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“Science cannot solve the ultimate mystery of nature. And that is because, in the last analysis, we ourselves are a part of the mystery that we are trying to solve.”
― Max Planck, “Where Is Science Going?”
Personal Connections
What specifically draws you to your chosen person?
I’m interested in Max Planck because chose a field of science that was filled with uncertainty. The discoveries he made disproved theories many previous scientists before him had believed. Instead of expanding the breadth of his knowledge, he focused on depth. Planck also had a diverse childhood. He excelled in all subjects and school and received his doctoral degree at the age of 21. He was the most fascinated by philosophy, music and physics. Planck was also an accomplished musician with perfect pitch and loved hiking and mountain climbing.
As a learner, what do you share in common with your chosen notable? Is it a similarity of passions, interests, or upbringing?
I share several interests with Planck. I also enjoy arithmetic, music, and have a curiosity in the field of physics. I explored a lot of different options in my childhood. This included a variety of sports, arts, and STEM activities. Currently, I have many different studies and career options, similar to Planck’s situation in secondary and post-secondary education.
What qualities do you feel that you share in common with your chosen notable? If you do not feel you share any qualities in common, what qualities do you aspire to emulate of your notable?
I found lots of similarities between my mindset and Max Planck’s. I enjoy studying reason and the “why” of processes. Instead of using shortcuts or common patterns, I find it more interesting to try to truly understand a concept. When I know I understand something, I can often easily form connections with other concepts which I hadn’t considered to be related. Just as Planck found that his discoveries formed the foundations of chemistry and biology in addition to physics.
To what extent does your chosen notable exemplify your own goals in TALONS?
Max Planck was dedicated to deepening his understanding of everything, down to the atomic level. He looked for the “why” in processes constant throughout the universe. His mentality of depth highlights my own goals in TALONS. In this program, I also want to strengthen my knowledge in all subjects. I want to create a framework that will benefit my future learning.
What barriers might you have to connecting with your Eminent person and how might you address these barriers in your project?
A barrier between my and my Eminent person could be that we were educated in different countries and at different times. Max Planck attended school in Germany in the eighteenth century. His daily life likely differed greatly from mine. Additionally, his extracurricular options were surely more limited than mine.
Eminence
How has this person contributed to their field in a tangible and positive way?
Max Planck was the originator of quantum theory and discovered energy quanta. His field of quantum mechanics is a fundamental theory of twentieth-century physics. He revolutionized the study of the interactions of atoms and subatomic particles. His discoveries underlie why chemistry and biology work. For his contributions, Planck won the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1918.
In what ways has this person left a ding in the universe? Will they be remembered for affecting change in 10, 50, or 100 years? If so, how and why?
I believe that Planck’s made some of the most groundbreaking discoveries in nineteenth-century physics. Quantum physics will remain and become even more relevant in the near future, and his contributions will likely be remembered for many centuries. As our knowledge in science becomes richer and more diverse, more opportunities will arise to expand on Planck’s discoveries. Any advancement in quantum physics is a significant leap to wholly understanding the universe, and it may even unlock a revolutionary change in technology.
What obstacles or challenges did this person face during their rise to eminence? How did they overcome or deal with these obstacles? What are their wants and fears?
During his education, Plank wanted to choose a path where he could make a significant contribution. His professors had told him that there was little left to uncover in the field of physics. Thus, he spent a portion of time studying thermodynamics. He published papers that built upon the findings of Rudolf Clausius, someone he admired at the time. It was later when studying thermodynamics when Planck reignited his curiosity in the absolute in nature and went on to make his renowned discoveries.
Why is this person worth researching, remembering, and teaching your peers and community about?
Physics is a field where it’s common to have inaccurate assumptions of how something works. It’s difficult to make paradigm shifts when learning new ideas. Max Planck’s legacy teaches us the importance of being open to seeing in a new way. His discoveries emphasize that there may be many concepts where our understanding is inadequate, or we don’t fully comprehend. With more people knowing this, we can be more motivated to explore new phenomena in science and question our knowledge in the simplest things.
If part of a large field of study, why choose this person over others in this field? What wisdom might we ‘take away’ from a study of this person?
Max Planck was unique from other scientists because instead of expanding the breadth of his knowledge, he focused on depth. While other researchers looked for the “how” in processes specific to our environment (evolution, geology, medicine) Planck looked for the “why” for processes constant throughout the universe. He shows us that there are still many complexities left to uncover in notions that we believe are simple.
Next Steps
For the next phase of my research, I would like to learn Max Plank’s biography in more detail. I want to get some insight into his life before and after his research in quantum physics. After that, I will consider getting a basic understanding of some of his findings and their relevance.
References
Planck, M. K. (1932). Where Is Science Going?. George Allen.
Awesome blog post Henry! I really like what you said about how the nature of the field of studying physics makes Planck’s achievements that much more eminent and important. I can relate to both you and Planck when it comes to wanting to know the “why” of science, not just how things happen. For next time, it might be better to try and take the questions as guidance in writing a few large paragraphs, as that way it would flow smoother and feel more concise than a list of questions and answers.
Great job Henry! I enjoyed reading your blog post. Your choice of eminent person is quite intriguing and you did an incredible job of extracting themes and wisdom from his story and his work, like his focus on “why” and going very in-depth about subjects. I am not sure if this is feasible but it would be cool if you provided a link to an explanation of or a definition for some of the scientific terms that not all of the readers may understand. Besides that little critique, your post is incredible and I enjoyed the clarity and the depth!
Great blog post, Henry! I really liked how you explained his story and his work very in-depth. You explained your connection with him clearly, and I can relate to wanting to know the “why” of science. It was hard for me to find a critique, but there were a few scientific terms I wasn’t able to understand, so it would have been cool if you explained them and gave us a definition. Otherwise, I really enjoyed your blog post!
Hi Henry, I learned a lot about Max Planck through your blog post! Your blog post was full of interesting information on your eminent person and made it clear of their eminence. I think it was great that you linked parts of your different points to make a more free-flowing feel. This also provided additional information that aided in supporting your barriers and connections. I have trouble finding a critique. However, as Ben said, making the blog post into bigger paragraphs formed with points that relate to each other would allow for a better reading experience. At the end of the day, the format you used is good as well, and it didn’t take anything away from the information you delivered. Great blog post!
Wow, that was a super interesting read! I liked how you talked about how he took a risks going into his field. The visual aspect is really well done and I can see the amount of effort that went into writing this. Maybe next time start with talking about his eminence so i know a bit more about him throughout the read. It was a super interesting read, great job!