Hutton Highlights, September 2019

Contact Tel: +44 (0) 344 928 5428 Fax: + 44 (0) 344 928 5429 info@ h utton.ac.uk www. h utton.ac.uk Contact Tel: +44 (0) 344 928 5428 Fax: +44 (0) 344 928 5429 info@hutton.ac.uk www.hutton.ac.uk Funded by: In 2020 a new, more expansive and human biography of James Hutton is due to hit the bookshelves, from author Alan McKirdy and NMS Publishing. The subtitle ‘Scotland’s forgotten genius’ alludes to the relative obscurity of the man whose numerous innovations in agriculture and science in addition to his revolutionary theories on the age of Earth and geology should have established him as a household name like John Logie Baird or Alexander Fleming. The book will look in broader terms at what he did during his life, why, and how his many discoveries and ideas not only link to one another but to modern practices and concepts. How was he able to work across such a broad range of subjects? Why did he die without a Will? How come he had no gravestone? And how come someone who achieved so much was and is remembered so faintly? In answering those questions and ‘colouring in’ some of the remarkable contemporary context for Hutton’s life and work, it’s hoped that his contributions and his impact will become much more widely appreciated and that his recognition and reputation grow accordingly, ahead of his 300 year anniversary in 2026. James Hutton: Scotland’s forgotten genius