Devin Katayama

In the middle of the 19th century, Ilya Ivanovich and his wife and children left St. Petersburg, Russia for the countryside.

It was here, on a little slice of land outside the main village, that they would welcome their fifth child into the world.

It was here, on a little slice of land outside the main village, that they would welcome their fifth child into the world.

It was here, on a little slice of land outside the main village, that they would welcome their fifth child into the world.

These descriptions of Eli Mechnikoff's early life are from the biography his wife, Olga, wrote about him.

These descriptions of Eli Mechnikoff's early life are from the biography his wife, Olga, wrote about him.

These descriptions of Eli Mechnikoff's early life are from the biography his wife, Olga, wrote about him.

This is Lina Zeldovich. She's currently a science and medical journalist in New York City. But she grew up in the former Soviet Union, where Eli Metchnikoff was a household name.

This is Lina Zeldovich. She's currently a science and medical journalist in New York City. But she grew up in the former Soviet Union, where Eli Metchnikoff was a household name.

This is Lina Zeldovich. She's currently a science and medical journalist in New York City. But she grew up in the former Soviet Union, where Eli Metchnikoff was a household name.

She remembers hearing about his famous discoveries the same way you might have learned about Albert Einstein's E equals MC squared.

She remembers hearing about his famous discoveries the same way you might have learned about Albert Einstein's E equals MC squared.

She remembers hearing about his famous discoveries the same way you might have learned about Albert Einstein's E equals MC squared.

Metchnikoff was born in a time and place when medicine was only just starting to modernize. The human body wasn't really understood, and diseases like cholera and typhoid were really scary. Many doctors still believed in bloodletting and would actually treat patients with toxic substances like mercury and lead. So medical care itself was basically synonymous with suffering.

Metchnikoff was born in a time and place when medicine was only just starting to modernize. The human body wasn't really understood, and diseases like cholera and typhoid were really scary. Many doctors still believed in bloodletting and would actually treat patients with toxic substances like mercury and lead. So medical care itself was basically synonymous with suffering.

Metchnikoff was born in a time and place when medicine was only just starting to modernize. The human body wasn't really understood, and diseases like cholera and typhoid were really scary. Many doctors still believed in bloodletting and would actually treat patients with toxic substances like mercury and lead. So medical care itself was basically synonymous with suffering.

So Metchnikoff grows up to become a zoologist, and he couldn't have picked a better time because when he was just 14 years old, a new theory rocked the scientific world. Charles Darwin's theory of evolution.

So Metchnikoff grows up to become a zoologist, and he couldn't have picked a better time because when he was just 14 years old, a new theory rocked the scientific world. Charles Darwin's theory of evolution.

So Metchnikoff grows up to become a zoologist, and he couldn't have picked a better time because when he was just 14 years old, a new theory rocked the scientific world. Charles Darwin's theory of evolution.

And he dedicated his early career to researching that theory.