Boeck grew up at
Kongsberg in
Buskerud where his father worked for the
Kongsberg Silver Mines. From 1817 he studied natural science and medicine at the Royal Frederick University (now
University of Oslo). After his medical studies he traveled in Europe accompanied by
Niels Henrik Abel and
Baltazar Mathias Keilhau. In 1820, he made a
botanically motivated expedition to
Jotunheimen, with a launch point from the farm of Skrebergo in Slidre (in what is now
Øystre Slidre Municipality), where he had studied years before. This trip, which he undertook together with Keilhau, resulted in the
first ascent of
Kalvehøgde (12 July 1820),
Falketind (14 July 1820) and
Nordre Skagastølstind (July 1820) and the exploration of some lakes. Later, the expedition became known as the Jotunheimen discovery (
Jotunheimens oppdagelse). He worked as a
lecturer in
Veterinary science at the faculty of medicine in the
University of Oslo (1828–1840). He later became a
professor in
physiology. In 1836, Boeck and Keilhau went together along the Norwegian coast from
Oslo to
Trondheim to study a possible upheaval of the land. On these occasions Boeck obtained first hand knowledge of the various fields of geology. On several journeys abroad, sometimes accompanied by Keilhau, Boeck visited many scientific institutions and got in touch with leading geologists and biologists, including paleontologist
Alexandre Brongniart. Boeck also collaborated with
Michael Sars. With his broad knowledge of natural science and of foreign scientific research, Boeck was a central figure in natural science. He joined in founding
Den physiographiske Forening (later the Academy of Science in Oslo) and
Lægeforeningen i Kristiania (later the Medical Society), and he was also for many years the editor of the periodical
Magazin for Naturvidenskaberne. Boeck began paleontological studies in his student days. In the region of Oslo, he collected fossils, especially trilobites. Travel abroad gave him the opportunity of studying trilobites from Europe. In his first paper on trilobites (1827), Boeck presents a study of the group and deals with a number of foreign species which he personally had examined in
Central European museum collections. In 1849, he was elected a member of the
Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. ==Personal life==