he instruments you see here are like those from laboratories of scientists and physicians practicing in the late 18th century, when Shelley's novel takes place. The novel includes very little detail on Victor's experiments, in contrast to many of the Frankenstein movies. However, the work of historians tells us that Mary Shelley was familiar with the ideas of contemporary scientists and that she likely read popular science texts and even attended public science lectures and demonstrations. In fact, Victor's reanimation of a human corpse using electricity was scientifically plausible (or at least not totally implausible) in the view of some prominent scientists from Mary Shelley's time. Click on the instruments to learn more about the science of Victor Frankenstein's time.