As a young man, he wanted nothing more than to discover the fabled elixir of life. However, as he grew older, his interests turned to science after seeing the remains of a tree struck by lightning. Attending college, he began to learn chemistry and soon became obsessed with the idea of bringing inanimate matter to life, through artificial means. He began to create a humanoid creature, eager to see if he could bring it to life.

Sound familiar? That’s because the young man is Victor Frankenstein. But would you believe it if I told you that there once was a real man, who tried to do the same?