The Wonderous World of Alchemy

Alchemy - not just a science. Actually, thats exactly what it was.

You think Alchemy is just for Harry Potter? Think again, science fans. We owe much to the magical science of sorcerers and wizards.

800 B.C.
Ancient Greece
- Alchemists perfect powerful mixtures of petroleum, pitch, resins, sulfur, and quicklime as incendiary weapons, delievered by catapaults, arrows, firebombs, and ships
- These inventions allowed them to rule an Empire lasting 600 years

800 A.D.
Medieval Arabia
- Islamic alchemists perfected the science of distillation to produce alcohols and perfumes
- This discovery led to the distillation of petroleum fractions, creating more powerful incendiaries such as grenades, rockets, and torpedoes
- These weapons played a key role in the defeat of the Crusaders by 1400 A.D.

1000 A.D.
Medieval China
- Chinese alchemists observed that a particular mixture of sulfur, charcoal, and saltpeter was incredibly explosive. You may have heard of it, its called gunpowder

1100 A.D.
Medieval Arabia
- An alchemical treatise describes 7 gunpowder recipies
- By 1280 A.D. the list was up to 70

Where does all this lead, you ask? Well, besides gunpowder and rockets that is?

1800 A.D.
Europe
- Chemists realize that the Islamic petroleum distillation process can be used as fuel for oil lamps
- The extra residue created from the process was labeled an unfortunate waste product until chemists in 20th century found a use for it. What was the residue? Gasoline.


And what is gasoline? Oh yeah, the dirty fuel of modern civilization.

Don't worry, there's more Alchemical news to come!

Thanks Alchemists!