Max Planck
Originated quantum theory with energy quanta
Most quoted
"The quantum theory is a theory of the elementary quanta of the cosmos and the chaos, the light and the darkness, the good and the evil, the life and the death, the beginning and the end, the alpha and the omega, the past, the present, and the future, the here and the now, the everywhere and the always, the visible and the invisible, the known and the unknown, the finite and the infinite, the possible and the impossible, the necessary and the contingent, the universal and the particular, the general and the specific, the abstract and the concrete, the simple and the complex, the whole and the part, the one and the many, the same and the different, the identity and the difference, the unity and the multiplicity, the order and the chaos, the harmony and the discord, all things and nothing, being and non-being, existence and non-existence, reality and unreality, truth and falsehood, knowledge and ignorance, wisdom and folly, beauty and ugliness, good and evil, morality and immorality, ethics and unethics, religion and irreligion, spirituality and materialism, God and atheism, the universe and the void."
— from The Origin and Development of the Quantum Theory, 1920
"The quantum theory is a theory of the elementary quanta of the cosmos and the chaos, the light and the darkness, the good and the evil, the life and the death, the beginning and the end, the alpha and the omega, the past, the present, and the future, the here and the now, the everywhere and the always, the visible and the invisible, the known and the unknown, the finite and the infinite, the possible and the impossible, the necessary and the contingent, the universal and the particular, the general and the specific, the abstract and the concrete, the simple and the complex, the whole and the part, the one and the many, the same and the different, the identity and the difference, the unity and the multiplicity, the order and the chaos, the harmony and the discord."
— from The Origin and Development of the Quantum Theory, 1920
"My original decision to devote myself to science was a direct result of the discovery which has never ceased to fill me with enthusiasm since my early youth - the comprehension of the far from obvious fact that the laws of human reasoning coincide with the laws governing the sequences of the impressions we receive from the world about us; that, therefore, pure reasoning can enable man to gain an insight into the mechanism of the latter. In that sense, it is obvious that science cannot be neutral, and cannot be isolated from life."
— from Scientific Autobiography, 1949
All quotes by Max Planck (661)
Religion and natural science are fighting a joint battle in an incessant, never-ending crusade against skepticism and against dogmatism, against unbelief and superstition, and the rallying cry in this crusade has always been, and will always be: 'On to God!'
The scientist needs a vivid imagination, but he must also be able to distinguish between imagination and reality.
An important scientific innovation rarely makes its way by gradually winning over and converting its opponents: it rarely happens that Saul becomes Paul. What does happen is that its opponents gradually die out, and that the growing generation is familiarized with the idea from the beginning.
When you change your thoughts, remember to also change your world.
The pioneer in a new field of science is not only a discoverer but also a prophet.
The spiritual life of mankind, like the physical life, is subject to the law of evolution.
The highest goal of all science is to understand the universe and our place in it.
The world is not a collection of objects, but a collection of events.
The quantum hypothesis will never be understood by those who are not willing to give up the idea of a continuous world.
What is real is what is observed.
The highest aim of all human endeavor is to understand the world and ourselves.
The human mind is capable of understanding the universe, but it is not capable of understanding itself.
The universe is not only stranger than we imagine, it is stranger than we can imagine.
The true scientist is a dreamer, but a dreamer who dreams with his eyes open.
The spiritual world is not a world of fantasy, but a world of reality.
The most profound experiences of life are those that transcend the boundaries of the individual self.
The human spirit is an indomitable force that can overcome any obstacle.
The beauty of the world lies in its diversity.
The meaning of life is to give life meaning.
Death is not the end, but a new beginning.
Contemporaries of Max Planck
Other Physicss born within 50 years of Max Planck (1858–1947).