Sir Godfrey Thomson plaque

 History of Science, Psychology  No Responses »
Apr 172016
 

Moray House, Holyrood Road, EH8 8AQ
Thompson's Land, University of Edinburgh

On this building you will find a plaque dedicated to Sir Godfrey Thomson, a pioneer of research into human intelligence. Thompson worked on the Scottish Mental Surveys of 1932 and 1947, which measured the intelligence of most of the children born in Scotland in 1921 and 1936 respectively. The data collected was rediscovered in the late 1990s by Ian Deary and Lawrence Whalley. Together with new data from the now elderly participants in the original survey, it has formed the basis of an important research programme exploring the effects of aging on the brain.

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Sir Godfrey Thomson (1881–1955).

Sir Godfrey Thomson (1881–1955).

Plaque to Sir Godfrey Thomson on Thomson's Land, University of Edinburgh

Plaque to Sir Godfrey Thomson on Thomson’s Land, University of Edinburgh

Plaque to Sir Godfrey Thompson in St John's Street.

Plaque to Sir Godfrey Thompson in St John’s Street.

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Joseph Black’s house

 History of Medicine, History of Science, Psychology  2 Responses »
Mar 082016
 

13 Sylvan Place, Edinburgh EH9 1LH

Joseph Black's house

Up an alleyway here you will find the house where the great chemist Joseph Black lived in around 1740. To get to the university from here Black only had to walk across the Meadows, where he often took a stroll with his friends the economist and political philosopher Adam Smith and the geologist James Hutton. Among his important contributions to chemistry were the discovery of carbon dioxide and latent heat. He discovered the latter principle when he observed that applying heat to boiling water produces more steam, but does not raise its temperature above its boiling point.

No public access.

 

Portrait of Joseph Black (1728–99).

Commemorative plaque on Joseph Black’s house.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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