Ebook246 pages6 hours
Atoms and Alchemy: Chymistry and the Experimental Origins of the Scientific Revolution
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
3.5/5
()
About this ebook
Since the Enlightenment, alchemy has been viewed as a sort of antiscience, disparaged by many historians as a form of lunacy that impeded the development of rational chemistry. But in Atoms and Alchemy, William R. Newman—a historian widely credited for reviving recent interest in alchemy—exposes the speciousness of these views and challenges widely held beliefs about the origins of the Scientific Revolution.
Tracing the alchemical roots of Robert Boyle’s famous mechanical philosophy, Newman shows that alchemy contributed to the mechanization of nature, a movement that lay at the very heart of scientific discovery. Boyle and his predecessors—figures like the mysterious medieval Geber or the Lutheran professor Daniel Sennert—provided convincing experimental proof that matter is made up of enduring particles at the microlevel. At the same time, Newman argues that alchemists created the operational criterion of an “atomic” element as the last point of analysis, thereby contributing a key feature to the development of later chemistry. Atomsand Alchemy thus provokes a refreshing debate about the origins of modern science and will be welcomed—and deliberated—by all who are interested in the development of scientific theory and practice.
Tracing the alchemical roots of Robert Boyle’s famous mechanical philosophy, Newman shows that alchemy contributed to the mechanization of nature, a movement that lay at the very heart of scientific discovery. Boyle and his predecessors—figures like the mysterious medieval Geber or the Lutheran professor Daniel Sennert—provided convincing experimental proof that matter is made up of enduring particles at the microlevel. At the same time, Newman argues that alchemists created the operational criterion of an “atomic” element as the last point of analysis, thereby contributing a key feature to the development of later chemistry. Atomsand Alchemy thus provokes a refreshing debate about the origins of modern science and will be welcomed—and deliberated—by all who are interested in the development of scientific theory and practice.
Read more from William R. Newman
Newton the Alchemist: Science, Enigma, and the Quest for Nature's "Secret Fire" Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAlchemy Tried in the Fire: Starkey, Boyle, and the Fate of Helmontian Chymistry Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Promethean Ambitions: Alchemy and the Quest to Perfect Nature Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Related to Atoms and Alchemy
Related ebooks
Particle Physics: A Beginner's Guide Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5History of Chemistry Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsOccult Chemistry Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsIn Quest of the Quark: A Student's Introduction to Elementary Particle Physics Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsEvolution: The History of an Idea, 25th Anniversary Edition, With a New Preface Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Forge and the Crucible: The Origins and Structure of Alchemy Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5From X-rays to Quarks: Modern Physicists and Their Discoveries Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Way of the Crucible Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Alchemical Laboratory Notebooks and Correspondence Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Pure Intelligence: The Life of William Hyde Wollaston Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsQuantifying Matter, Revised Edition Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAlchemy: The Art of Transformation Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/530-Second Elements: The 50 most significant elements, each explained in half a minute Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Chemical Reactions!: With 25 Science Projects for Kids Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsQuantum Physics: A Beginner's Guide Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Quirks of the Quantum: Postmodernism and Contemporary American Fiction Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDarwin in Russian Thought Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe New Physics and Its Evolution Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Forgotten Revolution: How Science Was Born in 300 BC and Why it Had to Be Reborn Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Particle Accelerators: From Big Bang Physics to Hadron Therapy Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsExplaining the Cosmos: The Ionian Tradition of Scientific Philosophy Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsPhilosophy of Physics: Space and Time Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Alchemy: The Evolution of the Mysteries Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsParticle or Wave: The Evolution of the Concept of Matter in Modern Physics Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Liquid Matter, Revised Edition Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsCarbon Dating, Cold Fusion, and a Curve Ball Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSolitons Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsModern Alchemy and the Philosopher's Stone: A Journey through the World of high Pressure Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Greater and Lesser Worlds of Robert Fludd: Macrocosm, Microcosm, and Medicine Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Energy of Matter, Revised Edition Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Science & Mathematics For You
The Big Book of Hacks: 264 Amazing DIY Tech Projects Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/52084: Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Humanity Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Becoming Cliterate: Why Orgasm Equality Matters--And How to Get It Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Memory Craft: Improve Your Memory with the Most Powerful Methods in History Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Activate Your Brain: How Understanding Your Brain Can Improve Your Work - and Your Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Alchemy: The Dark Art and Curious Science of Creating Magic in Brands, Business, and Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Ultralearning: Master Hard Skills, Outsmart the Competition, and Accelerate Your Career Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Oppenheimer: The Tragic Intellect Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5How Emotions Are Made: The Secret Life of the Brain Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Wisdom of Psychopaths: What Saints, Spies, and Serial Killers Can Teach Us About Success Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Free Will Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Hunt for the Skinwalker: Science Confronts the Unexplained at a Remote Ranch in Utah Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Why People Believe Weird Things: Pseudoscience, Superstition, and Other Confusions of Our Time Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Metaphors We Live By Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Conscious: A Brief Guide to the Fundamental Mystery of the Mind Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Complete Guide to Memory: The Science of Strengthening Your Mind Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsOther Minds: The Octopus, the Sea, and the Deep Origins of Consciousness Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Systems Thinker: Essential Thinking Skills For Solving Problems, Managing Chaos, Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Bad Science: Quacks, Hacks, and Big Pharma Flacks Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Outsmart Your Brain: Why Learning is Hard and How You Can Make It Easy Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Truth About COVID-19: Exposing The Great Reset, Lockdowns, Vaccine Passports, and the New Normal Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Psychology of Totalitarianism Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A Crack In Creation: Gene Editing and the Unthinkable Power to Control Evolution Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Hungry Brain: Outsmarting the Instincts That Make Us Overeat Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Unpersuadables: Adventures with the Enemies of Science Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Big Fat Surprise: Why Butter, Meat and Cheese Belong in a Healthy Diet Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Trouble With Testosterone: And Other Essays On The Biology Of The Human Predi Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Reviews for Atoms and Alchemy
Rating: 3.4 out of 5 stars
3.5/5
5 ratings1 review
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Most discussions of the Scientific Revolution leaves out the impact that Alchemy has had on the development of chemistry, metallurgy, and (in this case) matter theory. Alchemy is portrayed as grounded in myth and mysticism, and therefore could not have influenced serious scientists.But as Newman points out, Alchemy and Chymistry (a science that many alchemists practiced) actually had a significant influence in the 16th and 17th centuries, and must have had an impact on the scientists working in those periods. Newman uses strong textual evidence throughout his book to show in very specific ways, how Chymistry influenced the development of matter theory, specifically citing the ways in which Robert Boyle's mechanical philosophy was influenced by the work of Daniel Sennert. Sennert's use of reduction and experimentation to prove his theories was and especially important influence on Boyle.This is not a fun book to read. In fact, it reads like a text book and is very dense with information. I was willing to work my way through it, because the subject matter was interesting enough to me. I especially liked seeing the thought processes that these scientists used, which is so foreign now, with our understanding of atoms and molecules.I would not recommend this to everyone, but those who are interested in the subject matter and willing to put a little effort into their reading may find this an interesting book.
Book preview
Atoms and Alchemy - William R. Newman
Enjoying the preview?
Page 1 of 1