In reply to the topic starter Mnld, the philosophers stone is not similar to the sorcerers stone in the Harry Potter novels. In fact, they are one and the same. The British title of the book was Harry Potter and the Philosophers stone, but the term Sorcerers stone was more accepted in America. AS for Nicholas Flamel it is true he was an alchemist and was said to have been able to perfect the creation of the Sorcerers stone. He was most well known of the alchemists of his time because he was one of the wealthiest, most alchemists spent their life savings on seeking to create the stone, but eventually ran out of funding and failed. Some years after his death, his tomb was opened by grave robbers looking for the wealth that was said to have been buried with him, but it along with his body was gone. Now you can look at it from the perspective that someone had already gotten to the body and taken it along with everything else in the grave or perhaps as myth suggests he is still alive and still lives to this day. While it is all simply a myth, most of the myths have a basis in reality. I also noted another post by another poster, can't recall the name sorry, that noted that Newton was also an alchemist. I would like everyone to know that alchemy was the beginnings of Modern day physics and chemistry. IF it had not been for alchemy, and the pursuit of the Philosophers stone for both eternal life and to turn base metal into gold, we would be nowhere near the point we are at in physics and chemistry.
I also read that Nicholas Flamel contains the book of Abraham the mage(and no not just the nicolas flamel series, I went and checked it on a few websites, but I don't remember them, they were probably mythology sites or something)
In reply to mnid's most recent post, you are incorrect. There is virtually NO evidence that supports the existance of magic scientifically. Very little about it can be explained without Quantum/Particle Physics, and even then, too much is an enigma, going against the laws of nature, but still existing.
So,actually i had a question about Perenelle Flamel,Nicholas' wife...what was she all about?i find it pretty sexist that she's barely ever mentioned...
It's not sexist, it's just less interesting. She was supposedly a master of divination and could see as well as commune with Spirits, from what I know. Nicholas Flamel, however, was an alchemist and would therefore be recorded as the man who found the secret to immortality if he really did so. Regardless of how we spice up divination and necromancy, immortality will almost always catch people's attention more frequently and to a greater extent.
Hmmm...strictly speaking..I don't believe that a physical body can be immortal but if it's possible..I think it'll be too sad...I mean for all eternity, you can only be a human, not experiencing the universe in every possible angle, watching your love ones die..
and you know people, they tend to discriminate what they can't understand..
This is really a faint guess, but, I think they would get tired of living too long(if they are alive!) and would find a way to die, just like in the Harry Potter book, when Dumbldore says, "it will be like they are finally sleeping after a very long day", and for man kind's sake, I think he WOULD destroy the stone, but I can't be sure about the method of creating the stone....
Nicholas Flamel was a real person, but the philosophers stone didn't give eternal life. Nicholas Flamel got the secrets for eternal life from the book of Abraham the Mage. There are many books you can read which will tell you this. One really good one is
a series of books called "The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel." The first book in the series is called "The Alchymest."
I have read the first one and many other interesting books. One thing, the story in the above mentioned books are not true but there are many, many facts in it as the author spent years searching for information to make his book as accurate as possible.
Lance, the series you named is a fantasy and the author has said that as well. It is based on some facts, but that doesn't mean everything in it is fact and so it is not a good reference book. Also, the author didn't spend years collecting information just for that book.
