Explanation:
Alchemy was the name given in Latin Europe in the 12th century to an aspect of thought that corresponds to astrology, which is apparently an older tradition. Both represent attempts to discover the relationship of man to the cosmos and to exploit that relationship to his benefit. The first of these objectives may be called scientific, the second technological. Astrology is concerned with man’s relationship to “the stars” (including the members of the solar system); alchemy, with terrestrial nature. But the distinction is far from absolute, since both are interested in the influence of the stars on terrestrial events. Moreover, both have always been pursued in the belief that the processes human beings witness in heaven and on earth manifest the will of the Creator and, if correctly understood, will yield the key to the Creator’s intentions.
Nature And Significance
That both astrology and alchemy may be regarded as fundamental aspects of thought is indicated by their apparent universality. It is notable, however, that the evidence is not equally substantial in all times and places. Evidence from ancient Middle America (Aztecs, Mayans) is still almost nonexistent; evidence from India is tenuous and from ancient China, Greece, and Islamic lands is only relatively more plentiful. A single manuscript of some 80,000 words is the principal source for the history of Greek alchemy. Chinese alchemy is largely recorded in about 100 “books” that are part of the Taoist canon. Neither Indian nor Islamic alchemy has ever been collected, and scholars are thus dependent for their knowledge of the subject on occasional allusions in works of natural philosophy and medicine, plus a few specifically alchemical works.
Nor is it really clear what alchemy was (or is). The word is a European one, derived from Arabic, but the origin of the root word, chem, is uncertain. Words similar to it have been found in most ancient languages, with different meanings, but conceivably somehow related to alchemy. In fact, the Greeks, Chinese, and Indians usually referred to what Westerners call alchemy as “The Art,” or by terms denoting change or transmutation.
Answer and Explanation:
About two-thirds of the Earth's surface lies beneath the oceans. The depths of the open ocean were mostly a matter of speculation before the 19th century. Most people thought ocean floor was flat and featureless. In the early 16th century, a few navigators found that the open ocean can differ considerably in depth by taking soundings with hand lines, which shows that the ocean floor was not as flat as it believed.
At the beginning of the 1950s, scientists used magnetic instruments adapted from airborne devices to recognize odd magnetic variations across the ocean developed during World War II to detect submarines. They found that the iron-rich and volcanic rock make up the ocean floor-- contains a strongly magnetic mineral and can distort compass readings. In the early 18th century, this distortion was recognized by Icelandic mariners. Magnetite gives measurable magnetic properties; these magnetic variations help to study the deep ocean floor.
Lake Winnipeg is a large lake southwest of Hudson Bay
