Life and achievements
Early life
Nicolaus Steno was born Niels Stensen on January 1, 1638, in Copenhagen, Denmark, to a Lutheran family. His father was a goldsmith in the service of the Danish king, and his childhood and the love of learning characterized his youth. He spent most of his time in isolation. But during this time, he developed a passion for reading and observing the natural environment. His father died in 1644, and his mother remarried, thus giving young Steno a good family life during the Swedish invasion of Denmark and the plague in Copenhagen.
Steno was admitted to the University of Copenhagen in 1656 to study medicine, and the university and its professors quickly noted his intelligence and dedication to the study of anatomy. He went on to study under Thomas Bartholin, who was an anatomist. Through him, he was able to learn about empirical observation to come up with theories. These early years helped him develop his critical thinking towards the natural sciences.
Legacy
Steno’s contribution to the scientific community and the religious sector cannot be overemphasized, as it covers several fields. His contributions to geology and paleontology, including the law of superposition and the principle of original horizontality, revolutionized the way we looked at the history of the Earth and formed the basis of the science of geology. These principles provided a definite way of identifying how the layers of sediment and rock could be employed in the formation of the Earth’s history. Steno’s skills in integrating practical observation with the theoretical approach placed him in a vantage position to lay the foundation for the study of stratigraphy. His works are still relevant to understanding the Earth’s geological history.
Although he abandoned science for religion, Steno’s scientific work influenced generations of geologists, paleontologists, and anatomists. His views on nature were radical, as he based them on observations rather than on the traditions of the time, which was a breakthrough in the creation of contemporary science. Steno’s approach to observing, recording, and theorizing about the natural world was a blueprint for future scientists. His scientific papers, especially De Solido Intra Solidum (1669), are considered the basis of stratigraphy and are still used in geological education.
Steno was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1988 and is regarded as both a scientist and a religious person. He has harmonized the two different domains of religion and reason, becoming an icon of both faith and academic rigor.
Milestone moments
Oct 24, 1666
Shark Dissection and Fossil Discovery: The Discovery of the Shark and Fossils
In October 1666, two fishermen caught a giant female shark near Livorno in Italy, and the Grand Duke Ferdinand II ordered to send the head of the shark to Nicolaus Steno.
This event would become one of the most significant events in Steno’s career and would take him into paleontology.
While dissecting the shark, Steno observed that the teeth of the shark resembled stones called ‘glossopetrae’ or ‘tongue stones’, which were found in rocks.
Before Steno made his discoveries, earlier philosophers used to think that these stones were formed either from the sky or from within rocks, but Steno gave a different account.
Mar 13, 1669
Release of the work entitled “De Solido Intra Solidum”
Steno published his famous work De Solido Intra Solidum Naturaliter Contento in 1669, in which he described his ideas regarding the formation of rock layers and fossils.
This work was a turning point in the study of geology as Steno laid down some of the essential principles of geology, including the law of superposition, the principle of original horizontality and the principle of lateral continuity.
Steno’s law of superposition, which states that in any sequence of rocks, the lowest layer is the oldest, became a fundamental principle of modern stratigraphy.
Apr 17, 1675
Becoming an Ordained Catholic Priest
Steno was baptized a Catholic in 1667, and from this time onwards, he devoted less attention to scientific activities and more to religious ones.
In 1675, he was ordained as a Catholic priest in Florence, and this was one of the most significant changes in his life.
This event marked the beginning of Steno’s withdrawal from scientific activities as he devoted his time to theology and religious duties.
Aug 22, 1677
The appointment as Vicar Apostolic of Nordic Missions
On August 15, 1677, Pope Innocent XI appointed Nicolaus Steno as Vicar Apostolic of the Nordic Missions.
This very significant position required him to coordinate the activities of the Catholic Church in Denmark, Norway and parts of Germany.
This appointment was a great challenge as Steno was to provide spiritual leadership to the Catholics, who were a minority and, at times, oppressed in these mainly Protestant territories.