Though the notion of a simple philosopher's stone of the alchemic sense fell out of scientific conception by at least the 19th century, its metaphors and imagery persisted: man's attempt to discover the essential secret of the universe, redemptively transforming not just lead into gold, but death into life. In 1901, Ernest Rutherford and Frederick Soddy discovered that radioactivity was a sign of fundamental changes within elements, and it was Soddy who quickly made the connection between this and the ancient search for the philosopher's stone (Soddy had studied alchemy extensively as a hobby). At the moment of realization that their radioactive thorium was converting itself into radium, bit by bit, Soddy later recalled that he shouted out: "Rutherford, this is transmutation!" Rutherford snapped back, "For Christ's sake, Soddy, don't call it transmutation. They'll have our heads off as alchemists." However the term stuck, in part because it...
Amazing cover. What is Music Box Sonata? Please forgive me if I should have known this answer. Sometimes I am out of the loop.
ReplyDeleteI hope you are well, my friend.
-Jimmy
I don't know who the author is, Gaynor never told me. Music Box Sonata is the title of the novel and it's sort of a Beauty and the Beast type story, but with a Texas touch and farm country setting. Pure horror though. I forgot the music box, so I have to add it in under the beasts face.
ReplyDeleteThank you though!
I'm doing fine. I start back at work tomorrow, summer vacation is over.