Classroom Activity for the NOVA program Newton's Dark Secrets: In Secret Symbols, students read and interpret a passage from a famous alchemical text titled The Twelve Keys of Basil Valentine ...

Alchemy is an ancient practice shrouded in mystery and secrecy. Its practitioners mainly sought to turn lead into gold, a quest that has captured the imaginations of people for thousands of years ...

The Twelve Keys of Basil Valentine is a famous alchemical text that appears to have first been published in Germany around 1599. The text was later translated into Latin, Greek, and English.

Alchemy is an ancient art, originating in Egypt, that combines practical experiments and philosophical thinking around the nature of matter. While it’s often dismissed as quackery due to some of ...