Did alchemy exist?

[Gaara.]

hmmm where did Philosopher's Stone idea came along? What does it hold in it self that everyone trying to obtain it? Who even thought about it? That such a thing even exists?

[Inu-Sapphire]

Of course FMA didn't create alchemy! A very interesting book on alchemy is "Alchemists of Barbal" The storyline is sorta complex and hard to understand at times, but worth reading if your interested in alchemy and the most sought after answers in history.

[Incendentus]

From a scientific standpoint, Alchemy *did* become modern chemistry. Here's why:

Alchemic transmutations are done by means of energy from the Gate. (according to FMA)

Real Alchemy describes a basic form of matter (mentioned on page one) that could be formed into all the other states, and details how all matter can be changed into other matter (or something like that).

Modern Chemistry says that matter *is* energy, and that energy and matter can not be created nor destroyed, but can only change form; and that matter an energy are the same thing, just in a different form.

Advanced scientific theory (M Theory/String Theory) says that all matter and energy are the same thing on an incredibly small level. (Basically, there are these "strings" which vibrate at different frequencies) Depending on the frequency of the vibration, the strings show up on the viewable dimensions (4) as either energy, or some form of matter.

So basically, everything is made up of the same stuff in: Alchemy, Chemistry, and M Theory...that's all the bases covered. And which came first? Alchemy. Then Chemistry, then theoretical Chemistry and theoretical Physics and finally M Theory.

From this, we can infer that Alchemy was in fact the basis for all modern science (or nearly all of it). It is obviously very important.

AND BY NO MEANS did FMA create the concept of Alchemy, they just made it look cooler.

Now an interesting note:

Suppose that one had an object containing a large concentration of pure energy. And suppose this person could use that object to direct the energy into whatever form they wished.
And suppose that they called that object, The Philosopher's Stone.

[Kikaifan]

It wouldn't be like the object bearing the name in FMA. There's no 'pure energy' and changing the form of matter or energy will necessarily diminish the amount.

[Incendentus]

Your right, it wouldn't be the same, and the loss of energy would be accounted for by the law of Equivilant Exchange would it not?

But the point of my post was to say that Alchemy was essential in the creation of modern science/chemistry and was not an idea solely created in FMA.

[felix]

Originally Posted by Kikaifan

It wouldn't be like the object bearing the name in FMA. There's no 'pure energy' and changing the form of matter or energy will necessarily diminish the amount.

No the amount is the same.
While some part may slip out it doesn't mean it's just permanently deleted from the universe.

As for alchemy... there was a "science" in the old days.
But my guess is "alchemy" is just a fancy name they used instead of "satanic ritual worship" since we don't really see then mixing potions and other stuff like a true alchemist should.

[Kikaifan]

Yeah, sorry. I meant that the amount available to the device would be diminished, but I went and said something different.

Originally Posted by Incendentus

Your right, it wouldn't be the same, and the loss of energy would be accounted for by the law of Equivilant Exchange would it not?

In FMA anime at least matter is conserved and they get their energy from the gate or whatever, so I guess it works...

Originally Posted by Incendentus

But the point of my post was to say that Alchemy was essential in the creation of modern science/chemistry and was not an idea solely created in FMA.

Yeah. Mine is just that science can't produce an inexhaustible source of power like the philosopher's stone in FMA.

[deaddeath]

Originally Posted by wazzup

i typed "define:alchemy" in google and got a few results that got me to believe that Alchemists really existed who believed in the myth of philisopher's stone in the medieval times.. is thits true?? i thought everything in fma was just a work of fiction and that there wasnt any element of truth in it

for example : " ancient attempt to create the Philosopher's Stone and mutable gold. In the West, mainly of Egyptian origin and Arabic elaboration, but also with Gnostic roots, especially in the idea that the world soul was trapped in matter. Beginning with the prima materia, the alchemist heated, cooked, and washed the substance until it passed through the four stages of nigredo, albedo, cinitritas, and rubedo and became the Stone. Jung saw the opus alchymicum, the work of alchemy, as an unconscious projection of the process of individuation, which starts with an unconscious content (prima materia) and end with the realization of the Self symbol (Philosopher's Stone). "


thanks

Yeah, believe in alchemy did exist in time. But I think not today of course

[The Patriot]

There is a few definitions for Alchemy,real Alchemists were chemists who pondered the process of turing coal into diamonds,and dirt into gold.Another legend of the Philosopher's Stone is that it was the gem embedded within the hilt of Excalibur.

[fullmetalMonkey]

yeah it did it alchemy discovered poslein they called it white gold

[Stephanie]

Hello, I'm still a noob from all this Alchemy talk, and I've been interested in it lately:

Spoiler for A little introduction about it that I know:

Well, just to stir up another conversation, I wanna talk about "Alchemy"

What do you guys know about it? The say it's the foundation of modern science.. I wanna study a little about it.

Isaac Newton (I assume you all know him, father of gravity) has been said that he really spend most of the time of his life dedicated to Alchemy (see Wiki for more details) but unfortunately, his laboratory caught fire, making most of his work unaccessible now. (So they say, but is that really the truth? How unfortunate of his lab be caught on fire after his death)

"Philosopher's Stone" was theorized by Isaac Newton himself, either to give eternal life or turn metal into gold (since metal have imperfect qualities like being broken and not malleable, the philosopher's stone is said to make it's qualities just like of a gold's, the perfect none-malleable metal)

Alchemy now is called "Chemistry" the combining and breaking of materials.. But Alchemy isn't much explored now..

It is said that the "Philosopher's Stone" is indeed the true ideal "Holy Grail" but Isaac Newton could be wrong..




Is there really this "holy grail"? All this time I think it's made up, so I don't really know, but I want to keep an open mind..

Isaac Newton dedicated almost 80% of his studies in Alchemy.. And to be suddenly all his works in flames.. Or could there be a secret in Alchemy? Now, that makes it interesting to look up and study in my case ^_^


Like you know, Leonardo da Vinci's art about the heart.. Recently, doctors who operate on heart surgeons found it very useful! They never thought Leonardo's art could lead to a better way to operate a heart..

This past men are geniuses in my opinion and their works are mysteries and wonderful! ^_^

Now, I was checking around and I saw a news in Yahoo (well, when you go to their home page)

Scientist have found that "Stem Cells" could turn lead into gold just today! What a discovery! And again, they mentioned the "Philosopher's Stone" in that news, with it being the "holy grail"..

With Stem Cell part of human body, I wonder if the Philosopher's Stone is really made by human blood (As FMA Anime has said)

Here's Link: Clicky!


EDIT:
Oops, got over excited that I overlook Stem Cell to any part of the body cloning stuff >_<
Here's Turning Lead to Gold proper site

[quater]

Alchemy isn't real, in the sense that it was anything more then just an old science. No one ever made a Humunculus or a Philosophers stone or Holy grail however that got in there. Just legends to go with the craziness of it. And FMA may not have made up Alchemy, but it made it into a heck of an interesting show. And to Stephanie yeah they made lead into gold, but it had nothing to do with Stem Cells.

[EdwardSantheMighty]

Of course it did! I read about it in my science book today. Alchemy was the start of chemistry it's true some people pass it off as mythical, why? I dont know. But There is plenty of info of alchemy on the net look it up.

[Kittie Rose]

Alchemy, such as lead into gold, is possible. However, THe energy required is of enormous magnitude.

That's not actually true. There's nothing about massive amounts of energy being inherently required in rearranging the sub atomic particles in a nucleus. Also taking a heavier but more common element than gold might end up being a self sustaining reaction.

We just still don't know how to do it yet. Alchemy in the sense of transmuting the elements is possible but in it's current form, impractical.

An example of "Alchemy" could be when they try to create heavier elements etc., and some uses of particle accelerators.

[MauwMauw]

It did exist but the practice of alchemy says a lot about our culture for instance a man could practice alchemy but if a woman even whispered anything thing like "I could turn Lead into Gold" they would be called a witch and burned at the stake.

But I do admit Alchemy helped us a lot in expanding our knowledge of medicine mostly by accident though.

[pirostyle]

All they did was take the idea of alchemy and change some of the facts to make it like... (what's the word for it...) more of a fantasy thing

but alchemy is the idea of turning lead to gold thats correct... but so far the only thing that has been found is a formula for partly turning gold to lead... and since half life cant be "reversed", there isnt really a formula for lead-->gold yet,

and the methods used for making homonculous was very unsanitary and discusting, there for not many people would even try this, but if they did it would not live long, because it would need nutrients,

so ancient alchemy was (to say the least) ...very flawed, but even now, turning lead to gold is easyer then it was long ago, but requires science and we still have no formula for it, and if we DID turn lead to gold using science then it most likely wouldnt be pure gold, there might still be traces of lead in there

but the idea that they really used the transmutation circle for anything but decoration is unlikely, sry for the rant, but all this info was brought to you by wikipedia, and the nerds using it, like me