The Philosopher's Stone
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[h=1]Philosopher's stone[/h]From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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For other uses, see Philosopher's stone (disambiguation).
The Alchymist, In Search of the Philosophers' Stone by Joseph Wright of Derby, 1771.
The philosopher's stone (Latin: lapis philosophorum) is a legendary alchemical substance said to be capable of turning base metals (lead, for example) into gold (chrysopoeia) or silver. It was also sometimes believed to be an elixir of life, useful for rejuvenation and possibly for achieving immortality. For many centuries, it was the most sought-after goal in Western alchemy. The philosopher's stone was the central symbol of the mystical terminology of alchemy, symbolizing perfection at its finest, enlightenment, and heavenly bliss. Efforts to discover the philosopher's stone were known as the Magnum Opus.[SUP][1][/SUP]
Jump to: navigation, search
For other uses, see Philosopher's stone (disambiguation).
The Alchymist, In Search of the Philosophers' Stone by Joseph Wright of Derby, 1771.
The philosopher's stone (Latin: lapis philosophorum) is a legendary alchemical substance said to be capable of turning base metals (lead, for example) into gold (chrysopoeia) or silver. It was also sometimes believed to be an elixir of life, useful for rejuvenation and possibly for achieving immortality. For many centuries, it was the most sought-after goal in Western alchemy. The philosopher's stone was the central symbol of the mystical terminology of alchemy, symbolizing perfection at its finest, enlightenment, and heavenly bliss. Efforts to discover the philosopher's stone were known as the Magnum Opus.[SUP][1][/SUP]
The Philosopher's Stone is an archetypal element, the element of all elements. In some ways it functions as an abstraction--there is no stone in history that you can hold in the palm of your hand which can turn mercury into gold. But as with many archetypes, it "creeps" into objective reality. If we understand the philosopher's stone to be a symbol, it symbolizes the power to transform. It was a symbol used (and belived in literally) by the "thinkers" of past ages -- a person not inclined to believe that the pope is infallible might still believe in the existence of the philosopher's stone. The pursuit of this power of transformation is ONE of the driving elements of science.
So let's talk science. We know that gold is an element. I can't therefore change sodium or calcium or mercury into gold, because each element has its own unique atomic structure. But wait!!! What if we can learn how to split and fuse atoms?????? And in fact we have. Next time you watch video of a mushroom cloud over Nagasaki, think "Philosopher's Stone." Just think about the enormity of the POWER, its ability to light our cities, or to kill millions... If the vision doesn't chill you to the bone, you are probably not INFJ.
When I pause to think about it, I suddenly remember all the science ficiton versions of the Tower of Babel. We don't have the morality yet to handle having the powers of the gods, and toying with the infrastructure of nature is going to come back at us in the face. We shall see.
And so it is with great awe, fear, and tripidation that I present to you, the Philosopher's Stone:
[video=youtube;jIqxztQNTuA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIqxztQNTuA&NR=1[/video]
So let's talk science. We know that gold is an element. I can't therefore change sodium or calcium or mercury into gold, because each element has its own unique atomic structure. But wait!!! What if we can learn how to split and fuse atoms?????? And in fact we have. Next time you watch video of a mushroom cloud over Nagasaki, think "Philosopher's Stone." Just think about the enormity of the POWER, its ability to light our cities, or to kill millions... If the vision doesn't chill you to the bone, you are probably not INFJ.
When I pause to think about it, I suddenly remember all the science ficiton versions of the Tower of Babel. We don't have the morality yet to handle having the powers of the gods, and toying with the infrastructure of nature is going to come back at us in the face. We shall see.And so it is with great awe, fear, and tripidation that I present to you, the Philosopher's Stone:
[video=youtube;jIqxztQNTuA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIqxztQNTuA&NR=1[/video]
