1726-1797

Scottish Geologist and Chemist

James Hutton was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1726. There was no early indication that this quiet, modest boy would achieve worldwide renown and secure his place in history as "the father of modern geology." With no corroborating data or earlier research to support his conclusions, his personal observations generated the concept of the "rock cycle," which—in three stages—shows that the matter of which rocks are made is never created or destroyed. It simply is redistributed and transformed from one type to another in an eternal recycling manner. This principle, called "uniformitarianism," is one of the foundations of modern geology.

This futuristic thinking matured over many years of study and field work that began when Hutton attended the University of Edinburgh, initially to study the law. He soon abandoned this pursuit for medicine and studied in both Paris, France, and...