Newton the alchemist science, enigma, and the quest for nature's "secret fire"
Newton the alchemist: science, enigma, and the quest for nature's "secret fire"

A book that finally demystifies Newton’s experiments in alchemyWhen Isaac Newton’s alchemical papers surfaced at a Sotheby’s auction in 1936, the quantity and seeming incoherence of the manuscripts was shocking. No longer the exemplar of Enlightenment rationality, the legendary physicist suddenly be...

Ausführliche Beschreibung

Gespeichert in:
Bibliographische Detailangaben
1. Verfasser: Newman, William Royall 1955- (VerfasserIn)
Format: Elektronisch E-Book
Sprache:English
Veröffentlicht: Princeton ; Oxford Princeton University Press [2019]
Schlagworte:
Newton, Isaac > 1643-1727
Alchemy > Influence
Science > History
Alchemie
Online-Zugang:DE-1043
DE-1046
DE-858
DE-859
DE-860
DE-188
DE-91
DE-739
URL des Erstveröffentlichers
Zusammenfassung:A book that finally demystifies Newton’s experiments in alchemyWhen Isaac Newton’s alchemical papers surfaced at a Sotheby’s auction in 1936, the quantity and seeming incoherence of the manuscripts was shocking. No longer the exemplar of Enlightenment rationality, the legendary physicist suddenly became "the last of the magicians." Newton the Alchemist unlocks the secrets of Newton’s alchemical quest, providing a radically new understanding of the uncommon genius who probed nature at its deepest levels in pursuit of empirical knowledge.In this evocative and superbly written book, William Newman blends in-depth analysis of newly available texts with laboratory replications of Newton’s actual experiments in alchemy. He does not justify Newton’s alchemical research as part of a religious search for God in the physical world, nor does he argue that Newton studied alchemy to learn about gravitational attraction. Newman traces the evolution of Newton’s alchemical ideas and practices over a span of more than three decades, showing how they proved fruitful in diverse scientific fields. A precise experimenter in the realm of "chymistry," Newton put the allusive riddles of alchemy to the test in his lab. He also used ideas drawn from the alchemical texts to great effect in his optical experimentation. In his hands, alchemy was a tool for attaining the material benefits associated with the philosopher’s stone and an instrument for acquiring scientific knowledge of the most sophisticated kind.Newton the Alchemist provides rare insights into a man who was neither Enlightenment rationalist nor irrational magus, but rather an alchemist who sought through experiment and empiricism to alter nature at its very heart
Beschreibung:1 Online-Ressource (xx, 537 Seiten, 8 ungezählte Seiten Tafeln) Illustrationen
ISBN:9780691185033
DOI:10.1515/9780691185033

Es ist kein Print-Exemplar vorhanden.

Fernleihe Bestellen Achtung: Nicht im THWS-Bestand! Volltext öffnen

Ähnliche Einträge