With Western roots in Ancient Egypt and Greece, the now-defunct scientific field of alchemy regularly consumed the thoughts of some of history’s greatest scientists. Luminaries such as Roger Bacon, ...

CERN physicists created gold atoms by smashing lead ions together at near-light speed inside the Large Hadron Collider. The transmutation occurs when lead nuclei lose three protons, transforming into ...

For thousands of years, the practice of alchemy — chemically transforming minerals into gold — has been attempted and failed. While it is generally considered a pseudoscience by modern standards, ...

Affirmation for alchemists: Medieval time travelers might be surprised to learn that people are still thinking about how to turn lead into gold. Credit: Yang H. Ku/C&EN/Shutterstock In late May, this ...