Unexplainable

Who are we to fight the alchemy?

March 16, 2026

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  • Experimental recreation of historical alchemical procedures, as demonstrated by Lawrence Principe, reveals that seemingly bizarre or metaphorical instructions often contain legitimate, repeatable chemical processes obscured by coded language. 
  • The historical narrative that dismissed alchemy as mere quackery is being rewritten by historians who are finding concrete, visual experiences, like the 'Tree of Mercury,' behind the flowery language used by alchemists. 
  • The persistence of alchemy is partly explained by alchemists observing remarkable, albeit misunderstood, chemical phenomena, which fueled their belief in grander goals like transmutation, connecting early chemical practice to the scientific revolution figures like Robert Boyle. 

Segments

Lawrence Principe’s Background
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(00:01:20)
  • Key Takeaway: Lawrence Principe’s early interest in alchemy was sparked by finding books on the history of chemistry in a high school library.
  • Summary: Lawrence Principe developed an interest in alchemy during high school after discovering books on the history of chemistry. He later became a professor of the history of science and chemistry at Johns Hopkins University. His work aims to rewrite the cultural narrative that previously dismissed alchemists as mere quacks.
Defining Alchemy’s Scope
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(00:04:23)
  • Key Takeaway: Alchemy encompassed practical goals beyond gold-making, including creating medicines, cosmetics, dyes, and metal alloys.
  • Summary: Alchemy is a complex concept with a history stretching back millennia, often overlapping with what is now considered chemistry. Alchemists pursued goals such as making pharmaceuticals, perfumes, and dyes, in addition to the famous pursuit of the Philosopher’s Stone.
Decoding Alchemical Language
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(00:05:46)
  • Key Takeaway: Alchemical texts used intentionally confusing, metaphorical language, often involving celestial bodies and mythical creatures, due to secrecy and legal prohibitions against transmuting base metals.
  • Summary: The bizarre language in alchemical texts, featuring terms like ‘fiery dragon’ and ‘Saturn beholds himself in the mirror of Mars,’ was often a deliberate code. This coding protected valuable secrets and circumvented laws in countries where transmuting base metals into gold was illegal.
Reinterpreting Alchemy’s Purpose
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(00:08:36)
  • Key Takeaway: In the 19th and 20th centuries, interpretations of alchemy shifted toward psychological transformation, with figures like Carl Jung viewing mercury as a metaphor for a clear conscience.
  • Summary: Some 19th-century writers interpreted alchemical processes as metaphors for self-transformation rather than physical laboratory work. Carl Jung later reinterpreted alchemy as a psychological phenomenon.
Antimony Glass Recreation Success
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(00:09:10)
  • Key Takeaway: Lawrence Principe successfully recreated the alchemical recipe for ‘glass of antimony’ by realizing the original material required a 2% silica impurity to yield the described golden glass.
  • Summary: Principe tested alchemical instructions by attempting to make the ‘glass of antimony’ from a text attributed to Basilius Valentinus. Initial failures were resolved when he added silica, mimicking impurities likely present in the original 17th-century materials. This success validated the recipe as a legitimate set of instructions.
Tree of Mercury Experiment
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(00:21:38)
  • Key Takeaway: Heating gold mixed with specially prepared mercury in a sealed flask resulted in a brilliant, silver, tree-like dendritic growth, validating George Starkey’s ‘vegetative’ description.
  • Summary: Following George Starkey’s instructions, Principe heated gold and mercury, observing a stunning visual result after several weeks of increasing heat. The mercury formed a structure resembling a silver tree, confirming that the alchemist’s ‘vegetative language’ had a concrete visual basis. This experience convinced Principe that alchemists were seeing remarkable, real phenomena.
Hypothesis on Alchemical Text Structure
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(00:25:34)
  • Key Takeaway: Principe hypothesizes that early steps in alchemical texts describe doable, practical experiments, while later steps become hypothetical extrapolations, and the final description of the Philosopher’s Stone is often copied tradition.
  • Summary: The hypothesis suggests that the initial, successful experiments (like the mercury tree) transition into expectation as the texts progress. Later steps are theoretical extrapolations based on prior success, and the ultimate goal, the Philosopher’s Stone, is often described from older, unverified sources.
Alchemy’s Link to Scientific Revolution
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(00:27:31)
  • Key Takeaway: Key figures of the scientific revolution, including Robert Boyle, were deeply involved in alchemy, with Boyle spending 40 years attempting to perfect Starkey’s vegetative mercury process.
  • Summary: Isaac Newton and Robert Boyle studied alchemy extensively, indicating a continuous development rather than a sudden break in scientific thought. Boyle was personally entrusted by George Starkey with the secret of the vegetative mercury theory and dedicated decades to its realization. Recognizing the validity of these experiments reframes the reputations of early modern chemists.
Modern Study of Alchemy
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(00:29:18)
  • Key Takeaway: Experimental recreation has become a mainstream historical tool in the history of science, leading to a revolution in the study of alchemy, which now involves dozens of scholars.
  • Summary: The field of alchemy studies has experienced a revolution, with experimental reconstruction gaining popularity as a historical methodology. While acknowledging the limits imposed by modern frameworks, this approach incorporates the experimental tradition central to science itself.