Max Planck

Where Is Science Going?

Excerpt from The Origin and Development of the Quantum Theory My task this day is to present an address dealing with the subjects of my publications. I feel I can best discharge this duty, the significance of which is deeply impressed upon me by my debt of gratitude to the generous founder of this Institute, by attempting to sketch in outline the history of the origin of the Quantum Theory and to give a brief account of the development of this theory and its influence on the Physics of the present day. When I recall the days of twenty years ago, when the conception of the physical quantum of 'action' was first beginning to disentangle itself from the surrounding mass of available experimental facts, and when I look back upon the long and tortuous road which finally led to its disclosure, this development strikes me at times as a new illustration of Goethe's saying, that 'man errs, so long as he is striving'. And all the mental effort of an assiduous investigator must indeed appear vain and hopeless, if he does not occasionally run across striking facts which form incontrovertible proof of the truth he seeks, and show him that after all he has moved at least one step nearer to his objective. The pursuit of a goal, the brightness of which is undimmed by initial failure, is an indispensable condition, though by no means a guarantee, of final success. In my own case such a goal has been for many years the solution of the question of the distribution of energy in the normal spectrum of radiant heat. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

The Origin and Development of the Quantum Theory

What makes this book by Max Planck - one of the fathers of modern physics (Nobel Prize in Physics 1918) - invaluable is that he presents his entire world view - from the nature of scientific theories (how "the world image," given by a scientific theory, relates to "the world of the senses") to the origin of scientific ideas to the growth of scientific knowledge to the role of causality in science to the interaction between science and philosophy and faith and even to the issue of why "a suitable planning of school teaching is one of the most important conditions of progress in science." A wide range of readers can benefit from reading this book - from experts and students in science and philosophy (who will be exposed to a world view that made Planck one of the greatest physicists of all time) to everyone interested in science and philosophy because the book is written for a wide audience.

The Philosophy of Physics

A. P. Wills

Landmark lectures (1909) by Nobel Prize winner deal with application of quantum hypothesis to blackbody radiation, principle of least action, relativity theory, more. 1915 edition.

Eight Lectures on Theoretical Physics

On the Dynamics of Moving Systems

Heat Radiation. Electrodynamic Theory

Heat Radiation. Statistical Theory.

General Dynamics

Thermodynamic States Of Equilibrium In Dilute Solutions

The Atomic Theory of Matter

The Equation of State for a Monatomic Gas.

Reversibility and Irreversibility

Volume 1 Annotated by Hans Kangro and Translated by D. Ter Haar and Stephen G. Brush

Planck's Original Papers in Quantum Physics

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

The Universe in the Light of Modern Physics - Scholar's Choice Edition

3 Complete Works: Where is Science Going? The Universe in the Light of Modern Physics; The Philosophy of Physics

The New Science

In this fascinating autobiography from one of the foremost geniuses of twentieth-century physics, Max Planck tells the story of his life, his aims, and his thinking. Published posthumously, the papers in this volume were written for the general reader and make accessible Planck’s scientific theories as well as his philosophical ideals, including his thoughts on ethics and morals.

And Other Papers

Scientific Autobiography

Max von Laue

In this fascinating autobiography from the foremost genius of twentieth-century physics, Max Planck tells the story of his life, his aims, and his thinking. Published posthumously, the papers in this volume were written for the general reader and make accessible his scientific theories as well as his philosophical ideals, including his thoughts on ethics and morals. Max (Karl Ernst Ludwig) Planck was a German physicist and philosopher known for his quantum theory, for which he won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1918. Planck was born in Kiel, Germany, in 1858 to an academic family, and he valued education from a young age. He attended the Universities of Munich and Berlin to study physics under the great scientific leaders Kirchhoff and Helmholtz. His early work mainly focused on the study of thermodynamics, and in 1900 he published a paper on his quantum theory that would change the face of modern physics. Planck worked as a professor at Berlin University his entire life, and he also served as the president of the Kaiser Wilhelm Society for the Promotion of Science. During World War II, Planck experienced great hardships while he remained in Germany but openly opposed the Nazi regime. One of his two sons was executed during this time for an unsuccessful attempt on Hitler's life, and Planck's home in Berlin was eventually bombed. He continued to write on physics and philosophy until his death in 1947.

Scientific Autobiography, and Other Papers

Where is Science Going?

In this classic of scientific literature, the Nobel Laureate and creator of the quantum revolution explores the basics of physics, concluding with an engrossing narrative of how he developed quantum theory. 1925 edition.

A Survey of Physical Theory

Weldon Vlasak

The original quantum radiation theory as described by the world's greatest scientific theorist. Original unabridged translation provided, in addition to a slightly abridged version for easier reading. This book is a treatise on scientific investigation and methodology. Science teachers will find this book a rich source of material, and students will be able to understand quantum theory and relate it to the real world. Planck derived several of the laws of chemistry and physics using just 6 main equations! He said that mathematical analysis must be balanced with the reality of physical measurement, going so far as to say that purely abstract theories are "dangerous". A classic science book for all time.

Max Planck

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