FALL 2023 9
PA Enrichment Grants
the 16th century, Emperor Rudolph II,
whose base was in Prague, established
an alchemical library and invited many
famous alchemists to work there
under his patronage. Despite his
support, alchemists faced persecution
from some Christian groups who
believed their work was about magic spells and
the occult. I was very curious to visit this museum
because alchemy is an ancient philosophical and
proto-scientific tradition that historically existed
in India, China, the Muslim world, and Europe.
Alchemists believed that all matter consisted of the
same five elements (earth, air, fire, water, and ether)
in different arrangements and proportions. Alchemy
consisted of altering the proportions of these
elements to make desired substances. According to
this idea of matter, every chemical reaction was a
transmutation. Transmutation is a change in which
one type of matter becomes another. For instance,
alchemists believed that lead's transmutation would
lead to the formation of gold.
After Prague, I visited the German Monk Gregor
Mendel's Monastery in Brno, Czechia. He is one of
my favorite scientists. After completing his daily
duties in the monastery, he conducted the famous
pea experiments that kick-started modern genetics
study. This monastery is still functioning, and the
original papers of his treatise still exist for all to read.
No science trip would be complete without a
stop at the Max Planck Society in Berlin which
was established in 1911 as the Kaiser Wilhelm
Society for the Advancement of Science. Here, new
sciences were developed, such as biochemistry,
physical chemistry, genetics, microbiology,
non-Mendelian genetics, nuclear physics (first
successful fission experiment), inorganic chemistry,
biophysics, and more.
However, there is a dark side to the history of the
Max Planck Institute: scientists participated in
the crimes of the Third Reich by justifying them
scientifically. This resulted in the deaths of millions
of Jewish and Roma people. Currently, the research
institute is bringing their horrific immoral history
to light so this does not happen again.
I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to the PA
Grant Committee for granting me this opportunity.
It was truly awe-inspiring to tread the same paths
and explore the laboratories once frequented by
brilliant minds.
Each summer, the Parents
Association sponsors grants intended
to help professional staff engage in
studies or travel that enriches their
curriculum. The PA Enrichment Grant
Committee was pleased to select
seven recipients to receive grants for
travel during the summer of 2023.
DANIEL DEEPAK, Grade 6-8 Science & Coding Teacher
Visiting the laboratories in Prague, Brno, and the
Dahlem district brought back memories of my
grandfather's chemistry lab. My grandfather, Hari
Krishna Srinivas, ran a chemistry lab in Rangoon
(now Yangon) in Burma (now Myanmar) where
he used Ayurveda, Indian medicinal system, and
modern pharmacological practices to produce
medication for both cure and prevention. When I got
to the Museum of Alchemy in Prague, I could feel the
excitement of the early alchemists who were trying
to find ways to heal broken hearts and prolong
people’s lives.
The Museum of Alchemy in Prague is in the old
Jewish quarter of Prague. Built in 300 AD, it has
a secret door in a bookcase leading to the labs of
the alchemists and an underground passageway
to King Rudolph’s castle. In their labs, they made
elixirs for eternal youth, love, and memory; the old
Jewish quarter was a haven for them to practice. In