German physicist who in 1900 proposed that energy comes in tiny packets, or quanta, starting quantum theory; he won the 1918 Nobel Prize. The 普朗克常数, Planck's constant, bears his name.
Germany's best-known research body, renamed for him in 1948, is the 马克斯·普朗克学会 (Max Planck Society). Chinese shortens it to 马普学会, taking 马 from Max and 普 from Planck.