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The most groundbreaking scientist you've never heard of - Addison Anderson

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Seventeenth-century Danish geologist Nicolas Steno earned his chops at a young age, studying cadavers and drawing anatomic connections between species. Steno made outsized contributions to the field of geology, influencing Charles Lyell, James Hutton and Charles Darwin. Addison Anderson recounts Steno’s little-known legacy and lauds his insistence on empiricism over blind theory.

Imagine the following multilayered rock face: the rock layers’ colors correspond with each other on both sides of a fault, but the layers west of the fault are 2 feet higher than the east side’s layers, which are tilted 30 degrees. Which of the following was the first thing to happen after the layers were laid down horizontally?

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TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »

Meet The Creators

  • Educator Addison Anderson
  • Animator Anton Bogaty
  • Narrator Addison Anderson

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