January 13, 1404

Posted on January 13, 2019 by Joel Byers

On January 13, 1404, the English Parliament passed the Act of Multipliers, forbidding Multiplication. This wasn’t a bunch of rich nobs prejudiced against mathematics, but instead, at the time, multiplication also meant the production of precious metals through alchemy. The old, turning lead into gold passion, or using a catalyst to cause gold to alchemically create more of itself. The English Parliament was afraid that if the alchemist of the day had free reign and actually succeeded in creating a Philosophers Stone, then that person, persons, or foreign government (read the Spanish or the French) could undermine the entire English economy. What this law in effect actually did was to make practicing chemistry a felony for 280 years in England.

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About Joel Byers

Born in North Georgia and educated at some very fine public institutions. Real education started after graduating from college and then getting married and raising two boys. Has the ability to see the funny and absurd in most things and will always remark on it, even if it means getting the stink-eye from his victims.
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