Geology Reference
In-Depth Information
His deep religious faith and strong interest in natural philosophy greatly influenced how
he came to lay the foundation for modern geology. Raised in a Protestant stronghold of
biblical literalism, he later worked and lived in Catholic countries where allegorical inter-
pretations of the Bible were deeply rooted. His gradual migration south would change his
worldview and encourage his curious, wondering mind to think broadly.
At the age of eighteen, Steno enrolled at the University of Copenhagen to study medi-
cine. There he learned the supposed curative properties and medicinal virtues of crystals
and fossils such as tongue stones—rock-hard triangular objects with serrated edges. Prized
since ancient times, powdered tongue stones were thought to ward off evil or attract af-
fection and were commonly sold as cures for plague and bad breath. They could be found
scattered on bare ground after heavy rainstorms, and there were many theories of how they
formed. Some thought the strange objects fell from the sky. Others thought that they were
petrified lightning strikes. While tongue stones and fossils interested Steno, he loved ana-
tomy lessons involving the dissection of human bodies.
In 1659 Steno slipped out of Copenhagen, eluding the Swedish troops besieging the
city. After a brief stay in Amsterdam, he finished his medical training at the University of
Leiden. There his skill as an anatomist led him to the scientific discovery that made him
famous. Recreationally dissecting a sheep's head, he discovered the saliva duct. Until then
how saliva got to the mouth was a mystery. He went on to discover tear glands, disproving
the conventional wisdom that pain or grief squeezed tears from the brain.
Following his graduation in the winter of 1665, Steno came to Paris. There, he boldly
challenged Descartes' claim that the tiny pineal gland housed the human soul near the seat
of the brain. Steno's careful dissection of human brains disproved the great philosopher's
assertion that the nut-shaped gland twisted and pulled strings animating the human body.
Steno showed that the pineal gland was held fast and could not gyrate. He continued to
startle the scientific establishment in Paris when he then contributed significantly to under-
standing the workings of the human heart.
Now a scientific sensation, Steno was offered the position of physician to Ferdinand II,
Grand Duke of Tuscany. With this came access to the Accademia del Cimento (Academy
of Experiment), the first and only formal research lab of its day—founded by students of
Galileo and supported by the grand duke's deep pockets. Steno's journey to Florence car-
