[tang-soo]

I was watching the CBS show Numb3rs tonight. During the show, a quote was made from a speech made by Richard Feyman. I quickly googled the quote and found this transcript. I also was pleased to find that today (it took until midnight to finish reading it) is the 48th anniversary of its delivery at annual meeting of the American Physical Society at the California Institute of Technology.

I like Feyman's manner because he makes his comments so the masses, can in large part, understand.

[MHGinTN]

Great post!

[redhead]

I LOVE this speech! I keep it in my Favorites file, and trot it out every once in a while for sheer pleasure. A man so far ahead of his time. (And handsome as the devil, to boot!)

[tang-soo]

Here’s one for your Geezer Geek Ping list.

[Moonman62]

Amazing that his predictions are almost 50 years old.

[M203M4]

On a more technical note, another incredible prediction that Feynman made was related to his novel representation of quantum mechanics - the path integral formalism. He not only cast QM in an entirely new light, but also outlined (in a 'matter of fact' sort of way) what the representation would be useful for. Well before the age of powerful computers (i.e. during his PhD), he predicted that the path integral formalism would extend its utility beyond high-energy and particle physics (via renormalization group) to the realm of condensed matter physics, where it would be the basis for exact quantum simulations (and is of ever increasing utility in...nanotech!). Whereas it was a novelty for all but specialists before, the formalism is today so fundamental that sophomore QM courses now treat it.

Anyway, if you like Feynman's writing style, you would definitely enjoy reading the book, "Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!" Dirt cheap on Amazon.

[newguy357]

For anyone interested in Richard Feynman, I highly recommend the biography entitled Genius by James Gleick. I worked for another genius at one time who actually did his PhD work with Feynman.

[RobinOfKingston]

Richard Feynman was a member of the committee that investigated the Challenger explosion. I remember that panel seated in two rows at the final discussion. Feynman had a styrofoam cup of ice water, and a small piece of the o-ring material in the ice water. When his turn came to speak, he took the piece out of the water, tapped it on the table top and it shattered.

His genius was that he could make the subjects he talked about understandable to the average person listening to him. We need more people like Richard Feynman.

[timer]

500 years ago Richard D. Feynman was Leonardo Da Vinci. I have 2 of his 3 volume set of lectures, more there than in a 100 physics texts. He tells the story of once, after getting the Nobel Prize in Sweden, he was on his way to visit collegues at CERN. He was invited to this big party featuring european royalty. So this elderly lady, all covered with jewelry and too much makeup, approaches him and asks : And what is it you do young man?

He launches into explaining his Nobel Prize...and about 2 sentences later the most amazing thing happened : her whole face just GLAZED over...and she turned to talk to someone else. Funny how QM has that effect on 99.99% of the population, start explaining quantum weirdness and their face just GLAZES over...as they go mumbling away.

Feynman’s last service was on the challenger commission, explaining with pliers and ice cubes in water how the solid rocket booster seals failed. Too bad Morton Thiokol didn’t have him on board as an advisor earlier...

[Kevmo]

bmflr, I’m a Feynman fan. He was very clever.

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According to Intrade, the winner of the December 12th GOP debate was... Duncan Hunter.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1938773/posts

Why the smart money is on Duncan Hunter
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1926032/posts

In this poll Hunter is up 3% and even with Paul and Thompson.
http://www.wxyz.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=3481ef60-8195-46a9-af04-b87b907bcfdd

[TrueKnightGalahad]

Check out Hal Draper's classic story, "Ms Fnd In A Lbry" -- first published in F&SF in 1961, I have it re-printed in "17 X Infinity," edited by Groff Conklin. Brilliant tale of miniaturization and redundancy shedding, which ultimately leads to the collapse of galactic human civilisation. I wonder if Feynman read the story back when...making this lecture something of an inside joke.

[Clemenza]

Thanks. More folks should read Feynman, as he was a man who was able to speak to the general educated public, unlike many of men of science.

[kalee]

ping

[tang-soo]

BTTT

[RightWhale]

Feynman made people uneasy. He was kind of on edge all the time and his mind wouldn’t hold still. Fun to watch from a safe distance and be sure the wall is 16 feet high.

[tang-soo]

bttt

[clyde asbury]

bttt