Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Can the Philosopher’s Stone turn lead into gold? What is the Philosopher’s Stone?
This is the question that Sir Isaac Newton, the discoverer of gravity and calculus, wanted to answer. A surprise auction of Newton's private papers in 1936 revealed his fascination with the Philosopher's Stone, a legendary alchemical substance said to possess miraculous powers. It is the central holy grail of Western alchemy, symbolizing perfection, enlightenment, and ultimate knowledge. But why was his interest in chemistry suppressed for centuries?
Matt Lewis is joined by Dr Joel Klein, Molina Curator for the History of Medicine and Allied Sciences at The Huntingdon, to explain the science behind the Philosopher's Stone. See the stunning Ripley Scroll in The Huntingdon's digital collection.
Edited by: Michael McDaid
Produced by: Robin McConnell
Executive Producers: Etienne Bouvier, Julien Fabre, Steve Lanham, Jen Bennett
00:00 - Introduction
02:23 - What is the Philosopher's Stone?
08:02 - How to Make the Philosopher's Stone
09:45 - The Alchemical Code
13:05 - How accurate is Assassin's Creed Gold?
19:50 - Did Isaac Newton make a Philsopher's Stone?
24:11 - Is Alchemy Magic or Science?
29:41 - Alchemical Terms You Should Know
31:36 - What does ""alchemy"" mean?
37:38 - Why alchemy was controversial
42:48 - Alchemy vs Chemistry
49:57 - Why did Newton like Alchemy?
57:09 - Enter the Animus: where would you go in time?"
About Assassin's Creed:
Discover the award-winning Assassin's Creed franchise with more than 230M games sold. Travel through time in this action-adventure video game series and explore fascinating historical settings including the American Revolution, Feudal Japan, Ancient Greece and Renaissance Italy.
You'll find here the latest trailers and gameplay videos, updates on upcoming and ongoing games, developer insights and behind-the-scenes content, and much more!"
© Ubisoft Entertainment. All Rights Reserved.
Assassin’s Creed, Ubisoft, and the Ubisoft logo are registered or unregistered trademarks of Ubisoft Entertainment in the U.S. and/or other countries.
Can the Philosopher’s Stone turn lead into gold? What is the Philosopher’s Stone?
This is the question that Sir Isaac Newton, the discoverer of gravity and calculus, wanted to answer. A surprise auction of Newton's private papers in 1936 revealed his fascination with the Philosopher's Stone, a legendary alchemical substance said to possess miraculous powers. It is the central holy grail of Western alchemy, symbolizing perfection, enlightenment, and ultimate knowledge. But why was his interest in chemistry suppressed for centuries?
Matt Lewis is joined by Dr Joel Klein, Molina Curator for the History of Medicine and Allied Sciences at The Huntingdon, to explain the science behind the Philosopher's Stone. See the stunning Ripley Scroll in The Huntingdon's digital collection.
Edited by: Michael McDaid
Produced by: Robin McConnell
Executive Producers: Etienne Bouvier, Julien Fabre, Steve Lanham, Jen Bennett
00:00 - Introduction
02:23 - What is the Philosopher's Stone?
08:02 - How to Make the Philosopher's Stone
09:45 - The Alchemical Code
13:05 - How accurate is Assassin's Creed Gold?
19:50 - Did Isaac Newton make a Philsopher's Stone?
24:11 - Is Alchemy Magic or Science?
29:41 - Alchemical Terms You Should Know
31:36 - What does ""alchemy"" mean?
37:38 - Why alchemy was controversial
42:48 - Alchemy vs Chemistry
49:57 - Why did Newton like Alchemy?
57:09 - Enter the Animus: where would you go in time?"
About Assassin's Creed:
Discover the award-winning Assassin's Creed franchise with more than 230M games sold. Travel through time in this action-adventure video game series and explore fascinating historical settings including the American Revolution, Feudal Japan, Ancient Greece and Renaissance Italy.
You'll find here the latest trailers and gameplay videos, updates on upcoming and ongoing games, developer insights and behind-the-scenes content, and much more!"
© Ubisoft Entertainment. All Rights Reserved.
Assassin’s Creed, Ubisoft, and the Ubisoft logo are registered or unregistered trademarks of Ubisoft Entertainment in the U.S. and/or other countries.
![Assassin’s Creed 15th Anniversary Kickoff [UK]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Y_w_lnuWes4/mqdefault.jpg "Assassin’s Creed 15th Anniversary Kickoff [UK]
Assassin’s Creed 15th Anniversary Kickoff [UK]")
