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Paul Ashcroft

Research student

Lancaster University

Bowland College

LA1 4YT

Lancaster

Research overview

My PhD concerns the rise of vitalism in the 17th and 18th century natural sciences and the intellectual connection to renaissance alchemy underpinning it. More broadly my research covers a number of topics within the Scientific Revolution such as the emergence of new scientific disciplines, the dissemination and promotion of new ideas amongst the scientific community, the integration and reformation of alchemical theories into new concepts and disciplines. Notable examples of these include the hybrid discipline of Chymistry and the Aether theories popularised in the works of Sir Isaac Newton.