13 January 2024, Online / St John’s College, University of Oxford
The Society for the History of Alchemy and Chemistry (SHAC) invites proposals for the 2024 iteration of its annual postgraduate workshop, “Uncovering the Secrets of the Universe.” This conference explores the relationship between the (al)chemical sciences and the fundamental nature of our reality. From the mystical practitioners of Late Antique Egypt who used alchemy as a practice to understand salvation, to the archaic understanding of earth, air, wind, and fire as the four elements to explain the properties which we see in the world around us, without forgetting the chemists of today and their use of the periodic table to explain the makeup of the cosmos and the astrochemists who seek to understand interactions in worlds beyond our own, (al)chemists have always used their practice in an attempt to dig up and expose the mysteries of the universe. How have alchemy and chemistry been used throughout history to understand the very makeup of the cosmos? How have they been used as a framework to interpret the natural, as well as the supernatural? To what extent have (al)chemists throughout history perceived themselves as the discoverers and guardians of cosmic secrets, and with what consequences for their work?
We welcome proposals for 15-20 minute talks by graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and other scholars. If you are interested in presenting your work, please send an abstract of maximum 300 words and a short bio to SHAC Student Representative Josh Werrett, at studentrep@ambix.org. The deadline for submissions is 15th December 2023.