The past history of our globe must be explained by what can be seen to be happening now. No powers are to be employed that are not natural to the globe, no action to be admitted except those of which we know the principle.

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At Glen Tilt in the Cairngorm mountains in the Scottish Highlands in 1785 Hutton found granite penetrating metamorphic schists in a way which indicated that the granite had been molten at the time. Continuing along the coast they made more discoveries including sections of the vertical beds showing strong ripple marks which gave Hutton "great satisfaction" as a confirmation of his supposition that these beds had been laid horizontally in water. would be those who would remain to preserve themselves and to continue the race".

He is also credited as the first scientist to publicly express the Earth was alive and should be considered a superorganism. James Hutton FRSE (3 June 1726 OS (14 June 1726 NS) – 26 March 1797) was a Scottish physician geologist naturalist chemical manufacturer and experimental agriculturalist. His work helped to establish the basis of modern geology.