ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

History of alchemy

Alchemy was like magic that people used to practice a long time ago. It started in ancient Egypt around 2500 years ago. Alchemists wanted to turn ordinary things like dirt or rocks into valuable things like gold or even create medicine that could cure any disease.

They believed that all substances were made up of four elements: fire, water, air, and earth. They also believed that everything in the universe had a spirit or energy and that by manipulating these elements and energies, they could create powerful potions that could transform one thing into another.

Over time, alchemy spread to other parts of the world like Greece, China, and Europe. In the Middle Ages, many people believed that alchemy could help them discover the secrets of the universe and become powerful. Some alchemists even claimed to be able to create an elixir of life that would make them live forever!

However, most of the things alchemists tried to do didn't work. They were often trying to use magic to do things that were impossible. Despite this, alchemy did make some important discoveries. For example, alchemists were the first to discover how to separate gold and silver from other minerals.

Eventually, alchemy evolved into modern chemistry. Scientists learned to study the composition and properties of chemicals in a more systematic way, leading to new discoveries and technologies. Today, we still benefit from many of the discoveries made by alchemists long ago.