I love it when a forgotten human story ties in with a great scientific advance. The labours of the canal-digger William Smith to create the world's first scientific geological map certainly fit that category. Defying the belief that the layers were the work of God, Smith's life's-work was on the science of stratigraphy but his great achievements were at first snubbed then stolen by the Royal Geological Society before recognition arrived in his dotage.
(Clive Yelf - bwl 44 February 2008 ) |
