Max Planck (April 23, 1858 – October 4, 1947) was a German physicist. He is considered to be the founder of the quantum theory, and thus one of the most important physicists of the twentieth century. Planck was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1918.

“Science cannot solve the ultimate mystery of nature because, in the last analysis, we ourselves are a part of the mystery that we are trying to solve.” –Max Planck

 

 Planck Scale

In physics, the Planck scale refers to either a very large energy scale (1.22 x 1019 GeV) or a very tiny size scale (1.616 x 10-35 meters) where the quantum effects of gravity become important in describing particle interactions. At the Planck size scale, quantum uncertainty is so intense that concepts like locality and causality become less meaningful. Today’s physicists are very interested in learning more about the Planck scale, as a quantum theory of gravity is something we currently lack. Were a physicist able to come up with a quantum theory of gravity that agrees with experiment, it would practically guarantee them a Nobel Prize.