The Pseudoscience of the Modern World

1A. There are several harmful consequences in believing in a pseudoscientific system. One of the consequences is that you could be depriving yourself or others from something that may be beneficial to your health. For example, you may believe something may be harmful, but it really causes no harm at all, but instead will benefit your overall health. Another consequence is that by believing in a pseudoscientific concept, you may be putting other people in danger. For example, by believing that vaccines may cause harm to your child, you are putting everyone that child interacts with in danger. The overall consequence of believing in a pseudoscientific concept is that people waste their time and effort into believing and supporting something that may not even be true.

I first heard of The Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho while undergoing cancer treatment. A couple of patients were raving about the book, and I wanted to know what was so special about this book, so decided to read it and I’m glad I did. This book uplifted me and empowered me to fight, and not give up the journey. The Alchemist is an amazing book and should be read by everyone because the characters and conversations in the story will change your view of life. There are lessons of truth and wisdom in this story and it was a pleasure to read. It's about reaching your goals and following your dreams. Alchemy is the act of transforming any base metal into gold and in relation to the story, you can turn your life into gold by using your gifts, whatever

In the early days of alchemy, many scholars doubted the authenticity and credibility of alchemy as a scholarly field of study. They labeled it as “mystical” and challenged greatly the possibilities of alchemical transmutations and any practitioner’s credibility. However, alchemy was still practiced and discussed in all levels of society. Alchemy has been discovered in recent times to have been central to the development of early modern science and medicine. The practice of alchemy has made many contributions to the development of modern chemical medicines.

1) What is alchemy? What processes were involved? Who performed it and why? Who were the famous alchemists of the medieval period?

Alchemy (Early Chemistry) was another science closely related to medicine. Alchemy was the name given to this science in Latin Europe in the 12th century. It was a belief that the human body was closely related to the stars and the heavens. Over hundreds of years, the main goals of alchemists were to turn any metal into gold and discover an elixir which could cure all ills or lead to immortality. This magical elixir was called the philosopher’s stone. Alchemy was based on the belief that there are four basic elements – fire, earth, air and water – and three essentials – salt, sulfur and mercury. The metals gold, silver, copper, lead, iron, and tin were all known before the rise of alchemy. The liquid metal, mercury, and the burning rock, sulfur, were also known. Many processes with these elements were known to alchemists. The art of alchemy was heavily spiritual. Alchemists were the first to try out different ideas and experiment with different elements, but because of their intense metaphysical and spiritual beliefs, they didn’t develop modern day scientific methods.

As humans learned the fallacy of fantastical claims, turning iron to gold (alchemy) to understanding the process in which elements react (chemistry) a new appreciation for understanding their world emerged. An important element of this movement was to gain a better understanding of how things worked through logic and reason. While these ideals were at odds with government and churches at the time, there was significant popularization of science during the Enlightenment. This was major departure in thinking at the time, in that it went beyond divine or church based reason and opened the door for lay people to explore ideas outside of the bounds established church based

Full Metal Alchemist is a show that revolves around alchemy. Alchemy is also something that existed in the real world. Although Full Metal Alchemist (FMA) is just a show, it shares some very interesting similarities to real alchemy, such as the concept of transmuting elements, creating a “philosopher’s stone”, and the pursuit of immortality. The two also have some stark differences such as the process of creating a philosopher’s stone, the purpose and uses of alchemy, and the political significance of alchemy in FMA. They both have some similarities that they share but they also remain very different in many ways.

With the rise of Alexander “The Great” begins the Hellenistic Age which is used to describe a time which Greek culture spread to places like Egypt and Asia. Due to this Greek culture had changed from what it was during Classical Greece as they were able to achieve much more with this new diverse culture. The Classical Age of Greece is known for its work in philosophy and the arts. The work of Greek philosophers of this time such Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle cannot go unnoticed in these contexts as their accomplishments still have lasting effects on our world today. Along with the great work of these philosophers, came other great works in architecture and drama. Beginning in 448 B.C. Pericles began the construction of the Acropolis,

During the Renaissance, the Swiss alchemist Paraclesus believed in an element known as Alkahest, from which the classical elements Earth, Water, Air and Fire were derived. Paraclesus believed that finding this fabled element was the key to Alchemy, and transmuting Lead and Iron into Gold. Alchemy focused not just on the transmutation of elements, but also the connection to the Spiritual realm, and the healing of illnesses of the body with herbs (a practice still used today, despite advanced medicine). While Alchemy has been discredited as a legitimate science, advancements in

However, it was more than the conversion of one metal into another. Alchemy was the science of man's quest to obtain the ultimate spiritual enlightenment. Alchemists believed that if they could make the philosopher's stone, it would bring them to a higher state of being. Alchemists were the forefathers of modern chemistry. They believed that many things impacted upon their formulas. For example, they used astronomy and astrology. They also developed symbolic notation to represent the various elements, metals, and planets and their interactions.

Alchemy was a turning point in the field of science during the Middle Ages, and paved the way for many of the greatest scientists in history, including Albert Einstein. Contrary to popular belief, alchemy is not just about “science,” but also about humans spiritually and mentally. Alchemy may have been lost over the course of many centuries, but it is still very much alive in our society today, through our relationships with other people and within ourselves. Robert of Chester’s translations of Arabic alchemical books allowed for the spread of alchemy throughout Europe beginning in 1200.

After reading Feder’s “Quick Start Guide” and chapter on “Science and Pseudoscience”, my impression of the difference between a “pseudo” archaeological theory and scientific archaeological theory is opinion and fact. First of all, it is important to know that archaeologists study about human cultures in the past by understanding and interpreting the remains and artifacts found in archaeological sites. When artifacts are discovered and proven to be false, it is a hoax. On the other hand, scientific archaeological theory occurs when archaeologists use evidence to support and show that the information they gathered is true.

Alchemy was introduced to medieval Europe through translation of Arabic study on the subject, and a large portion of medieval scholars took great interest in the promised glory and wealth of boon such as the creation of the Philosopher’s Stone, an object “endowed with the power of transmuting the base metals lead, tin, copper, iron and mercury into the precious metals gold and silver.” (Holmyard 1). The science of astronomy played a fairly significant role in the development of the theory of alchemy, as in alchemical theory many of the planets are connected to important metals as well as an astrological symbol, the metal being described as “the five lower and baser metals Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, Mars, and Mercury, … the two perfect metals, Sol and Luna…” (Ball 51) with the Sun (Sol) corresponding to Gold ☉, the Earth’s Moon (Luna) corresponding to

Alchemy is considered the precursor to modern chemistry. When you think of chemistry, usually you think of an exact science; something very meticulous. Truthfully, it is. To be accurate and to obtain precise and desired results, it must be accurate. Alchemy, however, was not an exact science, it was a primitive approach to the elements and usually they looked to a deity to actually initiate chemical reactions. Thus we separated them, but for good reason. In today's time we us instruments to give us exactness and precision that mankind had formerly ignored. Throughout time you will see that mankind has used chemistry to solve its most complex of problems and build a world that 7 billion people have come to know as home.

In this essay I will argue that science and pseudoscience cannot be clearly demarcated: rather that there’s great difficulty and complication on the fringes when asserting strict criteria that distinguishes the two. I will give a brief overview and draw on the arguments made by philosophers of science throughout history and explain why perhaps their criteria are problematic. I will look in depth into ‘creation science’ and why we strongly consider this as pseudoscientific and analyse the more ambiguous peripheries of science such as Freudian psychoanalysis or even economics.