[AT] Alchemy

[rlgoss at insightbb.com]

Steve, if you want some fun reading about obsession with alchemy, look up the story of Guttenburg.  You'll have to search extensively to find the real information on line.  It seems that every sixth grade history class in America uses Guttenburg as the subject matter for an experimental class project on writing a website.  You don't want to trust material that has been generated by a 12-year old!

Anyway, Guttenburg was a dentist.  When the authorities found that he was hording lead for use in movable type, they arrested him because they were afraid he was trying to turn lead into gold.  

The real Guttenburg website is out of Germany.

Larry
 

----- Original Message -----
From: soffiler at ct.metrocast.net
Date: Tuesday, February 26, 2008 8:50
Subject: Re: [AT] Alchemy
To: Antique tractor email discussion group <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>

> ----- Original Message Follows -----
> From: "George Willer" <gwill at gwill.net>
> Subject: Re: [AT] Alchemy
> Date: Mon, 25 Feb 2008 16:49:18 -0500
> 
> >It can be equated in this one sense... The emphasis is
> >directed toward hydrogen as a non-polluting fuel without
> >considering how it is produced and the amount of energy
> >required and the pollution produced by the true source of
> >the energy.  Where are the researchers who are honest
> >enough to even mention in passing how inefficient the
> >concept actually would be for the foreseeable future?  
> 
> Thanks, George.  I think the analogy is solid.  It 
> goes like
> this:  alchemists were attempting something physically
> impossible, and they could have saved themselves vast
> quantities of effort if only they knew.  Those trying to
> split water into H2 and O2 using less energy input than
> they'll get back on recombination can also save themselves
> the effort by understanding the fundamentals.
> 
> Steve O. 
> 
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