The Net (substance) The Net (substance) The Net, in alchemy, is an alloy of copper and iron, whose crystal structure induces a network pattern on its surface. It was described in the 17th century by Sir Isaac Newton. Newton produced the substance by following what he regarded as a recipe, encoded in classical mythology, for part of the process of achieving the philosopher's stone. The relevant myth involved the god Vulcan finding his wife Venus (alchemical symbol for copper) in bed with the god Mars (alchemical symbol for iron) Newton's interpretation rested on typical alchemical associations, construing Vulcan as a stand-in for fire,
The Substance of Fire The Substance of Fire The Substance of Fire is a play by Jon Robin Baitz. Isaac Geldhart is a childhood survivor of the Holocaust. He arrived in New York City an orphan, reinvented himself as a bon vivant, married well, and found fame and fortune as a champion of authors who are passionate about their work rather than its best-seller potential. He is faced with a family-business conflict, the potential Japanese takeover of his increasingly insolvent firm. He must browbeat his three adult children, all principal stockholders whom he dismisses in varying degrees, into accepting his plan to publish a