North Texas Skeptic - Vol 21 No 09 - 2007

Magazine Overview

This issue of The North Texas Skeptic, Volume 21, Number 9, dated September 2007, features a cover story titled "Alchemy to Chemistry: Pseudoscience to Science, Part II" by Kristine Danowski. The magazine explores the historical evolution from alchemy to modern chemistry, discusses contemporary issues related to pseudoscience, and includes event listings.

Alchemy to Chemistry: Pseudoscience to Science (Part II)

The article begins by highlighting Robert Boyle (1627-1691 CE), often called the first modern chemist, known for Boyle's Law and his emphasis on rigorous experimentation in "The Sceptical Chymist." Despite his scientific contributions, Boyle remained a dedicated alchemist, spending much time on the transmutation of metals. His laboratory contained numerous alchemical texts, and it's speculated he suffered from mercury poisoning due to his work.

Sir Isaac Newton (1642-1727 CE) is also discussed as a prominent figure who considered his alchemical studies more important than his mathematical ones. He influenced the decriminalization of alchemy in England and worked in the English mint, believing in transmutation. His alchemical studies were suppressed until 1936.

The text then delves into the phlogiston theory, chemistry's first scientific theory derived from alchemy, which hindered the progress of modern chemistry for about 100 years. Joseph Priestley's discovery of oxygen in 1774, which he termed "dephlogisticated air," was a significant milestone, although he initially theorized it attracted phlogiston from metals. Karl Scheele independently discovered oxygen around the same time.

Antoine Laurent Lavoisier (1743-1794 CE) is credited as the founder of modern chemistry. He demonstrated that combustion and calcination involve the combination of oxygen with substances, disproved Aristotle's Four Elements by decomposing water, and invented calorimetry. His "Traité Elémentaire de Chemie" (1789) defined chemical elements and classified them. Lavoisier standardized chemical nomenclature, replacing arcane alchemical terms with systematic names, and rejected the idea of transmutation.

The article posits that ancient alchemy, far from being a pseudoscience, was a "pre-science." Alchemists developed essential wet chemistry techniques, invented laboratory equipment (illustrated in Figure 2), and pioneered analytical methods like gravimetry and assays. They synthesized drugs and poisons and grouped substances by properties, inspiring the periodic table. Their work demonstrated that humans could manipulate matter.

Vestiges of alchemy remain in modern language, with words like "alcohol" and "elixir" having alchemical origins. The caduceus, a symbol of health professions (shown in Figure 4), also originated in alchemy. The American Chemical Society logo (Figure 3) incorporates alchemical motifs, including a phoenix.

Modern alchemy has adherents who pursue an "inner" discipline focused on holistic views and perfection, often influenced by Carl Jung's psychological interpretations of alchemical imagery. This modern mystical alchemy is associated with astrology and Paganism. Pseudoscientific alchemy, conversely, makes claims that are often untestable, such as quantum physics enabling transmutation, and is sometimes linked to alternative medicine practices like homeopathy.

The article notes that in 1980, scientists at UC Berkeley used a particle accelerator to transmute bismuth into gold, costing $10,000 and producing a minuscule amount of gold. This demonstrated that transmutation is possible through nuclear reactions (changing the nucleus), not chemical reactions (involving electrons), implying modern pseudoscientific alchemists cannot achieve it without cold-fusion or cold-fission.

Events Calendar

The magazine lists upcoming events for the North Texas Skeptics: a "September Program" on Saturday, September 8, 2007, at 2 p.m. at the Center for Nonprofit Management in Dallas, featuring a discussion on 9-11, 3-11, and 7-7 conspiracy theories by John Brandt. A "Social Dinner/Board Meeting" is scheduled for Saturday, September 15, 2007, at 7 p.m. at Good Eats in Dallas.

Organization Information

The North Texas Skeptics is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) scientific and educational organization. Members receive the newsletter and may attend functions at reduced cost. The newsletter is published monthly. Permission is granted to reprint articles provided the Skeptic is credited, the mailing address is listed, and a copy of the publication is sent to the Editor. Opinions expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the organization.

Web News

This section includes several short articles:

• Creationism's Trojan Horse by Barbara Forrest and Pall R. Gross: A review of a book detailing the Intelligent Design movement. The authors suggest that creationists are more interested in promoting their agenda than in genuine science.
• Edward Kennedy - Expert on Science? by William Dembski: Discusses Senator Edward Kennedy's rejection of "intelligent design" as a scientific theory, contrasting it with Senator Rick Santorum's support for teaching it. The article questions how public debate on such issues is influenced by political figures and experts.
• What's new by Robert Park:
• THE SOUL: EXPERIMENTAL INDUCTION OF OUT-OF-BODY SENSATIONS: Reports on research inducing out-of-body experiences through visual stimuli, which is relevant to discussions about the soul and near-death experiences.
• THE BRAIN: WHY EMPATHY COMES NATURALLY TO HUMANS: Discusses "mirror" cells in the motor cortex that reflect others' actions and intentions, suggesting empathy is a natural human trait, not solely dependent on religion.
• THE AMYGDALAE: IF WE HAVE A SOUL, THIS MUST BE IT: Explores the amygdalae's role in emotional response and suggests that "spiritual essence" might be associated with empathy, noting that embryos lack amygdalae.
• THE RESEARCH: JAPANESE STEM CELL SCIENTIST MOVES TO U.S.: Reports on Shinya Yamanaka, a leading stem cell scientist, moving to San Francisco to continue his work on persuading skin cells to behave like stem cells, highlighting the diversion of research due to religious objections.
• EMF: ARE WE IN FOR A NEW WAVE OF EMF INDUCED HYPOCHONDRIA?: Discusses a court ruling awarding disability for workplace exposure to RF radiation, noting that the danger was considered thermal heating and did not reopen debates about power lines or cell phones.
• THE MEMORY OF WATER: EARMARK FOR "INFORMATION BIOLOGY.": Mentions a $2 million earmark for the Samueli Institute for Information Biology, whose director believes water remembers diluted substances.

Skeptic Ink

A comic strip by Prasad Golla and John Blanton titled "Skeptic Ink" satirizes a school board discussion about critical thinking and Darwinism, suggesting political motivations behind the curriculum.

Bibliography and Further Reading

A list of scholarly and general books and websites related to alchemy and chemistry is provided, along with links to the International Alchemy Conference and the International Alchemy Guild.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The magazine consistently promotes a skeptical and scientific viewpoint, critically examining pseudoscientific claims, historical misconceptions, and the demarcation between science and non-science. It advocates for evidence-based reasoning and critical thinking, particularly in areas like creationism, intelligent design, and alternative medicine. The editorial stance is clearly in favor of scientific rigor and against the uncritical acceptance of claims lacking empirical support. The publication also serves as a platform for discussing scientific history and the evolution of scientific thought, as exemplified by the detailed exploration of alchemy's transition to chemistry.