Paul Hoffman, celebrated geologist and a professor emeritus at Harvard University, was awarded the Kyoto Prize in Basic Sciences on November 11, 2024. This award is presented to individuals who have made significant contributions in the fields of science, technology, philosophy and the arts.
Dr. Hoffman’s groundbreaking work was in studying the snowball Earth hypothesis — the theory that proposes that in the past the Earth’s surface was nearly entirely frozen, with no liquid water exposed to the atmosphere. This theory was created to explain evidence that glaciers previously existed at sea level in what are now the warmest parts of the world.
As a teenager in the 1950’s, Dr Hoffman joined the Toronto Field Naturalists. In an interview with the Globe and Mail he said he gravitated towards the mineral collectors “because they went on field trips.”
Unfortunately, we don’t have records of where these field trips were or what they studied, but, as an organization, we can still be proud that we helped an intelligent and inquisitive boy with his start in studying geology.
To learn more about our Junior Naturalists program click here.