This would seem to be stating the obvious, that alchemy is fraudulent. Yet at the peak of its popularity, in 15th and 16th century Europe, [Tara Nummedal] says, only some alchemy practitioners were frauds. The others were earnestly ignorant. And the practice of alchemy itself, she says, was regarded as not only possible, but feasible.

[Isaac Newton] did not publish any studies on alchemy, according to Nummedal, and, most importantly, he didn't sign any contracts to perform alchemy, which is how many alchemists met their maker.

While alchemy was fraught with a fundamental scientific misunderstanding, Nummedal says, it was the precursor to many modern practices: pharmacology, metallurgy and chemistry. And surprising as it seems, she says, there are still those who don't merely study alchemy, but try to perform it.