Projection (alchemy)
Projection was the ultimate goal of Western alchemy. Once the Philosopher's stone or powder of projection had been created, the process of projection would be used to transmute a lesser substance into a higher form, often lead into gold.
Typically, the process is described as casting a small portion of the Stone into a molten base metal.
Claims and demonstrations
The seventeenth century saw an increase in tales of physical transmutation and projection. These are variously explained as examples of charlatanism, fiction, pseudo-scientific error, or missed metaphor. The following is a typical account of the projection process described by Jan Baptista van Helmont in his De Natura Vitae Eternae.
Other reports include:
Alchemy
Alchemy is a philosophical and protoscientific tradition practiced throughout Egypt and Eurasia which aimed to purify, mature, and perfect certain objects. Common aims were chrysopoeia, the transmutation of "base metals" (e.g., lead) into "noble" ones (particularly gold); the creation of an elixir of immortality; the creation of panaceas able to cure any disease; and the development of an alkahest, a universal solvent. The perfection of the human body and soul was thought to permit or result from the alchemical magnum opus and, in the Hellenistic and western tradition, the achievement of gnosis. In Europe, the creation of a philosopher's stone was variously connected with all of these projects.
In English, the term is often limited to descriptions of European alchemy, but similar practices existed in the Far East, the Indian subcontinent, and the Muslim world. In Europe, following the 12th-century Renaissance produced by the translation of Arabic works on science and the Recovery of Aristotle, alchemists played a significant role in early modern science (particularly chemistry and medicine). Islamic and European alchemists developed a structure of basic laboratory techniques, theory, terminology, and experimental method, some of which are still in use today. However, they continued antiquity's belief in four elements and guarded their work in secrecy including cyphers and cryptic symbolism. Their work was guided by Hermetic principles related to magic, mythology, and religion.
Alchemy (video game)
Alchemy is a computer puzzle game from PopCap Games. This title can be played for free online at various websites minus some components, or a full version can be downloaded and unlocked for a fee. On mobile devices, the game can only be played if downloaded for a fee.
Release
Alchemy was first introduced on August 29, 2001. The original version released for only available on the Windows platform. But in May 2002, a version was made for the Mac platform. In June 2002, a version was released that was available for shipping. In September 2002, a handheld version was released.
Gameplay
The object of the game is to turn a board of squares from lead to gold by placing randomly generated symbols called runes on every square. The symbols used as runes in the lower levels are astrological glyphs (symbols) Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces, Mercury, Venus, a symbol like that of Uranus, and Neptune (Virgo is missing). As higher levels are reached, additional symbols (e.g., droplet, lightning, cup, and om) appear, as do additional colors. New colors appear every three levels.
The Elder Scrolls
The Elder Scrolls is a series of action role-playing open world fantasy video games primarily developed by Bethesda Game Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks. The series is known for its elaborate and richly detailed open worlds and its focus on free-form gameplay. Morrowind, Oblivion, and Skyrim all won Game of the Year awards from multiple outlets. The series has sold more than 40 million copies worldwide.
Development history
Before The Elder Scrolls
Prior to working on The Elder Scrolls series, Bethesda had worked predominantly with sports and action games. In the six years from its founding to Arena's 1994 release, Bethesda had released ten games, six of them sports games, with such titles as Hockey League Simulator, NCAA Basketball: Road to the Final Four ('91/'92 Edition), and Wayne Gretzky Hockey, and the remaining four adaptations from other media, primarily the Terminator series. Bethesda's course changed abruptly when it began its first action role-playing venture. Designer Ted Peterson recalls: "I remember talking to the guys at Sir-Tech who were doing Wizardry VII: Crusaders of the Dark Savant at the time, and them literally laughing at us for thinking we could do it." Ted Peterson worked alongside Vijay Lakshman as one of the initial designers of what was then simply Arena, a "medieval-style gladiator game."
Projection (linear algebra)
In linear algebra and functional analysis, a projection is a linear transformation P from a vector space to itself such that P 2 = P. That is, whenever P is applied twice to any value, it gives the same result as if it were applied once (idempotent). It leaves its image unchanged. Though abstract, this definition of "projection" formalizes and generalizes the idea of graphical projection. One can also consider the effect of a projection on a geometrical object by examining the effect of the projection on points in the object.
Simple example
Orthogonal projection
For example, the function which maps the point (x, y, z) in three-dimensional space R3 to the point (x, y, 0) is an orthogonal projection onto the x–y plane. This function is represented by the matrix
The action of this matrix on an arbitrary vector is
To see that P is indeed a projection, i.e., P = P2, we compute
Oblique projection
A simple example of a non-orthogonal (oblique) projection (for definition see below) is
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