The Conversation: Deciphering the Philosophers’ Stone
Institute fellows Megan Piorko and Sarah Lang help crack a 400-year-old alchemical cipher.
The work of Science History Institute fellows Megan Piorko and Sarah Lang is featured in an article in The Conversation, a nonprofit news network that publishes stories written by academic experts and researchers. The article talks about how Piorko (a second-year Allington Postdoctoral Fellow) and Lang (a short-term Herdegen Fellow) contributed to the decryption of a 400-year-old cipher written by alchemists John Dee and his son, Arthur Dee. As suspected, the ciphertext contained an alchemical recipe for the fabled philosophers’ stone, an elixir that is supposed to prolong the owner’s life and grant the ability to produce gold from base metals.
Read more on theconversation.com >>
Alchemical emblem in Sloane MS 1876 f1v. © British Library Board, Author provided (no reuse).
More News
Science History Institute and Pittsburgh Conference to Present Pittcon Heritage Award to Jeanette Grasselli Brown
The noted analytical chemist, entrepreneur, and researcher will be honored at the 2025 conference in Boston this March.
Institute Awarded More Than $590K in Grants from NEH and Open Philanthropy
Funds will support new research projects, including collections archiving and a conference on the history and future of biotechnology.
Applications for 2025–2026 Beckman Center Fellowships Now Open
Researchers can apply by January 15 for various long- and short-term programs, including a new $2,500 fellowship at the British Library.