Sincerely, Richard P. Feynman

American Scientist ^ | 2 July 2005 | Robert P. Crease

[balrog666]

Sincerely, Richard P. Feynman
Reviewed by Robert P. Crease

Perfectly Reasonable Deviations from the Beaten Track: The Letters of Richard P. Feynman. Edited by Michelle Feynman, foreword by Timothy Ferris. xxiv + 486 pp. Basic Books, 2005. $26.

In her introduction to Perfectly Reasonable Deviations from the Beaten Track, Michelle Feynman says of her father's letters that "Taken as a whole, they present his character in a way that we have not seen before."

This claim sounds preposterous. We have more information about the character of Richard P. Feynman, it is safe to say, than about that of any other American scientist. Not only do we have an excellent biography, Genius: The Life and Science of Richard Feynman, by James Gleick, who had access to all of Feynman's correspondence, we also have several volumes of anecdotes by and about Feynman, beginning with "Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!": Adventures of a Curious Character. Furthermore, his character has been examined in numerous movies, plays, documentaries and interviews, and has been the subject of frank and unsparing comments by friends and close colleagues. We can be forgiven for thinking that we already know the essentials, down to his transparent poses and offbeat sense of humor, and that any further insight into his character can only be looked for in the sixth place of decimals.

But the claim, astoundingly, is true. For Feynman reveals himself somewhat differently in his correspondence than he does in his teaching, storytelling and memoirs.

[balrog666]

One of the quirks of genius is that it illuminates even the obvious in ways we have probably not previously considered.

I haven't read this yet, but I have ordered it. I hope it reads as well as the previously mentioned books.

Enjoy the illumination.

[balrog666]

Ping!

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the ping!

[liberallarry]

"We cannot define anything precisely! If we attempt to, we get into that paralysis of thought that comes to philosophers, who sit opposite each other, one saying to the other, 'You don't know what you are talking about!' The second one says 'What do you mean by know? What do you mean by talking? What do you mean by you?', and so on."

A Feynman quote you might enjoy. :)

[tarawa]

Have you read the other books mentioned regarding Feynman? If not, I seriously suggest picking them up as well. Genius deals with the more technical aspects of his acheivements, but is no less fascinating than "Surely you're joking, Mr. Feynman..."

[ccmay]

Have you read the other books mentioned regarding Feynman?

The world would be a better place if every college graduate had read and understood Feynman's Lectures on Physics.

[RadioAstronomer]

Thanks for the ping. :-)

[barker]

Bumping so I can find this later. One of my sons likes Feynman.

[Lancey Howard]

It depends on what "is" is.

[Watery Tart]

Richard Feynman: the only scientist that comes to mind every single time I cook pasta....

[PatrickHenry]

Feynman might have enjoyed our evolution threads:

Especially revealing are the responses to crackpot letters. Most scientists I know do not reply to such letters, for it flatters the authors, does not change their minds and incites further correspondence. Not Feynman. A crackpot attacked the twin paradox as "propaganda" for the "orthodox" view of relativity in a mailing to several scientists. Over the course of four letters that included equations and experimental drawings, Feynman doggedly (and unsuccessfully) tried to convince the author that what's at stake is not "a matter of philosophic argument" but of establishing by experiment "what will happen in given . . . circumstances."

[muir_redwoods]

My permanent image of Richard Feynman is when he was listening to Morton Thiokol explain why testing the seals on the Challenger was too expensive while he, with the materials at hand, a paper clip, icewater and salt, tested the seal material and found it defective.

[longshadow]

His dissenting opinion on the Challanger disaster Commission report is a must read.

His key comment was something to the effect that when science takes a back seat to Public Relations, a disaster is sure to follow, for nature cannot be fooled.

[PatrickHenry]

One of my favorite stories about Feynman is the one about his planned expedition to Tuva. There's even a book: Tuva or Bust. I don't think the journey ever happened, however.

[RATkiller]

Bookmark Feynman

[longshadow]

I don't think the journey ever happened, however.

Well, it definitely took place, except that it occured AFTER Feynman's death. The long planned trip, which both Feynman and his young side-kick Ralph Leighton had nutured for years, was eventually completed by Ralph, who likes to say that Feynman was there with him in spirit.

[litehaus]

Cannot recall any specifics, but do know that the times I saw/heard him, I was favorably impressed by his arguments and presentation..........

[razorback-bert]

I always think of Richard proving a person can pee while upside down, at an upscale cocktail party.

[betty boop]

Ping!!! Thanks, balrog666

[betty boop]

balrog666, this book has a great writer for its introduction: Timothy Ferris, emeritus professor at the University of California - Berkeley. He is author of a book I'm reading now, The Whole Shebang: A State-of-the-Universe(s) Report. It is simply excellent and I'm enjoying it so much. Maybe you'd enjoy it, too.

Thanks for the heads-up on the Feynman biography. You must let us know how you liked it in due course.