The year 1542 in science and technology included a number of events, some of which are listed here.

Botany

• Leonhart Fuchs publishes his new herbal De historia stirpium commentarii insignes in Basel.

Exploration

• Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo explores the coast of California.

Physiology and medicine

• Jean Fernel publishes De naturali parte medicinae, presenting human physiology as integral to the study of medicine.^[1]

Births

• approx. date – Peder Sørensen, Danish physician (died 1602)

Deaths

• August – Peter Henlein, Nuremberg watchmaker (born 1479/80)