{"title":"William Newman","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWilliam Newman\u003c\/strong\u003e offers thought-provoking works that delve into the intricate relationship between science and history. His writings explore the lives and ideas of pioneering figures, shedding light on the development of alchemy, physics, and early scientific thought.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eReaders can expect carefully researched narratives that blend scholarly insight with accessible storytelling, inviting contemplation on how past discoveries continue to influence modern understanding.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"newton-the-alchemist-by-william-newman-9780691174877","title":"Newton the Alchemist","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA book that finally demystifies Newton's experiments in alchemy. When Isaac Newton's alchemical papers surfaced at a Sotheby's auction in 1936, the quantity and seeming incoherence of the manuscripts were shocking. No longer the exemplar of Enlightenment rationality, the legendary physicist suddenly became \u003cem\u003ethe last of the magicians\u003c\/em\u003e. \u003cem\u003eNewton the Alchemist\u003c\/em\u003e unlocks the secrets of Newton's alchemical quest, providing a radically new understanding of the uncommon genius who probed nature at its deepest levels in pursuit of empirical knowledge.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn this evocative and superbly written book, William Newman blends in-depth analysis of newly available texts with laboratory replications of Newton's actual experiments in alchemy. He does not justify Newton's alchemical research as part of a religious search for God in the physical world, nor does he argue that Newton studied alchemy to learn about gravitational attraction. Newman traces the evolution of Newton's alchemical ideas and practices over a span of more than three decades, showing how they proved fruitful in diverse scientific fields.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eA precise experimenter in the realm of \"chymistry,\" Newton put the riddles of alchemy to the test in his lab. He also used ideas drawn from the alchemical texts to great effect in his optical experimentation. In his hands, alchemy was a tool for attaining the material benefits associated with the philosopher's stone and an instrument for acquiring scientific knowledge of the most sophisticated kind.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eNewton the Alchemist\u003c\/em\u003e provides rare insights into a man who was neither Enlightenment rationalist nor irrational magus, but rather an alchemist who sought through experiment and empiricism to alter nature at its very heart.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Hachette Aotearoa New Zealand","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47463934329068,"sku":"9780691174877","price":165.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9780691174877-newton-the-alchemist.jpg?v=1775036617"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookhero.co.nz\/collections\/william-newman.oembed","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}