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Cover of Promethean Ambitions: Alchemy and the Quest to Perfect Nature

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Alchemy

Promethean Ambitions

Alchemy and the Quest to Perfect Nature

by William R. Newman

William R. Newman, a leading historian of alchemy, examines debates from antiquity to the early modern period over whether human art could equal or surpass nature. He considers alchemical claims to transmute metals, create artificial life such as the homunculus, and imitate natural processes, as well as the criticisms these provoked. The book shows how alchemy shaped broader discussions of art, nature and technology and is aimed at serious students of the history of science.

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