William R. Newmanis Distinguished Professor and Ruth N. Halls Professor in the Department of History and Philosophy of Science and Medicine at Indiana University. His many books includeAtoms and Alchemy: Chymistry and the Experimental Origins of the Scientific RevolutionandPromethean Ambitions: Alchemy and the Quest to Perfect Nature. He lives in Bloomington, Indiana.
A book that finally demystifies Newton’s experiments in alchemy
When Isaac Newton’s alchemical papers surfaced at a Sotheby’s auction in 1936, the quantity and seeming incoherence of the manuscripts were shocking. No longer the exemplar of Enlightenment rationality, the legendary physicist suddenly became “the last of the magicians.”Newton the Alchemistunlocks 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 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 Alchemistprovides 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.
發表於2024-12-23
Newton the Alchemist 2024 pdf epub mobi 電子書 下載
一、緣起 二、牛頓與宗教 三、偷偷煉金的牛頓? 四、光學、引力與煉金術 五、科學史的啓發與作為中介的學者 一、緣起 他受到瞭魔鬼的誘惑,當他在這些圍牆之內解決如此眾多的問題時,相信自己利用純粹的心智力量就能破解上帝與自然的所有秘密──集哥白尼與浮士德於一身。——...
評分一、緣起 二、牛頓與宗教 三、偷偷煉金的牛頓? 四、光學、引力與煉金術 五、科學史的啓發與作為中介的學者 一、緣起 他受到瞭魔鬼的誘惑,當他在這些圍牆之內解決如此眾多的問題時,相信自己利用純粹的心智力量就能破解上帝與自然的所有秘密──集哥白尼與浮士德於一身。——...
評分People often say that Isaac Newton was not only a great physicist, but also an alchemist. This seems astonishing, given his huge role in the development of science. Is it true, and if so, what is the evidence for it? The astonishment that Newton was an alch...
評分People often say that Isaac Newton was not only a great physicist, but also an alchemist. This seems astonishing, given his huge role in the development of science. Is it true, and if so, what is the evidence for it? The astonishment that Newton was an alch...
評分一、緣起 二、牛頓與宗教 三、偷偷煉金的牛頓? 四、光學、引力與煉金術 五、科學史的啓發與作為中介的學者 一、緣起 他受到瞭魔鬼的誘惑,當他在這些圍牆之內解決如此眾多的問題時,相信自己利用純粹的心智力量就能破解上帝與自然的所有秘密──集哥白尼與浮士德於一身。——...
圖書標籤: 科學史 牛頓 煉金術 STS Newton EarlyModernEurope Alchemy 傳記
Newton as sage-wanna-be
評分Newton as sage-wanna-be
評分Newton as sage-wanna-be
評分Newton as sage-wanna-be
評分Newton as sage-wanna-be
Newton the Alchemist 2024 pdf epub mobi 電子書 下載