Hoy he estado todo el día estudiando física nuclear y acordándome de este poema tan bonito de Laura Gilpin que leí el año pasado, de su libro The Hocus-Pocus of the Universe (1977).

A Toast to the Alchemists

Alchemists, you were right, it is possible. We have the proof now. There are equations.

If you could come back for a day, if you could conjure yourself into this chemistry classroom, if you could read the textbook or watch the professor writing the answers on the board…

Alchemists, you would see that you were right, even though you didn’t know about alpha and beta radiation, even though you didn’t understand isotopes, you knew it was possible, that some elements can change into other elements, that transmutation can occur.

Alchemists, there is proof now that it is possible, although each new element, having a brief half-life, would keep changing into other things.

Alchemists, you were right, you can make anything, anything, uranium, plutonium, tel- lurium, mercury, copper, cobalt, platinum, silver, and gold, you can make gold, an isotope so radioactive it would sparkle before your eyes.

Alchemists, you were right. It is magic.