How Alchemy’s Quest for the Philosopher’s Stone Led to Modern Chemistry

Arguments over the legitimacy of alchemists throughout the 16th century meant that the practice became an “emblem of fraud and developed a shady reputation,” says Nummedal. It was Boyle’s The Sceptical Chymist, published in 1661, that urged scientists to reject mystical claims and focus on experiments.

Despite centuries of searching, alchemists never reached a consensus on exactly what the philosopher’s stone was. For some, it was primarily a way to transmute metals into gold; for others it was a universal medicine or spiritual transformation. That variety of interpretations helps explain why the philosopher’s stone remained one of history’s most enduring scientific and philosophical mysteries.

But Nummedal insists that the experimentation, laboratory techniques and development of equipment used in alchemy to try to find the philosopher’s stone laid the foundation for today’s chemistry and science. “By the 18th century, elements of alchemy, including pharmacy, had basically been rebranded and turned into what we would recognize as chemistry today.”