The Alchemist Trap

(From "Beschreibung allerfürnemisten mineralischen Ertzt unnd Bergkwercks Arten," via Wikimedia Commons, used w/o permission.)

That's an alchemist's workshop, in the late 1500s. If some of the equipment looks familiar: you've either been watching old 'mad scientist' movies, or seen a chemical lab.

Quite a lot of a chemist's glassware, like retorts, was standard equipment for European alchemists, back when they still had some credibility.

Then alchemists realized that claiming they could make lead into gold, or preserve an aristocratic lady's youthful looks made getting government grants a lot easier.

As a fundraising strategy, it worked: until enough aristocrats realized that the court alchemist's gold came from the treasury. There's more to researchers calling themselves "chemists" instead of "alchemists," of course: there always is, when humans are involved.

Then there's the story of two enterprising chaps and a clueless emperor, and that's not quite another topic.

Vaguely-related posts:

• "Science, Faith, and Albertus Magnus"
  A Catholic Citizen in America (February 23, 2014)
• "Killer Tomatoes and a Ranting Lemming"
  (August 6, 2013)
• "Lemming Tracks: 'And We're All Gonna Die!' or, not"
  (March 16, 2012)
• "Mineral X From Outer Space!"
  (May 9, 2011)
• "Diane de Poitiers' Elixir of Youth: Side Effects Include Death"
  (December 18, 2009)