Frankenstein drew on real 1800s debates about death and galvanic electricity

historyanalysisThe Public Domain Reviewearly 1800s · London, England

Frankenstein drew on real 1800s debates about death and galvanic electricity

the gist

In the early 1800s people were unsure where death ended, and the Royal Humane Society, founded in London in 1774, trained people to resuscitate drowning victims. Luigi Galvani had shown that electric sparks could make frog legs twitch, and his nephew Giovanni Aldini applied the idea to executed criminals. In 1803 he stimulated the body of George Forster, who had been convicted of murder, and observers reported an opened eye and moving limbs. Surgeons also argued over whether life was a separate vital principle or simply the working of the body's parts. Mary Shelley drew on these ideas when she imagined a creature brought to life.

how it works

Galvanism uses electric current to stimulate nerves and muscles, which contract when shocked. It does not restore life, but it can make a dead muscle move, which is what Aldini's demonstrations showed.

so what

Frankenstein draws on real anxieties about death, burial and electricity, which explains why the novel felt plausible to its first readers and still does.

the bigger pattern

Fear of premature burial was widespread in this period. A 1843 design for a life-preserving coffin included breathing holes and an easy-open lid for people who might be buried alive.

fun fact

Mary Shelley's mother, Mary Wollstonecraft, once leapt from Putney Bridge into the Thames.

Image: The Public Domain Review

source: The Public Domain Review ↗

historyWikipediaclassic1336–1565 · Karnataka, India

Hampi was once one of the world's largest cities, until its Vijayanagara capital was destroyed in 1565

the gist

Hampi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Karnataka, India, with more than 1,600 surviving remains spread over 4,100 hectares. It was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire from 1336 to 1565. Travellers from Persia and Portugal described it as a prosperous, wealthy and grand city with temples, markets and farms along the Tungabhadra River. By 1500 it was estimated to be the world's second-largest city after Beijing, and probably India's richest at the time. In 1565 a coalition of Muslim sultanates defeated the Vijayanagara Empire, its capital was conquered and destroyed, and the city was left in ruins. Hampi remains a religious centre, with the active Virupaksha Temple at its heart.

how it works

The city was built around a fortified core with temples, markets and water structures along the river, supplied by an extensive network of roads and waterworks. When the empire fell, the city was not rebuilt, so its stone monuments were left standing.

so what

Hampi shows how quickly a great city can vanish after a military defeat, and how a ruined capital can remain sacred. Its ruins give historians a view of medieval South Asia that few other sites can match.

fun fact

The name Hampi comes from Pampa, an old name for the Tungabhadra River.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia · text CC BY-SA 4.0

Image: Wikimedia Commons

source: Wikipedia ↗

2 min

politicsshortCNA2:01

False allegations about Singapore’s hand in Indonesia’s markets and a made-up meeting

from CNA

CNA Verify has found close to 400 posts pushing falsehoods tying Singapore to Indonesia’s stock market rout and to a secret meeting that never took place. Together, they drew nearly 12 million views, and some were circulated by accounts that appeared to be working in concert, across multiple social media platforms.

Here’s how the disinformation campaign targeting Singapore was uncovered.

on YouTube: CNA ↗