numinous on 3 Sep 2000 18:43:01 -0000


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<nettime> Internet and Unconscious: The Psychic Interface


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Internet and Unconscious: The Psychic Interface
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Alchemy is a term that is currently appearing with regularity in all sort
of areas - revived and used anywhere and everywhere from the marketing
speak of a computer corporation using "alchemy" lazily to describe a vague
notion of combining art and science, to the use of the term in a more
scientific context referring to the latest possibilities offered by
nanotechnologies in the manipulation of elements.

The general concept communicated by the term alchemy is the desire to turn
base metals into gold or the search for the "philosophers stone". Even
though this is accurate and is a key idea in alchemical thinking and
practice - it can sometimes distract rather than illuminate this arcane,
complex and often impenetrable subject where simple summaries of ideas are
not possible.

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Alchemy and the Unconscious
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