Does alchemy still exist in Starfinder, and is it considered magic?

[RiverMesa]

So, alchemy - a staple in fantasy, almost unheard of in sci-fi, where, well, science and its more modern and futuristic counterparts (modern medicinals and drugs and biotech and whatnot) tend to reign supreme.

However, between lower-tech worlds that might not have access to (or taboos against) modern medicine, occult-inclined groups and individuals, and being a subject of study to pre-Gap researchers, surely alchemy must still exist in some capacity in the Starfinder days, even if we don't really have any rules options or almost any mentions of it, other than the Mysticism skill description implying that alchemical theory is a thing you might want to roll for. (And possibly serums and spell ampoules.)

Now, another thing is that in Pathfinder, the treatment of alchemy shifted between game editions - it was a magical thing in PF1, akin to how it is in D&D, but shifted to its own, distinctly nonmagical thing in PF2.

And Starfinder just so happened to come out between those two games, and never established its position on what to treat alchemy as.

So, alchemy, what's the deal with it in SF?

[Zwordsman]

Hm. I feel like in SF Alchemy is the basis of Magical Technology in that world. Its basically always been (to some extent) "Science of magic"

Kind of it got further developed, which eventually became magitech I think.

No proof of that as such. But there is so much science that is minor magic, and minor magic invovled in science (biohacker anyone?).
I feel like that is what it became, basic every day magitech and daily life magic basically

[WatersLethe]

I agree that alchemy is almost definitely the precursor of magitech.

[UnArcaneElection]

Not only that, but to a decent extent alchemy is a precursor to modern chemistry (and thereby much of the rest of technology) here on Earth. So it would be no surprise that magical alchemy would be a precursor to modern magitech in the Pact Worlds.

[CorvusMask]

Would be really interesting to see lore explore what alchemy evolved into in this universe yeah :O In real life it is sort of misguided predecessor to chemistry, but in Starfinder/Pathfinder alchemy actually worked(through whatever supernatural forces allow that) so would be interesting to see what is legacy of alchemy in Starfinder

[Dragonchess Player]

The biohacker is (sort of, through a glass darkly) a Starfinder version of a Pathfinder alchemist, with biohack boosters/inhibitors instead of mutagens/bombs (debuffs instead of damage).

[Zwordsman]

UPB's mechanicas always kind of made me think of Alchemy. As it converts mmost freely to almost anything. It is very reminicent of a completed philospher stone concept. That was done long ago, and is now more common place.