Francesco Redi (
1626 -
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.
