Alchemy discussion forum > News - Meetings - Events > News - Meeting - Events > BBC programme about Newton
Alchemy discussion forum > News - Meetings - Events > News - Meeting - Events > BBC programme about Newton |
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Paul Ferguson Member 
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http://www.radiotimes.com/episode/v6wsy/isaac-newton-the-last-magician 'The rational genius who propelled us out of medieval darkness and into the enlightenment' is how they set up Newton at the start of this profile-with-actors. But the programme very much wants us to see another side of the great rationalist: when his more obscure writings came to light in the 1930s, it emerged that Newton was obsessed not just with hard physics but with murkier areas like alchemy and heretical theology. Friday 12th April 9.00 pm BBC2 |
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adammclean Member 
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I found this programme rather disappointing. It seemed to wish to picture Newton's interest in alchemy as odd or perverse, almost as an escape he withdrew into, when his theory of optics was not immediately accepted. The reality is that in the late 17th century, alchemy was part of the intellectual discourse. Many other people, now recognised as forerunners of ideas that came to characterise science as we know it - Napier, Glauber, Boyle, and so on - embraced alchemy as a part of the intellectual tradition of their times, so this was not specific to Newton. I thought the programme did not make this point clear. It also took a rather negative view, as is often done, of the amazing experimenter Robert Hooke. |
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Paul Ferguson Member
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For those who can receive BBC iPlayer, you still have 15 hours left at the time of writing to watch this prog if you missed it or want to watch it again (unlikely): http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01rwgmw |
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Carl Lavoie Member
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. In a work regarding Curiosities of Science (London, 1869, page 21), the author lists, among the alchemical manuscripts of Newton, that Sir David has likewise found amongst Sir Issac's papers a beautifully written but incomplete copy of William Yworth's Processus Mysterii magni Philosophicus http://www.newtonproject.sussex.ac.uk/catalogue/record/ALCH00135 Has this manuscript been digitized (and made available online)? . Last edited on Fri Apr 19th, 2013 08:56 pm by Carl Lavoie |
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Paul Ferguson Member
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Carl Lavoie wrote:. Is this it? http://brbl-dl.library.yale.edu/vufind/Record/3446977 |
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Carl Lavoie Member
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. "Newton Sale, Sotheby's 1936, Lot 116", jolted by Duveen's bookplate. Yes, that will be it. Merci Paul. -C. . |
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