By Artifacts from the ruins of a medieval laboratory are spilling a famous scientist’s secrets.
A chemical analysis of broken glassware belonging to 16th century Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe revealed elevated levels of nine metals, researchers report July 25 in Heritage Science. The finding offers tantalizing clues to his work in alchemy, a precursor to modern chemistry.
The astronomer is perhaps best known for making the first observations of supernovas and being among the first scientists to propose that Earth orbits the sun (SN: 12/18/99). But he also dabbled in alchemy. Instead of trying to make gold from less valuable elements, he developed elixirs like the medicamenta tria — a trio of medicines that contained herbs and metals.
