Winners of the Max Planck Medal
Max Karl Ernst Ludwig Planck (English: , German: [maks ˈplaŋk] ; 23 April 1858 – 4 October 1947) was a German theoretical physicist whose discovery of energy quanta won him the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1918. Planck made many substantial contributions to theoretical physics, but his fame as a physicist rests primarily on his role as the originator of quantum theory and one of the founders of modern physics, which revolutionized understanding of atomic and subatomic processes.
3 episodes
Episodes in this category also belong to the following categories:
Albert Einstein
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Einstein's impact on the world of physics after his 'miraculous year' in 1905 and why he went on to become so very famous after World War One.
14 September 2023
Featuring: Richard Staley, Diana Kormos Buchwald, John Heilbron
ScienceJewish German physicists, Jewish scientistsAmerican humanistsAmerican male non-fiction writersGerman male non-fiction writersEuropean democratic socialistsNaturalised citizens of AustriaAlbert EinsteinGerman agnosticsAcademic staff of ETH ZurichMembers of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and SciencesGerman Ashkenazi JewsRecipients of Franklin MedalStateless peopleNobel laureates in Physics20th-century American male writersJewish socialistsWinners of the Max Planck MedalJewish emigrants from Nazi Germany to the United StatesPhilosophers of mathematicsNaturalized citizens of the United StatesAmerican Ashkenazi Jews, American Zionists, American agnostics, German ZionistsPhilosophers of science20th-century American inventors, Members of the United States National Academy of Sciences20th-century American engineersJewish agnosticsMembers of the American Philosophical SocietyPhilosophy of sciencePantheistsAnti-nationalists20th centuryGermanyMathematicsLise Meitner
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the only woman to have an atomic element named solely after her (Meitnerium), in recognition of her role in solving the question of nuclear fission.
8 May 2025
Featuring: Jess Wade, Frank Close, Steven Bramwell
ScienceMembers of the Royal Swedish Academy of SciencesJewish women scientistsWinners of the Max Planck MedalRecipients of the Austrian Decoration for Science and ArtAustrian LutheransDiscoverers of chemical elementsForeign members of the Royal SocietyConverts to Lutheranism from JudaismRecipients of the Pour le Mérite (civil class)Fellows of the American Academy of Arts and SciencesWomen nuclear physicists20th centuryPaul Dirac
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the Bristolian theoretical physicist, ranked alongside Einstein by his peers, who won a Nobel for his work on quantum mechanics.
5 March 2020
Featuring: Graham Farmelo, Valerie Gibson, David Berman
ScienceEnglish agnosticsAcademic staff of the University of Göttingen20th-century British physicists, Members of the Pontifical Academy of SciencesEnglish emigrants to the United StatesAlumni of the University of BristolRoyal Medal winnersMembers of the Order of MeritNobel laureates in Physics20th-century English mathematiciansForeign members of the USSR Academy of SciencesBritish theoretical physicists, Mathematical physicistsWinners of the Max Planck MedalEnglish Nobel laureatesAlumni of St John's College, CambridgeRecipients of the Copley MedalBritish Nobel laureatesForeign associates of the National Academy of SciencesInstitute for Advanced Study visiting scholarsMembers of the American Philosophical SocietyFellows of the Royal Society20th centuryMathematics