What was the philosopher's stone?

Question

What was the philosopher's stone?

Answer 1

I thought it grants infinite knowledge.

Answer 2

It was a stone believed to grant eternal life and turn lead into gold.  

Answer 3

The philosopher's stone was a plant of rejuvenation. When the ancients would eat this plant they believed it would spiritually enhance their ability to think and give them eternal powers. The plant which Utnapishtim received from Enki and later gave to Gilgamesh was the philosopher's stone. The biblical tree of life was a tree which leaves grew herbs to prepare the philosopher's stone. It was simply medicines of the gods. The gods needed it mainly because when on our earth they would age twice the rate than if they were on their planet. It restored their age and this is where it was also called the plant of everlasting youth. It could be made into the forms of a solid or a liquid. It was also called white powder gold this name was given to it usually when it was in it's form. The word philosopher's stone is just a epic simile for 'rejuvenation' or the 'healing' plant. It was similar to weed only it was not smoked but eaten.

Answer 4

Issac Newton discovered a secret that the Greeks hid the chemical equations. It was hidden in the Greek mythology it self! I think it was fake gold. Check out this site http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/newton/prin...

Cool move to watch!

Answer 5

The philosopher's stone is the key element of alchemy (the ancestor of chemistry.)  It was composed of all elements and thought to turn lead into gold and grant longevity or even immortality.  The entire goal of alchemists was to create this sacred object, and many of them died in the attempt because they would usually test it on themselves, and it often contained poisonous elements such as mercury.  It was often thought to actually be a powder rather than a literal stone.  The only Alchemists thought to successfully make it were Nicholas Flamel and the pair of Dee and Kelley.

Answer 6

When held...the person could philosophize....

Answer 7

If you are referring to Harry Potter, the theory was that it could produce the elixir of life and the owner of the stone would have eternal life etc etc.  (But only so long as the stone was intact... they destroyed it in the end and 'Nicholas Flamel [the owner] died).

Also something happened at the end of the book where Harry had the stone and saw the 'truth' or something, but pretty sure that was to do with the mirror not the stone.  :)