Dude, We Came from Monkeys?????

[belinda]

Isaac Newton was a very strange man.He believed he was on a mission from god to decode biblical prophecies among other things.

[protohistorian]

Can you imagine how surreal it would be to see the totally inflexible and universal application of gravitation is and also believe in the transmutation of elements? I think the key is knowing that our understandings are approximations of reality, and barring "absolutely" knowing, anything is possible. Dave

[Robert]

Well Dave elements do get transmuted in stars - but not in the way alchemists expected.

True, Newton wasted a lot of time with religion. But the real eccentricity was sticking things in his eyes. Blimey!

[sdreid]

It is not the Theory of Evolution, it's a proven fact. The only question, regarding life on Earth, is did that first "reproducing" protein molecule form on this planet or elsewhere. Most likely here, I think.

That doesn't mean I'm an atheist as some assert, in fact I'm a hypertheist.

[c.d.]

I just fininished a book called "Newton and the Counterfeiter." Based on actual events. At the end of his career he was appoined head of the Mint. It was basically a ceremonial post but Newton took it very seriously. At the time, England was facing a serious financial crisis based for a large part on the number of counterfeit coins in circulation. Newton set out to eliminate counterfeiting and ended up butting heads with a master counterfeiter named William Chalonder. Not a page turner but an interesting book.

He was also a hard core alchemist but it appears that it was more in the nature of understanding the physical world than an attempt to gain wealth.

He did start to have doubts about God and creation later in life.

c.d.

[c.d.]

Newton also lost money by investing in stocks in what he should have realized was clearly a pyramid scheme. Guess he was only human.

c.d.

[sdreid]

Transmutation alchemy was just a study that didn't prove out. That doesn't mean its pursuers are to be derided.

If it's proven in the future that effected time travel is impossible, does that mean that those investigating it today are in some way diminished human beings?

[c.d.]

I've heard that while some alchemists were certainly trying to turn base metals into gold, a number of them were heavily into metaphysical investigation and used alchemy as a cover.

c.d.

[Robert]

A friend of mine once said : Newton sitting under tree. An apple falls on his head. Newton says "Aha!" Second apple falls on his head. Newton rubs head and says, "I could have sworn I had an idea a moment ago."

[c.d.]

I saw a show on Newton one time. They were interviewing a professor who is considered one of the most brilliant mathematicians in the world. He said that he (the professor) was pretty damn smart and had the benefit of a world class education but that Newton was an absolute genius.

c.d.

[Robert]

He was indeed, CD. And Einstein was a relative genius.

[Victoria]

I've heard that while some alchemists were certainly trying to turn base metals into gold, a number of them were heavily into metaphysical investigation and used alchemy as a cover.

c.d.

I have heard/thought that also ..
And just as in many things, say like the Bible that there are different levels
of understanding from the literal to the esoteric.
'Common metals into gold' is an analogy of finding immortality.
On it's first level it is just that, literally.. and the inner meaning is a
spiritual path, to transform oneself.

The novel 'The Alchemist' by Paul Coelho, is vaguely and simply in this
line of thought ..a mission to find fullfillment and ultimate purpose of creation.

[protohistorian]

Transmutation alchemy was just a study that didn't prove out. That doesn't mean its pursuers are to be derided.

If it's proven in the future that effected time travel is impossible, does that mean that those investigating it today are in some way diminished human beings?

You are correct sir. I did not want to imply the alchemists were being silly, merely that they possessed a worldview we as moderns have to invest considerable effort in understanding. We would not know the structure of the atom if these men and women had not pursued activities like distillation and element separation. It has correctly been pointed out many were investigating metaphysical phenomena, a pursuit still ongoing in some circles. It is the nature of progress in understandings that each generation builds on the last. When investigating the unknown, one does not know what may be pertinent, and so all efforts are equal in merit.The fact that some pan out is what makes some peoples efforts stand out. Dave