Aristotle

Aristotle recognised the importance of water by including it among the four elements along with fire, earth and air. In its many different functions, water is essential to the earth as we know it. Life critically depends on the presence of water. It is the medium of cells and is essential for the structure of proteins, cell membranes and DNA ". It has been estimated that more than 99 % of the molecules in the human body are actually water molecules". ... 

The toxic effects of mercury and mercury compounds as well as their medicinal properties have been known for many centuries. In the first century AD, Pliny indicated the use of mercuric sulfide (cinnabar or vermilion) in medicine and in cosmetics. This compound was probably known to the Greeks in the time of Aristotle (13). 

Ozmen (2004, especially for chemical bonding) and Coll und Treagust (2003, chemistiy of metals) can help to develop a first overview. Numerous authors (e g. Pfund, 1975 Schldpke, 1991 Griffith and Preston, 1992 Mas et al., 1987) describe parallels between students conceptions and historical scientific ideas. Schldpke (1991), for example, points out similarities between students conceptions concerning properties of matter and ideas in alchemist thinking. Lee, Eichinger, Anderson, Berkheimer, and Blakeslee (1993) mentions semblances between the ideas of Aristotle and students conceptions about general aspects of the particulate nature of matter and the horror vacui . 

In this section, we present some parallels to Aristotehan thinking. Aristotle strongly attacked the idea of atomism. For example, the idea of empty space between... 

In summary, for Leukipp and Demokrit, the empty space between the atoms was a key assumption in their model, because, if particles were closely packed, they could not move and substances could not be mixed. When asking students to philosophise about the nature of matter, we indeed find parallels to the ancient Greek thinking, both to the so-called atomists and to the continuous ideas of Aristotle and others. For example, Leukipp s and Demokrit s explanation for the specific weight of substances corresponds to one student conception younger students especially tend to explain differences in the specific weight (but also hardness of substances) with differences in the closeness of particles (Fig. 10.6). They seldom take into account that the particles could have a different weight themselves. 

This argumentation was strongly attacked by Aristotle who said that water can also move and flow without observable empty spaces in it. Maybe Aristotle simply overestimated the size of atoms as thought by Leukipp and Demokrit (Home, 1975). To justify his denial of empty spaces between atoms, one student said Well, you can t see open spaces in water (Lee et al., 1993, p. 257). Such misleading ideas about the size of atoms and particles are reported for students, too (e.g. Lee et al., 1993). Hence, learning difficulties can be explained by this frame When expecting that particles should be observable but no such particles can be seen, why should a learner believe in the existence of atoms ... 

Aristotle (384-322 BC) (though not in a chemical sense ) Students have difficulties Discussing Aristotle s... 

Kosmidis V Achillas D S Karayannidis G P Thessaloniki,Aristotle University... 

Medawar PB, Medawar JS (1983) Viruses. In Medawar PB, Medawar JS (eds) Aristotle to zoos a philosophical dictionary of biology. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA p, 275... 

MS Florence BibUoteca Nazionale-Centrale II, iii, 27, foHo 25r Circulus diges-tionis. The process of alchemical digestion has been examined in Urszula Szulakowska, The Tree of Aristotle, Ambix, 33 (1986), 53-77 see fig. 8. 

In his study of a related issue involving the artificial products of both artists and alchemists, Newman has analysed the medieval and Renaissance scholastic debate concerning the rightful role of art vis-a-vis nature. This had been defined by Aristotle [Physics II I I92b8-I4).= ... 

Aristotle s conception [of art]. . . insisted on the distinction between real material change and superficial mimesis. From an Aristotelian perspective, it is one thing to improve upon nature, and quite another to improve nature itself" ... 

The phenomenon of sweetness has been of interest from the time of the Ancient Greeks. Theophrastus (372-287 B.C.), who succeeded Aristotle at the Lyceum in Athens, wrote a review of the subject in his book De Sensibus. Since then, many attempts have been made to correlate chemical structure with sweet taste, but most of them are of limited value. These will, therefore, be discussed only briefly in the present article. 

Aristotle. "[Secreta Secretorum] John Lydgate monke of St. Edmunds Bury, in his translation of the second epistle that King Alexander sent to his master Aristotle." In Theatrum chemicum Britannicum, ed. Elias Ashmole, 397-403., 1652. 

Aristotle.The complete works of Aristotle. Edited by Jonathan Barnes. Rev. Oxford trans. ed. Edited by Jonathan Barnes. Princeton (NJ) Princeton Univ P, 1984. 2 vols... 

Aristotle. "From the Meteorology." In The alchemy reader, ed. Stanton J. Linden, 34-37., 2003. 

Aristotle.Secreta Secretorum. Nine English versions. Edited M.A. Manzalaoui. Edited by M.A. Manzalaoui. Oxford Early English Text Society, 1977. 

Aristotle.Three prose versions of the Secreta Secretorum. Edited by Robert Steele. Edited by Robert Steele. London Early English Text Society, 1898. 

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