Newton could be called the first of the new magicians. The idea that some invisible unknown force is acting upon entities far away is rather a magical idea if y

Newton could be called the first of the new magicians. The idea that some invisible unknown force is acting upon entities far away is rather a magical idea if you think about it. The idea that the position of the moon influences events on earth sounds just like astrology as it does physics. The only difference is that the claim by physics can be replicated while the one by astrology cannot. But both are equally mystical. > After all, in Newton's time, how would you know alchemy didn't work until you tried it rigorously? Which is how chemistry started. Modern chemistry was born out of european alchemists primarily trying to reproduce porcelain from china - a major source of trade imbalance between china and europe. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johann_Friedrich_B%C3%B6ttger https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johann_Friedrich_B%C3%B6ttger Of course like the chinese, he kept his recipe a secret in order to enrich himself and other european alchemists continue their search for the recipe. Insatiable greed along with insatiable curiosity is how we ultimately got chemistry.