Assignment Problem:
Spontaneous Generation
From the time of the ancient Romans, through the Middle Ages, and until the late nineteenth century, it was generally accepted that some life forms arose spontaneously from non-living matter. Such "spontaneous generation" appeared to occur primarily in decaying matter. For example, a seventeenth century recipe for the spontaneous production of mice required placing sweaty underwear and wheat in an open-mouthed jar, then waiting for about 21 days, during which time it was alleged that the sweat from the underwear would penetrate the husks of wheat, creating mice.
Experiment:
The first serious attack on the idea of spontaneous generation was made in 1668 by Francesco Redi, an Italian physician and poet. At that time, it was widely held that maggots arose spontaneously in rotting meat. Redi believed that maggots developed from eggs laid by flies.
Place yourself in the role of Francesco Redi. Design an experiment that will test this idea. Remember, you are challenging an idea that has been accepted for hundreds of years! You must follow the scientific method closely, account for all variables, and carefully document your procedure to have a chance at disproving this theory!
State a hypothesis. Remember to include the variable you are testing and a prediction of the effects of this variable.
Write would be a step-by-step procedure for this experiment. Include an experimental group and a control group. Remember that every variable should be held constant between your two groups except the one you are testing. This even includes exposure to air!