alkemien

Alkemien is a term used to describe a range of practices and ideas that connect traditional alchemy with modern chemistry and materials science. Not a single, standardized discipline, it appears in historical studies, speculative writing, and some esoteric movements. The word derives from alchemy (from Latin alchemia, Greek khēmeia) and uses the suffix -ien to form nouns in several languages.

Historically, alchemy pursued the transmutation of substances and the search for the philosopher's stone. In contemporary contexts, alkemi may refer to legitimate historical reconstructions of chymistry, experimental demonstrations of material transformations, or fictional or symbolic frameworks that explore transformation and creativity. Scholars emphasize that modern chemistry, not alchemical transmutation, explains observed changes.

In fiction and popular culture, alkemi is often depicted as a pseudoscientific art, a route to mastery over matter, or a metaphor for personal or societal change. The term's usage varies by culture and author; there is no universal definition.

Related topics include alchemy, chemistry, chymistry, and the portrayal of alchemy in literature and media.