Vladimir Vernadsky was born on February 12, 1863, in Saint Petersburg, Imperial Russia.
Vernadsky is generally regarded as the first and foremost researcher in biogeochemistry, the science that studies the interactions of organisms and minerals. He considered the interactions between human society, the environment, and the biosphere as a single complex process, which he called the noosphere.
He coined the term "biosphere", which he introduced in 1926. He introduced an understanding that the biosphere, far from being a fixed and unchanging film on the face of the Earth, is the very skin of our planet, its active membrane.
Vernadsky is one of the most widely and frequently quoted scientists in contemporary ecological writing, where his writings are often treated as foundational. His concepts of biosphere and noosphere have been extremely influential in developing contemporary understanding of the natural environment.
Vernadsky's work as a whole is characterized by its depth and scientific insight, by the breadth and variety of its research, by its historical dimension, and above all by its sense of the organic unity and evolution of the natural world and of the place of humanity in this world. His contribution to science is immense, embracing as it does geology, mineralogy, crystallography, geochemistry, biogeochemistry, radiogeology, hydrogeology, and the history of science.
In addition to his scientific contributions, Vladimir Vernadsky is considered one of the foremost representatives of cosmism, the philosophical worldview and movement that emerged in Russia in the late 19th century. Cosmism is based on the notion of the universe as a living, evolving entity and the belief that humanity and the Earth are interconnected and mutually interdependent.
Vernadsky's writings have had a profound influence on a wide range of fields, including science, philosophy, ecology, and environmental science. He is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential thinkers of the 20th century.