PBS' NOVA to document IU Newton project this week

A re-enactment of Isaac Newton's alchemical experiments conducted at IU will be the subject of an approaching documentary titled "Newton's Dark Secrets."\nWilliam Newman, professor of history and philosophy of science at IU, has worked on a project called "The Chymistry of Isaac Newton," along with John Walsh, associate director for projects and services for IU's Digital Library Program, and Catherine Reck, assistant professor in the IU Department of Chemistry. The documentary will air on the PBS program "NOVA."\nThe project includes the construction of an online publication of Newton's laboratory notebooks about alchemy and the recreation of a few of Newton's experiments.\nThe latter is the subject of the documentary, which will be shot on location at IU. PBS plans to broadcast the documentary at 1 p.m. today, 3 a.m. Thursday and 2 a.m. Sunday on WTIU. The program also includes Newton's main discoveries in mathematics and physics.\nAlthough most people are aware of Sir Isaac Newton's discoveries of modern physical science, few know of other aspects of his work, particularly of alchemy. In Newton's time, alchemy was not valued, and alchemists were considered irrational.\nAlchemy, with its correlation with counterfeiting, was illegal before Newton but became legal during his period. Newton spent 30 years attempting to resolve the difficulties that surrounded alchemy. He wrote numerous notebooks on the subject, although few were published. The writings were not widely known because of the controversy of the subject.\nNewman has spent many years interpreting Newton's notebooks. This proved to be a difficult task as there was no key to the language Newton used. Newton's knowledge included things he didn't think necessary to add in his notes, and this left a mystery about the interpretation of the language, Newman said.\n"In addition, we are now aware that most of the intellects of the time were involved with alchemy, including Robert Boyle and John Locke," Newman said.\nNewman has co-written a book with Lawrence M. Principe, professor of the history of science, medicine and technology at Johns Hopkins University, called "Alchemy Tried in the Fire: Starkey, Boyle and the Fate of Helmontian Chymistry." In the book, Newman and Principe make the point that chemistry historians should look to George Starkey, as opposed to Robert Boyle, for the origins of modern chemistry.\nNewman also won the Pfizer Prize from the History of Science Society this year for an outstanding scholarly publication.