Literature · 2

What scientific phenomenon, involving experiments that made dead frogs' legs twitch, is believed to have inspired the reanimation science in Mary Shelley's 'Frankenstein'?

Answer

Galvanism

Shelley had read about galvanism, the study of muscle contraction caused by electrical stimulation, popularized by experiments on frog legs by Luigi Galvani and later demonstrations on human corpses.

💡 Did you know?

Mary Shelley conceived Frankenstein during a ghost-story contest with Lord Byron and her husband, after reading about galvanism experiments on dead frogs.

Other options people guess

  • Mesmerism
  • Phrenology
  • Alchemy

Topics

  • frankenstein
  • mary-shelley
  • science-history
  • gothic-fiction

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