among other things. A famous proponent of this now discarded attempt at science was [[Isaac Newton|Sir Isaac Newton]]. Newton's attempts to unravel the mysteries of chemicals and elements may have taught him many new things, but never the one holy grail of alchemy. Ideally, alchemists wanted to turn junk metals into gold. Although, if this had been mastered, the value of gold would have dropped precipitously, destroying the economies of most of the nations of the time | + | '''Alchemy''' is the attempt at science that was a precursor to modern {{cat|chemistry}}. It sought to figure out ways to turn one element into another, among other things. A famous proponent of this now discarded attempt at science was [[Isaac Newton|Sir Isaac Newton]]. Newton's attempts to unravel the mysteries of chemicals and elements may have taught him many new things, but never the one holy grail of alchemy. Ideally, alchemists wanted to turn junk metals into gold. Although, if this had been mastered, the value of gold would have dropped precipitously onve the secret got out, destroying the economies of most of the nations of the time; just one reason alchemists were supremely jealous of their trade secrets, another being their complete lack of progress. |
Eventually {{cat|physics|physicists}} figured out how to turn one element into another — certain heavy elements can readily be caused to form lighter elements and isotopes, if enough dynamite is packed around concentrated samples of them, and hydrogen can be turned into helium if enough heavy elements are made to change around an appropriate sample of tritium<ref>A heavy isotope of hydrogen, with two neutrons in the nucleus.</ref>. | Eventually {{cat|physics|physicists}} figured out how to turn one element into another — certain heavy elements can readily be caused to form lighter elements and isotopes, if enough dynamite is packed around concentrated samples of them, and hydrogen can be turned into helium if enough heavy elements are made to change around an appropriate sample of tritium<ref>A heavy isotope of hydrogen, with two neutrons in the nucleus.</ref>. | ||
Revision as of 03:47, 1 July 2009
This topic is a pseudoscience, and is not accepted by the scientific community as a valid discipline.
Although it may use scientific terminology, it does not use scientific methodology.
Remember: just because it sounds right doesn't mean it's actually right.
Alchemy is the attempt at science that was a precursor to modern chemistry. It sought to figure out ways to turn one element into another, among other things. A famous proponent of this now discarded attempt at science was Sir Isaac Newton. Newton's attempts to unravel the mysteries of chemicals and elements may have taught him many new things, but never the one holy grail of alchemy. Ideally, alchemists wanted to turn junk metals into gold. Although, if this had been mastered, the value of gold would have dropped precipitously onve the secret got out, destroying the economies of most of the nations of the time; just one reason alchemists were supremely jealous of their trade secrets, another being their complete lack of progress.
Eventually physicists figured out how to turn one element into another — certain heavy elements can readily be caused to form lighter elements and isotopes, if enough dynamite is packed around concentrated samples of them, and hydrogen can be turned into helium if enough heavy elements are made to change around an appropriate sample of tritium[1].
Footnotes
- ↑ A heavy isotope of hydrogen, with two neutrons in the nucleus.