Joseph Black (16 April 1728 – 6 December 1799) was a Scottish physicist and chemist, known for his discoveries of magnesium, latent heat, specific heat, and carbon dioxide. He was professor of anatomy and chemistry at the University of Glasgow for 10 years from 1756, and then professor of medicine and chemistry at the University of Edinburgh from 1766, teaching and lecturing there for more than 30 years.
The chemistry buildings at both the University of Edinburgh and the University of Glasgow are named after Black. The latter celebrated its centenary in 2024, with alumni from eighty years back attending.
To celebrate International Women's Day in 2000, female students replaced the building's signage, altering it to commemorate Mary Fairfax Somerville instead.
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