From Alchemy to Chemistry

When you hear "alchemy," you might think of wizards trying to turn lead into gold, right? Sounds like a pseudoscience today, but hold on, don't dismiss it just yet. Alchemy, woo-woo and all, was actually crucial in kick-starting modern chemistry!

Back in the day, alchemists were the ones mixing things up, experimenting with all sorts of materials, and documenting results to teach apprentices to follow in their steps. They were really into perfecting distillation, which is basically a fancy way of saying "boiling and condensing" to separate stuff. This wasn't just magical mumbo-jumbo; these techniques are why we can make everything from pure water to strong spirits today.

And the stars of the show? Folks like Jabir ibn Hayyan—this guy could be called the father of chemistry. He tinkered with the alembic still, a tool that’s pretty much a medieval chemistry set. Then you've got Paracelsus and even Isaac Newton, dabbling in alchemy, laying down the groundwork for the science labs we know and love.

So, next time you think about alchemy, remember it's not just old-timey potion-making. It's the trailblazer for the chemistry that powers our world today!

[donharris]

Humans always start with magic, then under further scrutiny, end up at science. It’s never ever the other way around (I’m looking at you Jehovah)

[stevebrule]

Letting it evaporate = “boiling it dry” same thing bud

[janet.snakehole]

Ibn hayyan was most likely not a single person

[fatemehgolzari]

Not an Arab! He was persian. In fact many many other scientists and philosophers who made insane breakthroughs throughout history were Iranians and are mistaken for Arabs. I wonder when Persia lost all the glory...

[sjamesparsonsjr]

Where is the video to this short? I’m really interested in Jabir Ibn Hayyan experiment.

[royobbshorts]

I know a jafer at my school, and this is probably what he does in his free time (he's a nerd)