That's a fantastic find. Interesting how some of these we now take for granted and some we shall likely never have. Modest ambitions too! My own todo list is a bit less interesting.

The one that jumped out to me as likely unattainable was "A Ship not to be Sunk", as much on the wishlist then as now and so much harder to achieve than to talk about that I think it will be forever beyond our reach. Oceans are fierce.

> Pleasing Dreams and Physicall Exercises by the Egyptian Electuary and by the Fungus mentioned by the French author.

anybody know what "the Egyptian Electuary" and "the Fungus mentioned by the French author" is? and who is the french author

"A Perpetual Light". There we have limitless options: photovoltaics, radioluminescence, piezoelectricity. And are even on the cusp of inertial containment of fusion reactions.

How astounding to be able to reach back in time and pluck out a Newton or a Boyle or a Faraday, and plop them onto a jet airplane ride in the early 21st century! Space exploration, quantum teleportation, time dilation, gene manipulation. The doctrinaire scientific orthodoxy of our day must appear absolutely heretical to their minds.

Seems like the fungus might do it:

"Potent Druggs to alter or Exalt Imagination, Waking, Memory, and other functions, and appease pain, procure innocent sleep, harmless dreams, etc." And "Pleasing Dreams and physicall Exercises exemplify’d by the Egyptian Electuary and by the Fungus mentioned by the French Author."

An excellent find.

Most of the rest I can understand, but this one has me stumped:

"The Attaining Gigantick Dimensions."

Are we talking large humans, turning people into giants? Did 'Gigantick' mean something different back then?

The Emulating of Fish without Engines by Custome and Education only.

Could someone explain what this means?

First on the list:

“The Prolongation of Life.”

He’d probably be disappointed that we’ve gained so much knowledge and have made no progress on this.