03-20-2026, 09:43 AM
A good general survey.
"Alchemy was the predecessor to modern chemistry, a practice spanning roughly 2,000 years that blended laboratory experimentation with philosophy, spirituality, and the pursuit of two grand goals: turning common metals into gold and finding a way to extend human life indefinitely. While those ambitions never panned out, the tools, techniques, and discoveries that alchemists developed along the way became the foundation of the science we now call chemistry."
https://scienceinsights.org/what-is-alch...n-science/
"Alchemy was the predecessor to modern chemistry, a practice spanning roughly 2,000 years that blended laboratory experimentation with philosophy, spirituality, and the pursuit of two grand goals: turning common metals into gold and finding a way to extend human life indefinitely. While those ambitions never panned out, the tools, techniques, and discoveries that alchemists developed along the way became the foundation of the science we now call chemistry."
https://scienceinsights.org/what-is-alch...n-science/