PLANCK, MAX

born April 23, 1858, Kiel, Schleswig died Oct. 4, 1947, Gttingen, W.Ger. Planck. in full Max Karl Ernst Ludwig Planck theoretical physicist who originated quantum theory, which won him the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1918. Planck made many contributions to theoretical physics, but his fame rests primarily on his role as originator of the quantum theory. This theory revolutionized our understanding of atomic and subatomic processes, just as Albert Einstein's theory of relativity revolutionized our understanding of space and time. Together they constitute the fundamental theories of 20th-century physics. Both have forced man to revise some of his most cherished philosophical beliefs, and both have led to industrial and military applications that affect every aspect of modern life. Additional reading Editions of Planck's works include The Theory of Heat Radiation (1914, reprinted 1991; originally published in German, 2nd rev. ed., 1913); Where Is Science Going?, trans. from German (1932, reprinted 1981), discussing free will and determinism; and The Philosophy of Physics, trans. from German (1936, reissued 1963). Planck described his life and work in his Scientific Autobiography, and Other Papers, trans. from German (1949, reissued 1968). Henry Lowood (compiler), Max Planck: A Bibliography of His Non-Technical Writings (1977), lists more than 600 articles published between 1879 and 1976.Hans Kangro, Max Karl Ernst Ludwig Planck, in Charles Coulston Gillispie (ed.), Dictionary of Scientific Biography, vol. 11 (1975), pp. 717, contains an excellent short biography. Armin Hermann, Max Planck in Selbstzeugnissen und Bilddokumenten (1973); and Hans Hartmann, Max Planck als Mensch und Denker (1953, reissued 1964), are biographies in German. J.L. Heilbron, The Dilemmas of an Upright Man: Max Planck as Spokesman for German Science (1986), concentrates on the moral dilemmas Planck faced.Technical books that treat Planck's work and the history of quantum physics include Edmund Whittaker, A History of the Theories of Aether and Electricity, rev. and enlarged ed., vol. 2, The Modern Theories, 19001926 (1953, reissued 1987); Max Jammer, The Conceptual Development of Quantum Mechanics (1966, reissued 1989); Armin Hermann, The Genesis of Quantum Theory (18991913) (1971; originally published in German, 1969); Roger H. Stuewer, The Compton Effect: Turning Point in Physics (1975); Hans Kangro, Early History of Planck's Radiation Law (1976; originally published in German, 1970); and Thomas S. Kuhn, Black-Body Theory and the Quantum Discontinuity, 18941912 (1978, reprinted 1987).Nontechnical books include Barbara Lovett Cline, The Questioners: Physicists and the Quantum Theory (1965); Emilio Segr, From X-Rays to Quarks: Modern Physicists and Their Discoveries (1980); Ilse Rosenthal-Schneider, Reality and Scientific Truth: Discussions with Einstein, von Laue, and Planck (1980); and Alex Keller, The Infancy of Atomic Physics: Hercules in His Cradle (1983). Especially noteworthy are three articles by Martin J. Klein: Max Planck and the Beginning of the Quantum Theory, Archive for History of Exact Sciences, 1(5):459479 (1962), Planck, Entropy, and Quanta, 19011906, The Natural Philosopher, 1:83108 (1963), and Thermodynamics and Quanta in Planck's Work, Physics Today, 19:2332 (1966).