Well... with what we have learnt so far, in class and from Ms Hampton, i am really drawn to this unit. I can't wait to start the practical side of this unit. I think it is a really interesting focus and feel that i have really grasped the concept. I feel many ideas, and emotions being evoked from this topic, which i can't wait to put of a page, shoot through a camera or create on the computer.
Firstly, the definition of alchemy classified by the dictionary is:
1. A medieval chemical philosophy having as its asserted aims the transmutation of base metals into gold, the discovery of the panacea, and the preparation of the elixir of longevity.
2. A seemingly magical power or process of transmuting:
A medieval philosophy and early form of chemistry whose aims were the transmutation of base metals into gold, the discovery of a cure for all diseases, and the preparation of a potion that gives eternal youth. The imagined substance capable of turning other metals into gold was called the philosophers' stone.
A Closer Look Because their goals were so unrealistic, and because they had so little success in achieving them, the practitioners of alchemy in the Middle Ages got a reputation as fakers and con artists. But this reputation is not fully deserved. While they never succeeded in turning lead into gold (one of their main goals), they did make discoveries that helped to shape modern chemistry. Alchemists invented early forms of some of the laboratory equipment used today, including beakers, crucibles, filters, and stirring rods. They also discovered and purified a number of chemical elements, including mercury, sulfur, and arsenic. And the methods they developed to separate mixtures and purify compounds by distillation and extraction are still important.
I BELIEVE THAT ONE DEFINITION CANNOT COMPLETELY CLASSIFY THE MEANING OF SOMETHING. I LIKE TO EXPLORE THE MEANING IN MORE THAN ONE WAY, HAVE EXAMPLES AND WAYS IN WHICH IT IS APPLIED. I UNDERSTAND MORE CLEARLY THE EXPLANATION OF SOMETHING WHEN IT IS EXPLAINED IN DIFFERENT WAYS. THIS IS WHY I HAVE POSTED A FEW DIFFERENT EXPLANATIONS AND DEFINITIONS IN WHICH ALCHEMY IS DEFINED.
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/alchemy
