Gold transmutation, successful

Sir Isaac Newton spent much of his life pursuing an elusive dream, the transmutation of base materials into gold. Though he was not successful during his lifetime, he did manage to discover the equations of motion that, tliree centuries later, make alchemy possible on a computer. To perfonn this feat, Newton s equations need only be supplemented by the modem technology of free energy simulations. 

One final word people actually did alchemy in early modern Europe. When they called themselves alchemists and others found this believable, I take them at their word and call them alchemists as well, whether they claimed to be able to transmute metals, access divine secrets, assay metals, or produce fantastic medicines. Whatever we think of alchemy today, it is essential to remember that many people accepted the basic principles of alchemy in early modern Europe, even the transmutation of metals, and could point to religious and natural philosophical justifications for their belief. Successful alchemical works were rare and wondrous indeed, but not impossible. Thus, when we read in the newsletter of the Fugger banking family, for example, that the alchemist Marco Bragadino "changed a pound of quicksilver into gold some days ago" in Venice, we must accept that, in the eyes of early modern Europeans, he did indeed transmute metals.25... 

As Soukup and Mayer have argued recently, "Without question, docimasy, namely, the analysis of ores and alloys of gold, silver, [and] copper, had great significance in Oberstockstall.. . . For anyone who had to examine ores or metal for coins, as well as for those who wanted to know whether their transmutations were finally crowned with success, exact balances, precise observations, and accurate computation were more important than wishes, conjectures, theories, and images." Ibid., 2. 

Richthausen, a German, performed a successful transmutation in the presence of Emperor Ferdinand III at Prague on 15 January 1648. One grain of Richthausen s powder changed two and a half pounds of Mercury into gold. In keeping with tradition, Ferdinand had an inscribed medal struck from the gold. The inscription described the transmutation as The Divine Metamorphosis. ... 

The Stone is said to have the power to cure all sickness, give back lost youth, and to transmute other metals into gold. The old Adepts constantly assure us of its physical reality. There are exhibits in several European Museums, which are reportedly alchemically made gold. Even up to our current times, reports of successful transmutations are found. 

Note on Radioactivity and the Transmutation of Elements. For centTiries, before the development of chemistry as -a science, the alchemists strove to carry out the transmutation of elements, in particular to change mercury into gold with the aid of the philosopher s stone. Then, as scientific chemistiy developed and success in transmutation eluded the investigators, the opinion gained firm hoki that the conversion of one element into another was impossible, and that atoms were immutable and indestructible. The definitions of element and elementary substance accepted during the nineteenth century were based upon this belief. 

Helvetius confessed his former theft, and recounted his lack of success. The stranger laughed and said "Thou art more dextrous to commit theft, than to apply thy Tincture for if thou hadst only wrapped up thy stolen prey in yellow wax, to preserve it from the arising fumes of lead, it would have penetrated to the bottom of the lead, and transmuted it to gold." He promised to come again the next morning at nine to show Helvetius the proper procedure. 

Above Jabir ibn Hayyan in bis chamber, being visited by a gronp in-clnding Mubammad (with bis bead in flames). Jabir was an important scholar and doctor as well as a practicing alchemist It is reported that a large chunk of gold was found in his laboratory, rediscovered after his death. Could Jabir have made a successful transmutation ... 

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