Gold From Bacteria: Scientists Prod 'Superman Bacteria' Into Producing 24-Karat Nuggets (VIDEO)
The Huffington Post | By Meredith Bennett-Smith Posted: 10/04/2012 11:51 pm EDT Updated: 10/04/2012 11:51 pm EDT
Can germs do what alchemists can't? Maybe so. Researchers at Michigan State University have found a way to coax bacteria to turn a toxic, liquid chemical found in nature into 24-karat gold.
Kazem Kashefi, an assistant professor of microbiology and molecular genetics at the university, and his colleague Adam Brown, associate professor of electronic art and intermedia, created the precious metal with the help of the metal-tolerant bacterium Cupriavidus metallidurans, a "Superman-strength" strain that can withstand the intense toxicity of gold chloride.
C. metallidurans transforms the chemical toxins into a valuable nugget, PSFK.com reported.
"Microbial alchemy is what we're doing--transforming gold from something that has no value into a solid, precious metal that's valuable," Kashefi said.
The formidable bacterium has been studied in the past, Medical Daily noted, but primarily in the context of helping understand the ecological effects of heavy metals like mercury, cadmium, lead, and chromium.
The professors used their discovery to create an art installation called "The Great Work of the Metal Lover," which was awarded honorary mention at this year's Prix Ars Electronica.
"This is neo-alchemy. Every part, every detail of the project is a cross between modern microbiology and alchemy," Brown said in a written statement. "Science tries to explain the phenomenological world. As an artist, I'm trying to create a phenomenon. Art has the ability to push scientific inquiry."
On his website, http://adamwbrown.net/projects-2/the-great-work-of-the-metal-lover/
Brown explained the significance behind the experimental installation's name.
QuoteHistorically, Magnum Opus, or The Great Work, was an alchemical process that incorporated a personal, spiritual and chemical method for creating the Philosopher's Stone, a mysterious red colored substance that was capable of transmuting base matter into the noble metal of gold. Discovering the principals of the Philosopher's Stone was one of the defining and at the same time seemingly unobtainable objectives of Western alchemy.
vid at link
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/04/gold-bacteria-24-karat_n_1937477.html?utm_hp_ref=science
It should be noted that alchemical lore recognises a distinction between what it called "living," and "dead," or inert metals; the primary definition of a living metal, being that it had the ability to actually reproduce.
If these scientists went back and studied some of the old texts, they might find that they're not breaking the rules as much as they think. The current energetic/Cymatic directive is for alchemy and many such related things, to become mainstream and generally accessible.
Deuem is out looking for gold chloride and some bugs, be back when done....
Quote from: petrus4 on October 06, 2012, 07:09:02 AM
It should be noted that alchemical lore recognises a distinction between what it called "living," and "dead," or inert metals; the primary definition of a living metal, being that it had the ability to actually reproduce.
If these scientists went back and studied some of the old texts, they might find that they're not breaking the rules as much as they think. The current energetic/Cymatic directive is for alchemy and many such related things, to become mainstream and generally accessible.
Greetings friend petrus4:
We would be very interested if you might expand a bit on this:
QuoteThe current energetic/Cymatic directive
Thank you for your time, consideration and participation - and have a really GREAT time in Nimbin ;)
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Liberty & Equality or Revolution
Quote from: thorfourwinds on October 06, 2012, 02:04:39 PM
Greetings friend petrus4:
We would be very interested if you might expand a bit on this:
I'm trying to remember the name of the article, but it was something recorded by Dion Fortune. She basically claimed that a directive had come from the Secret Chiefs (the spirits who supposedly preside over at least Crowley's order, and possibly the GD as well, although I don't know about the latter) that information about magick more or less in general was to be made completely open to the public. Secrecy had supposedly become largely obsolete.
It isn't just Fortune who wrote that, though; IMHO Crowley implied that he thought the same thing.