One hundred years ago, on January 6th, 1912, on of my favorite scientists, Alfred Wegener, presented his idea of continental drift to the public for the first time. Like many huge scientific discoveries, the initial idea was brilliant (and scoffed at), but the mechanics of it were not what they appeared. Through decades of exploration and research, Wegener's idea has been put into it's proper "context" and is now seen as the foundation for modern Plate Tectonics Theory. Even though his idea of what drove plate tectonics was flawed, Wegener's ideas opened a window into our understanding of seismology and vulcanology. It has helped explain many variables in paleontology, anthropology and the history of our planet, both ancient and recent. It even aides our understanding of other planets in our solar system.
