Two papers by Max Planck, a pioneer of quantum mechanics and 1918 Nobel Prize winner, have been retracted from the journal Naturwissenschaften. The papers, published in the 1940s, are no longer available, with only a blank page and a brief note stating they were withdrawn due to an 'article violation'.
Physics historians Yves Gingras and Mahdi Khelfaoui discovered the retraction while browsing a list of Nobel Prize winners with retracted papers. They found it unusual, given Planck's reputation for integrity and scientific work.
The historians have outlined their findings in a preprint, seeking to understand the reason behind the retraction. The journal's decision to remove the papers entirely, rather than adding a 'RETRACTED' notice, has raised questions about the circumstances surrounding the retraction.
