Thread: just what is alchemy?

well, obviously FMA is based around the science of alchemy but just what is alchemy?

in full metal alchemist we see that alchemy is the like the power to transform things into something of equal value, IE lots of rock to a smaller amount of gold.
but FMA isnt the only thing incorperating alchemy, Busou renkin is based on alchemy aswell but they use it to make life ( the struggle of FMA) and to make cool wepons and monsters and all sorts of cool things
as another example World of Warcraft has a proffesion called alchemy but u use small-big reagents to create a potion of some sort to give you mystical powers

so my question is... Just what is exactly ALchemy and what are its extents?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alchemy
If all else fails...WIKIPEDIA...



J B

real life alchemists were pretty much scientists; they tried - obviously without much success - to change something into something else (most famously, attempting to turn lead into gold). however, the research that they did were fairly important (though i'm not too sure about the specifics).

alchemy in FMA is simply put - equivalent exchange. taking something and reforming its part into something else; or simply just deconstructing something into its parts.

Well you could call them scientists, but most of them were too busy being conmen to be scientists.

Real life alchemists were akind of scientists. Actually nowdays chemistry came from alchemy.
In FMA its more like some kind of magic.

alchemy is basically a form of chemestry,

Actually Chemistry evolved from Alchemy, not the other way, like it has been said before real life alchemist were akind of scientists they had a porpuse and a goal (transmutation) and they did research in order to fulfill or complete their objectives in a serious manner; of course turning lead into gold is not that much of disinterested or noble objective but it was the main reason.

One thing the alchemists were able to create was European porcelain.Alchemy was basically the foundation of Chemistry,Chemisty was the offspring of Alchemy.Alchemists are basically pre-chemistry chemists.

Isnt alchemy , just like a study or theory someone suggested.

Is about like trying to turn lead in to gold.

alchemy, and by extension alchemists, exist. nowadays we can turn lead into gold, except it costs vastly more than the amount of gold made would sell for so meh.