The Mysteries of Modern Alchemy A Peek into the World of High Pressure 5 Charles Christoe Wilfried Holzapfel
Download As PDF : The Mysteries of Modern Alchemy A Peek into the World of High Pressure 5 Charles Christoe Wilfried Holzapfel 
While preparing to carve an unusual sculpture from a stump in his front yard, a professor of physics is interrupted by two first-year students at the university where he teaches. When the students ask him about his project, the professor describes the future sculpture as a three-dimensional representation of the way a sample of each chemical element reacts when high static pressure is applied to it. That is not at all what the students were expecting to hear. They somewhat reluctantly agree to sign up for a consultation hour with the professor so that he can explain the concept in greater detail.
When the professor describes his research in the area of high-pressure solid-state physics as “modern alchemy,” the students are hooked! One of them has been contemplating a career in science or technology, the other is planning to concentrate on liberal arts and philosophy. This appears to be a unique opportunity that offers something for each of them and a chance to expand their common knowledge and friendship.
During the consultation period, the professor and the students review the history of medieval alchemy as the basis for modern science. They compare the challenges faced by the ancient philosophers and scientific theorists to the obstacles modern scientists must overcome to gain wide-spread acceptance of new knowledge. The students eagerly sign up for more of the professor’s office hours.
During one of the subsequent sessions, the professor introduces the students to his version of a modern alchemist’s “philosopher’s stone,” a device with which he is able to change the properties of the elements and make them take on the characteristics of other, often quite dissimilar elements. The students agree to meet with the professor on a regular basis to learn more about modern materials science, a subject that neither of them had expected to encounter as part of their undergraduate education.
Over a period of several months the professor leads the two undergraduate students, plus one of his new graduate students, on a series of exploratory “journeys” down each principal column of the Periodic Table of the Elements. He also takes them on “side trips” along the horizontal rows of the Table that contain the transition elements, the lanthanides and the actinides. They compare the behavior of different groups of elements to discover relationships that contrast, in some cases, to the traditional assignment of elements in the Periodic Table. The three students converse among themselves to clarify for each other some of the more “mystical” modern ideas that the professor introduces along the way e.g., quantum chemistry and the quantum theory of solids.
At no time, however, does the professor resort to formal, mathematical theory to predict the outcome of their circumnavigation of the “world of high pressure.” Like that of the ancient alchemists, the students’ learning is based primarily upon observation. But, by the end of their “journeys,” even the younger two are able to explain the essential features the professor’s now-completed sculpture to their less “well-travelled” friends.
In the end, the students are left with a genuine sense of achievement at having observed the natural world in a way that few others have. They feel “enlightened” in the true alchemical sense of the word and ready to begin their own individual journeys into the modern world of science and philosophy.
The Mysteries of Modern Alchemy A Peek into the World of High Pressure 5 Charles Christoe Wilfried Holzapfel
Writing about a scientific subject such as high pressure physics for a non-expert audience is not an easy task. The result often seems to have been written for an encyclopedia. The challenge is to make the presentation interesting and somewhat entertaining. Dr. Christoe and Dr Holzapfel, both experts on the effect of high pressure on materials, have taken a unique approach to this problem using a modification of the Socrates circle. They explain the science through the questions and interaction of two female freshmen with a professor at the university who is an expert on high pressure physics research.It all begins when with the two young ladies; Helen and Marie, come across a faculty member carving an unusual three dimensional structure on his front lawn. Overcome with curiosity they ask the professor what he is carving. He explains he is carving a three-dimensional representation of the way that static pressure affects the elements. As a result of their curiosity, the professor invites them to a series of weekly meetings to learn more. The book describes the discussions in these meetings, together with the professor’s explanations and the students many questions.
The first 35 pages or so of the book are concerned with a discussion of alchemy. The motivation for this is that the professor sees his work on high pressure physics, which uses pressure to change the properties of elements, as having somewhat similar aims to those of early alchemists who hoped to transform base metals such as lead into noble metals such as gold.
Following the discourse on alchemy they enter into a discussion of phase diagrams which the professor illustrates using well-constructed color figures. At this point the dialog broadens to include quarks, gluons, the Higgs Boson and the size of the visible universe.
The actual discussion of high pressure physics begins with a description of the pressure in the earth’s core and extends into a discussion of pressure in the sun, stars and other bodies in the universe. This is followed by a description of methods of achieving high pressure in the laboratory, primarily through the use of a diamond-anvil cell which the professor likens to the philosophers’ stone. The discussion then moves to the effect of pressure on many materials such as ice, sulfur, and other elements, including gold and cerium.
Overall, the method of presentation through the interaction between the students and the professor works, making the reading easier. Many of the questions asked by the students are ones that the reader might also have liked to ask. The net result is that the presentation is more lucid and easier to read compared to an encyclopedic description of the science. The book has a number of other attributes which contribute to its effectiveness such as well and thoughtfully constructed color figures and links to web sites where further information can be obtained about a particular subject. If one is interested in learning about high pressure physics and some alchemy, the Mysteries of Modern Alchemy, a Peak into High Pressure Physics is a gentle way to learn about it.
Frank J Owens Ph. D
Research Professor, Dept Physics
Hunter College l of The
City University of New York
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The Mysteries of Modern Alchemy A Peek into the World of High Pressure 5 Charles Christoe Wilfried Holzapfel Reviews
Writing about a scientific subject such as high pressure physics for a non-expert audience is not an easy task. The result often seems to have been written for an encyclopedia. The challenge is to make the presentation interesting and somewhat entertaining. Dr. Christoe and Dr Holzapfel, both experts on the effect of high pressure on materials, have taken a unique approach to this problem using a modification of the Socrates circle. They explain the science through the questions and interaction of two female freshmen with a professor at the university who is an expert on high pressure physics research.
It all begins when with the two young ladies; Helen and Marie, come across a faculty member carving an unusual three dimensional structure on his front lawn. Overcome with curiosity they ask the professor what he is carving. He explains he is carving a three-dimensional representation of the way that static pressure affects the elements. As a result of their curiosity, the professor invites them to a series of weekly meetings to learn more. The book describes the discussions in these meetings, together with the professor’s explanations and the students many questions.
The first 35 pages or so of the book are concerned with a discussion of alchemy. The motivation for this is that the professor sees his work on high pressure physics, which uses pressure to change the properties of elements, as having somewhat similar aims to those of early alchemists who hoped to transform base metals such as lead into noble metals such as gold.
Following the discourse on alchemy they enter into a discussion of phase diagrams which the professor illustrates using well-constructed color figures. At this point the dialog broadens to include quarks, gluons, the Higgs Boson and the size of the visible universe.
The actual discussion of high pressure physics begins with a description of the pressure in the earth’s core and extends into a discussion of pressure in the sun, stars and other bodies in the universe. This is followed by a description of methods of achieving high pressure in the laboratory, primarily through the use of a diamond-anvil cell which the professor likens to the philosophers’ stone. The discussion then moves to the effect of pressure on many materials such as ice, sulfur, and other elements, including gold and cerium.
Overall, the method of presentation through the interaction between the students and the professor works, making the reading easier. Many of the questions asked by the students are ones that the reader might also have liked to ask. The net result is that the presentation is more lucid and easier to read compared to an encyclopedic description of the science. The book has a number of other attributes which contribute to its effectiveness such as well and thoughtfully constructed color figures and links to web sites where further information can be obtained about a particular subject. If one is interested in learning about high pressure physics and some alchemy, the Mysteries of Modern Alchemy, a Peak into High Pressure Physics is a gentle way to learn about it.
Frank J Owens Ph. D
Research Professor, Dept Physics
Hunter College l of The
City University of New York
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