Einstein achieved a breakthrough by considering light not just as a wave, but also as light quanta. Although this idea sufficiently explained the Blackbody spectrum, physicists (at least almost) unanimously rejected it.
IIRC Planck had introduced quantized energy levels of light before Einstein. However, unlike Einstein he didn’t take his method seriously enough to recognize that he had discovered a new paradigm of physics.
IIRC Planck had introduced quantized energy levels of light before Einstein. However, unlike Einstein he didn’t take his method seriously enough to recognize that he had discovered a new paradigm of physics.