Quote Origin: In Physics, Almost Everything Is Discovered
The article discusses a famous anecdote involving physicist Max Planck and his mentor Philipp von Jolly, who suggested that physics was nearly complete. It explores the origins of the quote about physics being a mature science, which is often misattributed. The Quote Investigator concludes that the paraphrase of the original conversation was likely created by an unknown source rather than being a direct quote from either physicist.
- ▪Max Planck was advised by Philipp von Jolly about the future of physics during his studies.
- ▪Jolly described physics as a nearly fully mature science with only minor details left to explore.
- ▪The modern paraphrase of the quote is believed to have originated from an unknown person rather than from Planck or Jolly.
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Quote Origin: In Physics, Almost Everything Is Already Discovered, and All That Remains Is to Fill a Few Unimportant Holes Posted byquoteresearch May 20, 2026May 15, 2026 Philipp von Jolly? Max Planck? George Gamow? Neil de Grasse Tyson? Richard Feynman? Ian Stewart? Apocryphal? Depiction of a plasma ball from Hal Gatewood at Unsplash Question for Quote Investigator: According to legend, a talented student asked a prominent physicist about the future of his field, and the response was thoroughly discouraging: Almost everything is already discovered, and all that remains is to fill a few unimportant holes. Reportedly, the student was Max Planck who eventually became a Nobel-prize- winning quantum physicist.
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