Friday 21 January 2011

Freedom from Necessity of Much Sleeping Exemplify'd by the Operations of Tea and What Happens in Mad-men

flicking through Harper's Magazine Aug 2010, pg16:

Crystal Boyle

From a wishlist of scientific advancements compiled by chemist and inventor Robert Boyle, who in 1662 discovered that the pressure and volume of a gas are inversely proportional, a property known as Boyle's law. The list, which dates from the 1660's, is on display this month at the Royal Society of London, as part of the institution's 350th anniversary celebration.

The Prolongation of Life
The Recovery of Youth, or at Least Some of the Marks of It, as New Teeth, New Hair Colour'd as in Youth
The Art of Flying
The Art of Continuing Long Under Water, and Exercising Functions Freely There
The Cure of Wounds at a Distance or at Least by Transplantation
The Attaining Gigantick Dimensions
The Acceleration of the Production of Things out of Seed
The Transmutation of Metalls
The Making of Glass Malleable
The Making Armor Light and Extremely Hard
The Transmutation of Species in Mineralls, Animals, and Vegetables
The Emulating of Fish Without Engines by Custome and Education Only
The Practicable and Certain Way of Finding Longitudes
The Use of Pendulum at Sea and in Journeys, and the Application of It to Watches
A Ship to Saile with All Winds, and a Ship Not to Be Sunk
Freedom from Necessity of Much Sleeping Exemplify'd by the Operations of Tea and What Happens in Mad-men
Pleasing Dreams and Physicall Exercises Exemplify'd by the Egyptian Electuary and by the Fungus Mentioned by the French Author
Great Strebgth and Agility of Body Exemplify'd by That of Frantick Epileptick and Hystericall Persons
Varnishes Perfumable by Rubbing
A Perpetuall Light

No comments:

Post a Comment