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The Nine Unknown By Talbot Mundy

The Nine Unknown is a concept from a 1923 novel by Talbot Mundy, in which the titular group is a secret society founded by the Indian Emperor Ashoka in 273 BCE to preserve and develop knowledge that would be dangerous if it fell into the wrong hands. The novel describes the Nine Unknown as possessing knowledge in propaganda, microbiology, and psychology.


The nine people who were supposed to be the members of this secret society were :


The First: Propaganda and Psychological warfare

The Second: Physiology and Medicine

The Third: Alchemy and The transmutation of metals

The Fourth: Microbiology and Biochemistry

The Fifth: Communications and Cryptography

The Sixth: Gravitation and Cosmology

The Seventh: Light and Electricity

The Eighth: Sociology and Economics

The Ninth: Cosmogony and The secret of life



Emperor Ashoka



From around 268 to 232 BCE, Ashoka, an Indian emperor of the Maurya Dynasty, governed nearly the entire Indian subcontinent. He is considered one of the greatest rulers in Indian history and is known for his policies of nonviolence, religious tolerance, and patronage of Buddhism. Ashoka came to power after a bloody war to expand his empire, but he later renounced violence and adopted Buddhism as his personal faith. He is famous for his rock and pillar edicts, which spread his moral and ethical message throughout his empire and beyond. He is also known for the creation of hospitals, rest houses, and the building of roads and public works. Ashoka's rule marked a significant turning point in Indian history and had a lasting impact on the development of Buddhism and the spread of its teachings.




What are Propaganda and Psychology?


Propaganda is the dissemination of information, ideas, or beliefs to influence or manipulate the attitudes and behavior of a group of people. It is often used to promote a particular political agenda or ideology and can take many forms such as speeches, posters, films, and social media posts.


Psychological warfare, also known as psychological operations, is the use of psychological tactics to influence the behavior and attitudes of enemy combatants or civilians. This can include the use of propaganda, as well as other techniques such as misinformation, deception, and manipulation of emotions.



What are Physiology and Medicine?


Physiology is the study of living organisms' functions and processes, including how their cells, tissues, and organs work to maintain life. It is a branch of biology that deals with the mechanical, physical, and biochemical functions of living organisms.


Medicine is the study and practice of diagnosing, treating, and preventing diseases and injuries. It is a profession that involves the application of scientific knowledge to the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of illness and injury.



What are Alchemy and The transmutation of metals?


Alchemy is a philosophical and proto-scientific tradition that aimed to transform base metals into gold and to discover the panacea, and the elixir of life. The phrase "the art of perfecting nature" or "the art of transforming base metal into gold" have also been used to describe it. It is an ancient practice that originated in the Middle East and Egypt and later spread to Europe and Asia.


Transmutation of metals refers to the process of changing one metal into another through chemical means. This is one of the key goals of alchemy. Alchemists believed that by using a combination of heat, chemicals, and other techniques, it was possible to change a base metal into a more valuable one like gold or silver.



What are Microbiology and Biochemistry?


Microbiology is the study of microorganisms, which are tiny living organisms that include bacteria, viruses, fungi, and protozoa. Microbiologists study the growth, structure, function, and interaction of these microorganisms and their impact on the environment and human health.


The study of the chemical reactions that take place inside living things is known as biochemistry. It combines the principles of biology with those of chemistry to understand how molecules within cells work together to carry out essential functions such as metabolism, growth, and reproduction.



What are Communications and Cryptography?


Communication is the exchange of information or ideas through various means, such as speech, writing, or electronic signals. This can include forms of communication such as telephones, computers, and the internet.


Cryptography is the practice of securing communications by transforming plain text into a code to prevent unauthorized access. This can include techniques such as encryption, which uses mathematical algorithms to scramble the information so that it can only be read by someone with the correct key or decryption method. Cryptography is used in various applications such as computer security, internet communications, and military communications.



What are Gravitation and Cosmology?


The force that pulls objects toward the center of a planet or other body is known as gravitation. The gravitational pull of the sun keeps every planet in its orbit around it. It is also the force that causes physical objects to fall to the ground when dropped. The study of gravitation is known as gravitation physics or simply gravity.


Cosmology is the branch of astronomy that deals with the study of the origin, structure, and evolution of the universe. It encompasses the study of the physical and chemical properties of the universe, as well as its overall structure, formation, and development over time. Cosmologists study the properties of galaxies, stars, and other objects in the universe, as well as the fundamental laws that govern their behavior.



What are Light and Electricity?


The electromagnetic radiation known as light is visible to the human eye. It is a fundamental phenomenon of physics and plays a key role in many natural processes such as photosynthesis, vision, and the circadian rhythm. The study of light and its properties is known as optics.


Electricity is the flow of electric charge through a conductor such as a wire. It is a fundamental form of energy and is used in a wide range of applications, including powering homes and businesses, running machines, and transporting information through electronic devices. The study of electricity, its properties, and how it can be harnessed to perform work is known as electrical engineering.



What are Sociology and Economics?


The study of human social behavior, connections, and institutions is known as sociology. It covers a wide range of topics, including social stratification, class, race and gender relations, social mobility, religion, and the functioning of organizations and institutions.


Economics is the study of how people and societies allocate scarce resources to meet their wants and needs. It examines how individuals, businesses, and governments make decisions about how to use resources, and how these decisions affect the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services.



What are Cosmogony and The secret of life?


The study of the universe's creation and evolution is known as cosmology. It is a branch of science that deals with the question of how the universe came to be and how it evolved to its current state. It encompasses various theories and models on the origin of the universe such as the big bang theory, the steady state theory, and the oscillating universe theory.


The Secret of Life is a term that refers to the underlying principle or mechanism that governs the phenomena of life. The nature of life and its origins have been the subject of much speculation, scientific inquiry, and philosophical debate over the centuries.



Similarities between Illuminati and The Nine Unknown



Both are said to be secret societies that possess knowledge that is kept hidden from the general population. Both groups are also often associated with conspiracy theories, with some people believing that they have a hidden agenda and are working towards some sort of global control.

The goals, origins, and activities of the two groups are vastly different. The Nine Unknown is said to have been created to preserve the knowledge that would be too dangerous for the general population, while the Illuminati was originally a group of freethinkers who were critical of the Catholic Church and the nobility.