How does alchemy truly work?

Question

I don't want examples from Fullmetal Alchemist, thanks.

Answer 1

Alchemy was an attempt to understand the composition of matter through metaphysics. Although its loftiest goal, the transmutation of base elements into gold, was never achieved, its explorations eventually led to the development of the science of chemistry.

Isaac Newton was an alchemist.

Answer 2

Alchemy does exist.

Turning Uranium into Plutonium is a form of alchemy as both are elements.

A nuclear blast creates quantities of gold, platinum and other precious metals by changing the molecular structure of more common materials, unfortunatley the resulting metals are highly radioactive and slowly decay back to lead.

Answer 3

Alchemy is real, I can asure you that. It's as real as science or chemestry ever were. It should also never be catorigized with wichcraft, as the two have absolutly nothing in common. There are no "magic words" in alchemy, there are no "mystic potions" in alchemy. Alchemy is also not evil, as some might think. Those rumors, I'm sorry to say, were created by the roman cathlic church in the early 16th century.

England was running low on gold to make coins, so alchemists tried to help. Using a procedure that was lost in the burnings of librarys to follow, alchemists would take a small amount of gold, mix it with other metals and minerals, and create more gold than they started with. The church, worried that this way to make gold would hurt there economy, demed alchemy as demonic and burned hundreds of alchemists at the stake, along with importand alchemical texts in the burning of librarys stated previously.

Alchemy was not demonic, it was simply a way to speed up nature. If you're a bit sceptical, think of this: If a chunck of coal is left in the ground long enough, it becomes dimond. Alchemy was used to speed up this process, mostly through the use of tintuctures.

But alchemy's not the kind of stuff you see on Full Metal Alchemist. Alchemy isn't about clapping your hands, watching a magical light, then re-shaping things. In short, it's purifing things through fire, through the art of distilation.

Alchemy is not drawing circles in dirt, watching a magical light appear, and then moulding things into diffrent shapes. Alchemy is the prosess of purifing metals and minerals through distilation, in other words, purification through fire. Now, that dosn't mean throw your silver ring into the fire and it'll get shinier. In midevil times, people belived that gold was the purest substance in existance. This is the only reason that the Phlisopher's Stone was fabled to turn base metals into gold. Back then, the Phlosipher's stone was said to be created by distiling sulpfur and mecury together multiple times, untill a substance was created that was so pure, it could pass it's purity onto anything it touched, hence the tales of the Phlisopher's Stone granting immortality to it's holder and it being able to turn, or purify, andthing it touched to gold

You might have also heard some stuff about the Phlisopher's Stone on Full Metal, but again, they messed up the facts big time. The Phlosaphers Stone was, in midevil times, believed to be a combination of distilled mecury and sulphul, to a point which it could not be purified any further. It was said to be a substance so pure, it would pass on it's purity to anything it touched. Base metals would become gold (thought to be the purist substanc in existance then) and prolong the human life indefinatly.

I'm not saying not to watch Full Metal Alchemist, just don't belive everything you see on tv.

For a large collection of alchemical texts or the symbology behind alchemy, visit http://www.levity.com/alchemy/index.html
Or for the history of how views on alchemy were shapped, read "Distilling Knowlage," available at most major libraries.

Answer 4

Generally it doesen't. That is except in a nuclear reactor where it's possible to for one element to be changed into another by nuclear fission, or fusion.

Answer 5

Here is a great website about it:
http://www.levity.com/alchemy/home.html

Answer 6

It doesn't. If you want to turn lead into gold, go into business selling ammunition or car batteries and then use your profits to buy gold.

Answer 7

The word of God says," all things are possible to those that believe."

Answer 8

Go with Jey Vee on that one.

Answer 9

It doesn't. It was a futile pseudo-scientific quest.

Answer 10

Yes it does,there was this odd kid in my class who threatened me with alchemy.He also made a duplicate of his milk.NO LIE