The Francesco Redi reference article from the English Wikipedia on 24-Jul-2004 (provided by Fixed Reference: snapshots of Wikipedia from wikipedia.org)

Francesco Redi

Francesco Redi (February 18/19, 1626 - March 1, 1697) was a physician born in Arezzo, Italy. He is most well-known for his experiment in 1668 which is regarded as a one of the first steps in refuting abiogenesis. At the time, prevailing wisdom was that maggots formed naturally from rotting meat. In the experiment, Redi covered a piece of meat with a net that prevented flies from reaching it. When maggots did not appear on the meat, it was a sign that abiogenesis was wrong.

Redi was also a poet, his best known work being Bacchus in Tuscany.

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