James Hutton was a Scottish scientist born in 1726. Before he became famous for his work in geology, he tried many different careers! He started as a farmer, then became a lawyer, and even worked as a businessman. But his true passion was exploring the world around him, especially rocks and land. Hutton noticed that the Earth was always changing, and he wanted to understand how. He is best known for his idea that the Earth is very old and that rocks are formed over millions of years through processes like erosion and volcanic activity. This was a big deal because many people at the time thought the Earth was much younger! Hutton believed that studying layers of rock could tell us about the Earth’s history. His work laid the foundation for geology, which is the study of the Earth’s structure and processes. Because of him, scientists today understand how mountains are formed and how fossils can show us what life was like long ago. Hutton’s curiosity and discoveries help us learn more about our planet every day!
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