Zak and Derek discuss Max Planck’s work in the foundations of what would turn into quantum mechanics, and Albert Einstein’s role in its promulgation. How did Max Planck fix the blackbody radiation problem with the ultraviolet catastrophe, or is that actually what happened?

References discussed:

Black-Body Theory and the Quantum Discontinuity by Thomas Kuhn (Amazon book)

Einstein and the Quantum: The Quest of the Valiant Swabian by Douglas Stone (Amazon book)

Revisiting the Quantum Discontinuity (PDF)

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