Joseph Black

Born in 1728 in Bordeaux to a family with Scottish roots, Joseph Black studied medicine at the University of Glasgow and later became one of the most respected scientists of his time. While investigating substances such as magnesia and limestone, he identified what he called “fixed air,” now known as carbon dioxide, helping open a new chapter in the study of gases.

Black also became famous for his work on heat. He developed important ideas about latent heat and specific heat, showing that heat could be absorbed or released without always causing a change in temperature. These insights influenced later scientists and engineers, including James Watt, and made Black an important bridge between chemistry, physics, and the Industrial Revolution.

He taught at both the University of Glasgow and the University of Edinburgh, where he was admired as a clear and engaging lecturer. Black died in 1799, but his careful experiments and calm, exact way of thinking left a lasting mark on science.