A SQUIRM OF WORMS

Tapeworms are nasty little beasts. What if they came out of nowhere? For thousands of years, people had no idea where maggots and parasites came from. Curious people saw maggots wiggling on raw or rotten meat left out in the air—but how had they gotten there?

Without microscopes or powerful magnifying glasses, there was no way to see the tiny eggs that flies laid in meat, which developed into maggots; or the even tinier eggs of parasites.

Instead, teachers