People were coming up to me afterward, asking when would be the best time to come to Buffalo to see the map and what hotel should they stay at. I wouldn't be surprised if hundreds of geologists end up coming to Buffalo to see it. |
Smith could 'read' the rocks on the surface. He realized that it was not random, that earth's processes have a cycle and an order to them and that, for example, specific fossils are only in certain rocks. |
This map directly addresses the relationship of people to the natural world. It directly influenced the industrial revolution, geology, biology and evolution. It forced people to think about our place in the universe. |