Aldini, Giovanni

About the author

Giovanni Aldini (1762–1834) was an Italian physicist and pioneer in electrical experimentation, remembered for his dramatic public demonstrations involving galvanism—an early study of bioelectricity. A nephew of Luigi Galvani, whose experiments on frog legs famously illustrated the concept of “animal electricity,” Aldini extended these investigations by applying electric currents to larger animals and even human cadavers. His high-profile exhibitions stirred public fascination and debate about the nature of life, the possibilities of revival, and the potential for medical breakthroughs. Although his theories on reanimation did not yield the precise outcomes he hoped, Aldini’s work spurred further inquiry into the relationship between electricity and biology, foreshadowing modern developments in electrophysiology, medical therapy, and neurology.