Isaac Newton didn’t believe in magic, but he did believe in
the philosopher’s stone, a legendary concoction that could turn lead to gold.
In Newton’s time, chemistry had not been developed, and
alchemy was a perfectly respectable pursuit for a scientist. Newton was a
devotee and studied the combination of strange substances as avidly as he did
physics.
Recently, the Chemical Heritage Foundation acquired a document that showed just how deep he got into alchemy. The document includes Newton’s handwritten copy of a recipe for sophick mercury, the key ingredient to the philosopher’s stone.
Recently, the Chemical Heritage Foundation acquired a document that showed just how deep he got into alchemy. The document includes Newton’s handwritten copy of a recipe for sophick mercury, the key ingredient to the philosopher’s stone.
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