Luigi Galvani

Hello! My name is Luigi Galvani. I was born a long, long time ago, in the year 1737. When I was a boy, I was very curious. I loved looking at bugs, birds, and animals and wondering, 'How do they work?'. When I grew up, I became a doctor and a scientist because I wanted to help people and learn all about the secrets of the body.

One day, around the year 1780, I was studying a frog. It was a very quiet day in my laboratory. I had a special machine that could make little sparks, like tiny lightning bolts. My helper touched the frog’s leg with a metal tool at the exact same moment a spark jumped from the machine. Suddenly, the frog's leg kicked all by itself! It looked like it was dancing! We tried it again, and zzzap! The leg kicked again! It was a big, wiggly surprise.

I thought and thought about my dancing frog. I had an exciting new idea! What if animals had their own special electricity inside them? I called it 'animal electricity.' I believed this electricity helped their muscles move. My discovery was like finding a secret power that all animals have, including you and me!

I lived to be 61 years old and passed away in 1798. People remember me and my zappy frog because my discovery helped other scientists understand that our bodies use electricity to move and think. My curious question led to so many amazing answers!