In the early modern era, European agriculture was in crisis. Soils had become depleted, crops grew smaller and fewer in number, and the growing seasons were shorter and cooler. Food production could no longer keep pace with population growth. To find solutions, some to turned to a field not commonly associated with agricultural production: alchemy. From the philosopher's stone to "vegetable salt" to early attempts in fertilization and modern chemical agriculture: host Stephanie Hood is joined by historian Justin Niermeier-Dohoney as they explore how people in the past dealt with similar ecological challenges to those we are facing today—and how some of their ideas may still provide clues for how to solve them.

Learn more about agricultural uses of alchemy in early modern Europe: https://bit.ly/agriculture-and-alchemy

About Justin Niermeier-Dohoney: https://www.fit.edu/faculty-profiles/n/niermeier-dohoney-justin/ and https://www.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de/people/jniermeier

 

This podcast is produced by the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science, www.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de

Follow us on https://twitter.com/MPIWG

Host: Stephanie Hood

Concept and sound editing by Verena Braun

Theme song by Podington Bear, CC NY-NC 3.0