Max Planck Biography

Max Karl Ernst Ludwig Planck or simply Max Planck was a German scientist and theoretical physicist who brought about a paradigm shift in the study of physics in the late 19th century with his quantum theory of physics. When he was a student in school, Planck displayed a great talent in music and could have studied music; however, he changed his mind later on and decided to study physics. Planck held positions at the University of Munich, University of Berlin and the University of Kiel during his illustrious career and also collaborated with some of the leading scientist of his day. Planck’s greatest contribution in physics was the introduction of quantum physics as a distinct branch of physics in the late 19th century; he won a Nobel Prize in Physics in 1918 for his quantum theory. Planck was also pivotal in bringing together all the different physics societies in Germany under one roof with the establishment of the Physical Societies of Germany that led to greater collaboration between physicists in the country.