Why we no longer believe in spontaneous generation?

Question

Why we no longer believe in spontaneous generation?

How does a hypothesis that is not supported by experimental data help scientists understand the natural world ?

Answer 1

3 scientists lead us not to believe in spontaneous generation.

1. In 1668, Redi made an experiment were he set out meat in a variety of flasks, some open to the air, some sealed completely, and others covered with gauze. As he had expected, maggots appeared only in the open flasks in which the flies could reach the meat and lay their eggs.
2. In 1745, Needham boiled chicken broth, put it into a flask, sealed it, and waited - sure enough, microorganisms grew. Needham claimed victory for spontaneous generation.
3. In 1859, Louis Pasteur boiled meat broth in a flask, heated the neck of the flask in a flame until it became pliable, and bent it into the shape of an S. Air could enter the flask, but airborne microorganisms could not - they would settle by gravity in the neck. As Pasteur had expected, no microorganisms grew. When Pasteur tilted the flask so that the broth reached the lowest point in the neck, where any airborne particles would have settled, the broth rapidly became cloudy with life. Pasteur had both refuted the theory of spontaneous generation and convincingly demonstrated that microorganisms are everywhere - even in the air.

Answer 2

Scientists now know that matter cannot be created or destroyed. People used to believe in spontaneous generation because flies seem to spring up from discarded food, but scientists have proven this superstition false.

Answer 3

Sometimes hypothesis that are a bit reaching can be beneficial. They make people think outside the box. Remember, they used to dream of lights that had no flame that one could control with the flip of a switch. The dreamers wished for a machine that could make them fly. They wanted to talk over long distances instantly. They wanted to be able to control their environment in their homes. All were outlandish ideas once upon a time.