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Bursting the Limits of Time: The Reconstruction of Geohistory in the Age of Revolution
During a revolution of discovery in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, geologists reconstructed the immensely long history of the earth—and the relatively recent arrival of human life. Bursting the Limits of Time is a herculean effort by one of the world's foremost experts on the history of geology and paleontology to illuminate this scientific breakthrough that radically altered existing perceptions of a human's place in the universe as much as the theories of Copernicus and Darwin did.
Rudwick examines here the ideas and practices of earth scientists throughout the Western world to show how the story of what we now call "deep time" was pieced together. He explores who was responsible for the discovery of the earth's history, refutes the concept of a rift between science and religion in dating the earth, and details how the study of the history of the earth helped define a new branch of science called geology.
Bursting the Limits of Time is the first detailed account of this monumental phase in the history of science.
“ Bursting the Limits of Time is a massive work and is quite simply a masterpiece of science history. . . . The book should be obligatory for every geology and history of science library, and is a highly recommended companion for every civilized geologist who can carry an extra 2.4 kg in his rucksack.”—Stephen Moorbath, Nature
Rudwick examines here the ideas and practices of earth scientists throughout the Western world to show how the story of what we now call "deep time" was pieced together. He explores who was responsible for the discovery of the earth's history, refutes the concept of a rift between science and religion in dating the earth, and details how the study of the history of the earth helped define a new branch of science called geology.
Bursting the Limits of Time is the first detailed account of this monumental phase in the history of science.
“ Bursting the Limits of Time is a massive work and is quite simply a masterpiece of science history. . . . The book should be obligatory for every geology and history of science library, and is a highly recommended companion for every civilized geologist who can carry an extra 2.4 kg in his rucksack.”—Stephen Moorbath, Nature
732 pages, Paperback
First published November 15, 2005
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About the author
Martin J.S. Rudwick
10 books10 followersMartin John Spencer Rudwick is a British geologist, historian, and academic. He is an emeritus professor of History at the University of California, San Diego and an affiliated research scholar at Cambridge University's Department of History and Philosophy of Science.
His principal field of study is the history of the earth sciences; his work has been described as the "definitive histories of the pre-Darwinian earth sciences".
Rudwick was awarded the Sue Tyler Friedman Medal in 1988. In 2008, he was elected a Fellow of the British Academy (FBA). He was the recipient of the 2007 George Sarton Medal from the History of Science Society.
His principal field of study is the history of the earth sciences; his work has been described as the "definitive histories of the pre-Darwinian earth sciences".
Rudwick was awarded the Sue Tyler Friedman Medal in 1988. In 2008, he was elected a Fellow of the British Academy (FBA). He was the recipient of the 2007 George Sarton Medal from the History of Science Society.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
July 1, 2008
Bursting the Limits of Time is a rather large book focusing on a rather narrow topic--the development of the science of geology between the years 1789-1823. Beginning with Saussure's ascent of Mont Blanc and ending with Buckland's reconstruction of the geohistory of Kirkdale cave, Rudwick maps out the paradigmatic shifts that occurred throughout the European intellectual community that lead to the development of geology as a recognizable science. The book is divided into synchronic and diachronic halves. The first part of the book describes the existing "earth studies" that existed in 1789, including mineralogy, physical geography, geognosy (the study of underground structures), and earth physics. Rudwick carefully describes the methodology and goals of each of these fields of study. The second half of the book focuses on how these four different types of investigations morphed and combined into an earth science that could be properly called geology. Rudwick works to avoid anachronism in his discussions. For instance, those investigating these various earth sciences prior to the rise of geology are referred to as 'savants' not 'scientists.' Rudwick appears to have a particular problem with other historians simplifying the religion versus science debates of the day and often accuses other historians of projecting modern fundamentalist beliefs onto historical figures.
There are numerous interesting tidbits throughout the book. Extinction was not a phenomenon recognized by many intellectuals of the time. For instance, Thomas Jefferson believed that the fossils referred to as the Ohio animal (now recognized as a mastodon) might be the remains of animals still roaming wild in the unexplored parts of the American continent. Fossils themselves were typically studied by mineralogists--since they were a type of stone--and not commonly studied by biologists. Overall, Bursting the Limits of Time is an interesting book to anyone interested in the history of ideas or science. A knowledge of geology or the history of geology is helpful but not required.
There are numerous interesting tidbits throughout the book. Extinction was not a phenomenon recognized by many intellectuals of the time. For instance, Thomas Jefferson believed that the fossils referred to as the Ohio animal (now recognized as a mastodon) might be the remains of animals still roaming wild in the unexplored parts of the American continent. Fossils themselves were typically studied by mineralogists--since they were a type of stone--and not commonly studied by biologists. Overall, Bursting the Limits of Time is an interesting book to anyone interested in the history of ideas or science. A knowledge of geology or the history of geology is helpful but not required.
February 4, 2015
This is a very well-researched (original scholarship) and detailed account of the origins of geology as a historical science between the late 1780s and the mid 1820s, by one of the foremost modern historians of geology. I found it extremely interesting.
The book is divided into two almost equal parts; the first part describes the earth sciences of circa 1789; the second part is a historical narrative which follows the development of those sciences and their synthesis in the new science of geology, as a science of the history of the earth (as opposed to a descriptive science of the structure of the earth at the present time.)
The author, Martin Rudwick, is a Christian, and has an axe to grind: one of his theses is that the historical nature of geology was derived from Christian Biblical traditions, in opposition to the "ahistorical" deists. This is notable mainly in the introduction and early chapters, especially in his unconcealed hostility to Hutton and his strong emphasis on the "Noachian Flood" theories of De Luc. But once Rudwick gets to Cuvier, the center and obvious "hero" of his narrative, the Christian bias is not really intrusive.
There is a sequel, Worlds Before Adam, which brings the story from ca 1825 (the second edition of Cuvier's book of fossils) to the middle of the century, just before Darwin's Origin of Species, when geology assumed more or less the form it had up until the plate-tectonic revolution of the 1960s.
The book is divided into two almost equal parts; the first part describes the earth sciences of circa 1789; the second part is a historical narrative which follows the development of those sciences and their synthesis in the new science of geology, as a science of the history of the earth (as opposed to a descriptive science of the structure of the earth at the present time.)
The author, Martin Rudwick, is a Christian, and has an axe to grind: one of his theses is that the historical nature of geology was derived from Christian Biblical traditions, in opposition to the "ahistorical" deists. This is notable mainly in the introduction and early chapters, especially in his unconcealed hostility to Hutton and his strong emphasis on the "Noachian Flood" theories of De Luc. But once Rudwick gets to Cuvier, the center and obvious "hero" of his narrative, the Christian bias is not really intrusive.
There is a sequel, Worlds Before Adam, which brings the story from ca 1825 (the second edition of Cuvier's book of fossils) to the middle of the century, just before Darwin's Origin of Species, when geology assumed more or less the form it had up until the plate-tectonic revolution of the 1960s.
May 29, 2022
This lengthy book was a summary of knowledge which is usually found as footnotes in textbooks. It gave it a really interesting angle on geohistory and different approaches to solve the problem related to it.
January 22, 2024
Bursting the Limits of Time is not for the general reader and hardly for anyone else who is not an earth scientist interested in the origins of geology as a science. Rated five stars for those scientists.
Getting geology up and running was a difficult process comprising maybe 50 years, say 1775 to 1825. Prior consensus aligned with Biblical stories.
From identifying different widespread layers within the earth, the observation of fossils of extinct (and present-day) animals, recognizing their association in time with those strata, and by observing results of present and past geological processes at work on the surface, early researchers gradually discovered that there were past historical epochs spanning millions of years (bursting the limits of time) . They saw that Earth's geology is not static nor a strictly repeating process but rather a contingent one, with geological formations and life forms ever arising and disappearing forever.
This is an excellent exposition of how science advances: people both assisting and competing with one another look at data, form hypotheses, find more data for confirmation or refutation of those ideas, form better hypotheses, and so on.
Our current knowledge of the Earth and its history is one of the finest gifts of science to interested people living today.
For the general reader, you may do well to check out Annals of the Former World by John McPhee. It's primarily about US geology, but you learn about processes in action the world over. It's an easy read. It won a Pulitzer, but don't let that dissuade you. He is a writer who crossed the US east to west and spoke with local geologists all along the way. This must be the most entertaining way to learn some interesting geology. Archiv.org has it for free.
Getting geology up and running was a difficult process comprising maybe 50 years, say 1775 to 1825. Prior consensus aligned with Biblical stories.
From identifying different widespread layers within the earth, the observation of fossils of extinct (and present-day) animals, recognizing their association in time with those strata, and by observing results of present and past geological processes at work on the surface, early researchers gradually discovered that there were past historical epochs spanning millions of years (bursting the limits of time) . They saw that Earth's geology is not static nor a strictly repeating process but rather a contingent one, with geological formations and life forms ever arising and disappearing forever.
This is an excellent exposition of how science advances: people both assisting and competing with one another look at data, form hypotheses, find more data for confirmation or refutation of those ideas, form better hypotheses, and so on.
Our current knowledge of the Earth and its history is one of the finest gifts of science to interested people living today.
For the general reader, you may do well to check out Annals of the Former World by John McPhee. It's primarily about US geology, but you learn about processes in action the world over. It's an easy read. It won a Pulitzer, but don't let that dissuade you. He is a writer who crossed the US east to west and spoke with local geologists all along the way. This must be the most entertaining way to learn some interesting geology. Archiv.org has it for free.
February 17, 2019
The history of science is akin to the history of knowledge, and geographical historian Professor Martin Rudwick's work on the growing awareness of the great age of the planet and how it could be described in the rock and fossil remains during the late 18th and early 19th century is not to be missed for those of you who enjoy the rise of science and the decline of ignorance, at least in Europe, where this particular enlightenment took place. Be warned! The book is long, dense, richly illustrated and highly detailed, so it isn't what you'd call a light read. But it will reward the faithful reader with a fascinating portrait of what science and scientists (they weren't called that, but rather "savants") at the beginning of the modern era. First rate.
September 22, 2009
This book has a lot of information, but the author is very verbose and seems to repeat a lot of the information.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews