Science In My Fiction

Want eternal youth? There’s a fountain for that. It is said that anyone who drinks from  The Fountain of Youth will have their youth restored.

The legend became particularly prominent in the 16th century, when it became attached to the Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León, first Governor of Puerto Rico. According to an apocryphal story that features a combination of New World and Eurasian elements, Ponce de León was searching for the Fountain of Youth when he traveled to what is now Florida in 1513. Since then, the fountain has been frequently associated with Florida.

Tales of such a fountain have been recounted across the world for thousands of years, appearing in writings by Herodotus, the Alexander romance, and the stories of Prester John. Stories of a similar waters were also evidently prominent among the indigenous peoples of the Caribbean during the Age of Exploration, who spoke of the restorative powers of the water in the mythical land of Bimini. (Fountain of Youth)

Want eternal life? There’s a potion for that.  Have a swig of the elixir of life and legend has it that the drinker will be granted immortality.

Many practitioners of alchemy pursued it. The elixir of life was also said to be able to create life. It is related to the myths of Enoch, Thoth, and Hermes Trismegistus, all of whom in various tales are said to have drunk “the white drops” (liquid gold) and thus achieved immortality. It is also associated with the Qur’an’s Al Khidr (‘The Green Man’), and is mentioned in one of the Nag Hammadi texts. (Elixir of Life, follow the link to read more about its treatment in various cultures)

Want a pot of gold at the end of your rainbow? There’s a philospher’s stone for that. At least, that is what the alchemists believed and invested lifetimes seeking it out.

The philosopher’s stone is a legendary alchemical substance said to be capable of turning base metals (lead, for example) into gold or silver. It was also sometimes believed to be an elixir of life, useful for rejuvenation and possibly for achieving immortality. For many centuries, it was the most sought-after goal in Western alchemy. The philosopher’s stone was the central symbol of the mystical terminology of alchemy, symbolizing perfection, enlightenment, and heavenly bliss. Efforts to discover the philosopher’s stone was known as the Great Work. (Philosopher’s Stone)

While drinking water is good for your health and maintaining proper hygiene habits can go a long way to reducing the occurrence of illness and thus promoting longevity, there is no proof that the benefits of water cross the line into substantial rejuvenation and immortality.

There is evidence that gold has had some medicinal success:

Some gold salts do have anti-inflammatory properties and are used as pharmaceuticals in the treatment of arthritis and other similar conditions. However, only salts and radioisotopes of gold are of pharmacological value, as elemental (metallic) gold is inert to all chemicals it encounters inside the body. In modern times, injectable gold has been proven to help to reduce the pain and swelling of rheumatoid arthritis and tuberculosis…The isotope gold-198, (half-life 2.7 days) is used in some cancer treatments and for treating other diseases. (Gold-Medicine)

Yet the gold flakes found in beverages and decorating food prove to be inert as they pass through the human digestive system.

If there is no pancea, then why have we been searching for one for centuries? Maybe it’s the hope that one exists and we just have not encountered it. Maybe our culture focuses so much on looking young and leaving a legacy, that pharmaceutical companies and religious entities still manage to drive the search. Maybe it boils down to a fear of death and the unknown. Maybe it isn’t about preservation of the status quo as it is about survival of the persona in whatever form. We know the shell we are in; it makes sense we would strive to survive in it.

What if swallowing snake oil, even when you see it slithering out of the bottle, allows you to sleep a little better? What if it helps you imagine away the fine lines and wrinkles already etching themselves into your face? Do you need the placebo?

I promise we will chat more on this the next time I come round. In the meantime, I want to hear from you. Tell me what you think?  Tell me also how you see these ideas fitting into the world of fiction.