Thread: The nature of alchemy.

Has anyone wondered how it actually works? Is it a magical property bestowed on a select few? Or is it something that can be learned through a certain process?

Based on what I've read so far, I think it's learnable which would imply that alchemists are not inherently magical beings with abnormal powers. The miner guy said he used to do a little (as if it were a hobby!) but then quit because he didn't have talent. Ed and Al had no evidence of special powers prior to the training they received. If it had been anyone else who went up to Izumi, would they be alchemists now by virtue of training?

So that leads to the next part. If you can learn it, it implies that you don't have to be special to become an alchemist. So what is the functioning of alchemy if there isn't anything magical about it? How do you command forces on a molecular level without having anything special about you?

its kinda implied that Alchemy is a skill thats i guess easy to learn and hard to master. sorta like a sport i guess. but the real distinction comes when you truly devote yourself to it (like edward) and youre unique skills come to light as you study. like Mustangs mastery of fire and that other guy who specializes in explosions and crap. as for how to command forces on the molecular level... in case you didnt notice (at least in the anime) ed and al spend an insane amount of time studying and learning things. i guess if you just read you can pretty much learn anything... that and they had their Teacher.

they did say alchemy is made of 3 parts: knowledge, construction and destruction. i guess you'd have to first have knowledge of how to do it, and then you'd have to practise it (one of the other two) like any skill. drawing those circles is part of it too.

im curious to see what connection armestris alchemy has with the "father" dude. Is he the source of alchemical powers for the armestrians?

I want to see what relation the father/creator of humunculi has with Van Hohenheim.

Alchemy seems like it just takes wits and dedication to learn with maybe a bit of natural talent.

also, i think each country has its own way of applying alchemic powers. for instance, it looks like the people from Xing takes power from the earth and manipulates using that.

and apparently, there's something "odd" about how Amestrian alchemy works. which we don't know about yet.

Yeah but how does an ORDINARY person obtain the ability to "tap into the earth"? Essentially, normal people are doing extraordinary things. So how does that work?

Maybe gifted by the Father??? well doesn't the spreader of alcemy in Amestris and Xing was done by one man? i mean they have the same legend about it? how bout if the father was the one who teach them all alchemy. maybe he is the source of the power it self??
maybe Hohenheim is like a clone of father? hahhahhaha. just a speculation i guess....

i think they all have the capability, u just have to learn to use it.............remember, its an alternate reality...........

Possibly, but if everyone there had that capability, every person would be inherently magical (by our definition). So are they? Is it just a matter of learning how to use it?