author
James Croll
1821–1890
A self-taught Scottish scientist who rose from humble jobs to become one of the first thinkers to link ice ages with changes in Earth’s orbit. His ideas were controversial in his lifetime, but they helped lay the groundwork for modern climate science.
2 Audiobooks
About the author
Born in Perthshire in 1821, he had little formal schooling and educated himself through determined reading and study. Before gaining recognition in science, he worked in a striking variety of jobs, including millwright, shopkeeper, hotel keeper, and insurance salesman.
A turning point came when he worked at Anderson’s University in Glasgow, where access to books and scientific circles helped him develop his ideas. He became known for arguing that long-term climate shifts, including ice ages, were influenced by variations in Earth’s orbit and related astronomical factors.
His work brought him into the scientific mainstream, leading to a post with the Geological Survey of Scotland and election as a Fellow of the Royal Society. Though later researchers refined and extended his theories, he is now remembered as an important early pioneer in understanding the deep history of climate change.