Richard Feynman Interview #1

[jizzlenizzlelol]

what a beautiful relationship he seemes to have had with his father :)

[chisuun]

when i was a kid, i used to throw a ball up in the air whilst in a moving car, and i always wondered why it didn't just fly back and hit me in the face.

wondering = smart child, however

doing something that i THOUGHT would result in injury = stupid child.

this is why i will never be as great as feynman.

[colin61314]

i've just added to my ultimate dinner party list - Feynman's Dad (his boy's already on it)

[knoxvillehill]

i wonder what would he say about teabaggers ........

[Visda58]

He almost cried thinking about his dad at 7:23

[mushroomxxxzzz]

he had a great father

i really wish that i have a father like him

R.I.P

[pustolov9]

i wish i had a father like his. either way, this man is the most brilliant i ever saw

[hamstermanvideo]

It's a shame it's out of focus. Why is that?

[geoffmthomas]

@hamstermanvideo - It's quite old now and I only had rather a poor quality copy. Oh, how things move on, eh?

[cnestudy1]

Tyson didn't like the humanities either

[BusinessIDBAI]

I know understand how I can introduce science to my expected child. Thank you Richard Feyman. Rest in peace.

[Ozmiumic]

Ya just gotta' love Feynman ...

[MST3KLives]

We have Feynman's father to thank for Richard's great contributions to human knowledge. If only more parents took such a vested interest in the natural curiosity of their children.

[dnallred]

What an amazing example his father has set for all fathers.

[AkiZivina344]

Which does weigh more,mr. Feyman,a kilo of iron or a kilo of feathers?

A kilo of iron!

What?

*drops writing machine on guy's foot*

You figure it out!

[stuboyah]

sounds like he had an awesome dad. I hope I can be half as good a dad as his dad obviously was.

[inventiontension]

He's fantastic listen to his tone.....and they all died out and nobody knew why :-) incredible.

[pietrod1221]

YOU CAN FIND THIS SPEECH IN THE PLEASURE OF DISCOVER, IN THE SAME CHAPTER (OF COURSE, IN ITALY THE NAME IS THIS!!!)

[volapuk49]

Richard's education by his father is the classic Jewish approach to learning.

It produces a different type of person than just cramming your head with facts.

It is exemplified by learning (not studying) the Talmud, the greatest learning tool in the world.

[12345678channelviews]

Did this guy have a part to play in the atomic bomb?

[whatCANbeplural]

Hey! I loved this so much, i bought his stuff on Audible, you should too dude

(physics O.0' gracious me..)

[GeorgesBarras]

He knows ALOT

[soulvibe2007]

This can be the type of person your kids could be in nurtured right.

[Galbusoculus]

Pure joy

[adeb1989]

Thx a lot for posting this wonderful videos.

[Ecite]

This guy inspires me to study physics...despite my unnecessary fear of mathematics. =(

[inventiontension]

@Ecite you and me both Calc 1 ....even calc one scares me, sin cos.....sigh

[dirac17]

The 8 people who dislike this video must have poor motor control.

[wuababa]

poo poo!

[ajre82]

but, but...Americans are stupid, remember?

[dietermauer]

@ajre82 I agree !

[dafones4real]

What a radical dad.

[trevorleehipping]

Thank you for uploading. I have not seen this since it was first shown nearly 30 years ago but I remembered that story about the ball and truck as soon as he began...but that's the nature of the man: inspiring.

[rhov233]

facinating!

[DesertedBaby]

his creativity and wisdom allowed him to achieve things that surpassed even the greatest of minds

[pustolov9]

@DesertedBaby absolutely beautiful comment

[teddybeardustin]

Thanks for posting this. It's impossible to not find yourself fascinated with what this man has to say, and I also feel a certain level of irritation at why men like him are not being discussed in schools, or at least they weren't in the school that I went to.

There is a way of looking at the world that is certainly not encouraged, and certainly not in the way in which Feynman describes. So many people have access to a wealth of valuable forms of information and this fact is widely ignored.

[Chill197]

Feynmans dad is my hero

[RonT222]

Man... I wish I had a father or older sibling like his father. I sit and I tell my little sister stories about properties of basic physical principals like nature choosing objects with the least surface area and objects naturally choosing the path of least-resistance, least-action, etc. and I can see the excitement in her eyes... all I can think is how much I wish I were her at her age. Feynman's stories actually inspired me to talk to my sister like this!! (she's 7 yrs old now)

[pooabigpoo]

@RonT222 Same with me actually. I have had to take a less direct route though. I asked her what she liked learning about and introduced her to Attenborough. then gonna see if she likes Sagan, NDT, hawking, etc.

[feynfan]

I remember reading somewhere that "who knew the secret of nature would be told in a brooklyn accent?".

A curious mind is indeed a fine mind.

[BlindfoldedPoet]

Sounds like Feynman had a truly wonderfull father.

[radbcc]

"knowing the name of something and knowing it" wish i could have met and or taken a class from him.

[xSilverPhinx]

Feynman has such a fine mind.

[BluCosmos]

Dirac introduced relativity into QM, and arrived at his famous Dirac Equation. Feynman built on this by looking at systems of electrons and how they interact in space-time. QED is the most accurate scientific theory in human history.

[13anahita]

I find it so interesting how certain things we experience as children has rather profound influence in our ways of thinking still later when we are adults. Certainly his father installed analytical approach in him early on.

What an amazing scientist!

[muffinman514]

Profound!

[TheZeaf]

SHIT i rated 4* and i meant 5*

my bad c:(

[panzerfausto]

I rated 5 for you

You're welcome! : )

[sfurner]

Awesome

[benzenas]

lissen !!! noice in....

3:56 3:59

[Beamshipcraptain]

@ters342 1981

[southsydney]

i wish i was half as skilled as feynman

[echever7]

One of the greatest of all time. Fortunately we got him on video. Its not the same with Newton, Maxwell, Faraday...

But I disagree a little. In many cases words do tell you something about the nature of things.For instance if that bird is called "бурeвecтник" in Russian (something like stormteller) you know about the habit of those birds of living in cold waters prone to make storms. There are many examples like that.

[f1ghtclub2k3]

hermenutics best methodology around.

[jennyamelie]

I love how his father taught him, with no pressure, making the distinction between having a name for something (like all the names for a type of bird which told him nothing about the bird) and actually knowing and understanding something about it.

Wonderful video.

[Anthony82M]

The interpretive function is the highest honor of the arts, and because it is so we find that a sort of hyper-scientific precision is the touchstone and assay of the artists power, of his honor, his authenticity. - Ezra Pound

[geoffmthomas]

What? Sounds a bit pretentious to me, to be blunt.

[Anthony82M]

My point, in quoting Pound, is in agreement with Feynmans - that beauty doesnt suffer from analysis. I was not implying that poetry thereby usurps the honors of science (which would be pretentious). But, that a true scientist is also an artist and that "art" should proceed scientifically.

[from93till]

@Anthony82M I like this.

[BeatQue]

I'm and artist, and I have to say that Art is inherently a pretentious act. There is nothing wrong with that though. Its just the nature of the artistic process.

[nhmllr725]

@BeatQue

Creating a piece of art is creating a scenario where you choose what pieces of truth you want in the scene. With science, you have to interpret the truth from what you see, like with a good piece of art. (By a good piece, I mean that it symbolizes something, not to just look good.) The only difference is, this scene is created by a human, so it is from a human perspective. In that way, it is somewhat pretentious, because you are creating a universe with your own truths. But who cares?

[hekoka]

@geoffmthomas Edward De Bono in his book simplicity says something like: "some people use complex language to sound more intelligent and others because they make a living by simplifying it" lol

[aliyekhin]

@geoffmthomas pretentious? Moi?!

[chopstix720]

@geoffmthomas hes not trying to explain the universe hes giving an interview about his fascination with science and frankly i think you sound pretentious TO BE BLUNTZZZ

[kiphawking]

Sounds fascistic!

[StrikaAmaru]

@Anthony82M "The interpretive function is the highest honor of the arts, and because it is so we find that a sort of hyper-scientific precision is the touchstone and assay of the artists power, of his honor, his authenticity. - Ezra Pound"

So, translated in plain English: "Because arts are interpreted, a sort of hyper-scientific precision is the core and measure of the artists power, of his honor, his authenticity." Did I get close enough?

[dgiors]

I've read the first chapter of "The Pleasure of Finding Things Out" and he covers the material with the artist and with his father in the book. Is the entire interview like Cliff's Notes of the book?

If I hadn't become a film maker (artist) I probably would have become a scientist. I like Feynman's perspective of the World.

[CognitivePredominate]

Ahh a great man...

Eccentricity affects my behaviour much like it did his.

[jimdroberts]

I have been a teacher for 6 years. Listening to this guy for 10 minutes has me re-evaluating what teaching is and more importantly what it should be.

[leathertanner]

It should be about passing on years of your learning in hours.

[intermender]

what a marvellous relationship he had with his father. No wonder they both did well.

[n1knows]

Such a gentleman. The intellect should be the ones who show us the way. - And the politicians are not the intellect.

[master1140]

Oh so true! I'm not expecting it any time soon though...hopefully in my lifetime:) (I'm currently 17)

[johntkucz]

This is fascinating. That's an amazingly great hidden "common sense" realization. Names of things just teach you about people and naming. But science authentically and observations reveals things about how The World, how Nature works. Science FTW. chemistry, biology, physics patterns all reveal patterns of truth. Words for things created by people can (and do) change every couple hundred years. The laws of physics, however, last Forever. billions of years. Endure.

[soccom8341576]

Most people are intelligent, but I guess you can never be intelligent enough. I think that is what he meant by limited intelligence.

I think humility is a way of showing some appreciation for nature.

[RussianAssassin21]

"Most people are intelligent..."

I'm not too sure about that.

[Elephant1960]

If Feynman has got limited intelligence, then I'm just plain retarded.

[johntkucz]

LOL!

[leathertanner]

Humility is the path to enlightenment.

[Elephant1960]

Very true.

[HumanStrategy]

Enlightenment is an illusion. Just live and die.^^

[xchmelmilos]

Not if You force it (not that You personally do), but rather if You understand that what You can gain by being humble in which situation a.s.n. Otherwise it is just a word and knowing these words means nothing such as knowing all the names for a bird in various languages 9:35 .

Interestingly word "force" as I used in "force Yourself" relates to Force in Physics . We 7:50 do not know why things happen, but we can only measure & guess and use the knowledge.

[leathertanner]

Tangential, but true.

Remember that Feynman was actually a patron of scienceand math, so within society it is kind of important to have common facts.

[hg46]

could you tell me the books you read where this sort of theory comes from please

[armchaircriticTV]

that girl around 2:30 totally wants to smother richard with her badangdangs

[aadoza]

Well, talking about the flower.

In a certain respect the same beauty of the flower is not available to those are who are not artists in the same way that the beauty of the science behind the flower is mysterious to most who aren't scientists. The way I would imagine how an artist would look at a flower, is not just to look at a flower. But how the light strikes the flower, the various hues, how they intermingle. Warm colours, cool colours, is there a cool colour with a warm light strinking it?

[aadoza]

Of course most of what I am saying can be available to anyone. Some artists would miss some things arty things in the same way that some scientists would miss out some of the sciency things. Artists can appreciate a flower on a scientific level and a scientist can appreciate it on a artistic level. Both are interesting ways of perceiving the flower.

Feynman is my hero. I think I've seen this interview about 20 times now.

[ranadeeppoddar]

limited intelligence...right...then we have none.This guy created half differentials at the age of 18.

[lebarosky]

My favorite Feynman clip is after the Challenger explosion. They asked him to look into it. So he calls a press conference and he has a glass of ice water and an O ring. He takes the O ring and shows how flexible it is. He says, "this is the stuff that holds the joints of the solid fuel booster together. Then he puts the ring in the ice water, takes it out, and breaks it. End of demonstration. If I had been the engineer who designed the damn boosters I would have gone outside and shot myself.

[ciscox3]

The engineers knew about the flaw but the business execs thought the cheaper crappier design outweighed a human beings life. Sadly, this is what happens with a lot of engineering designs, they (the better ones) get tossed out because of cost.  Funny, all the engineers who tried to stop this (application of crappy design) were fired later on.

[kurt6string]

He didn't call a special press conference according to the literature. It was in the context of the review board of which he was a member. And as he recounts it, the general in charge of the board was working on his car on a cold morning and gave feynman a call asking how the cold would affect them...my memory may be faulty but I do believe he wrote a book that included the experience.

[joseavs]

What a genius he was. When I was a student in my early years, he was my hero. Always creative, simple and accurate in his own manner to explain very difficult things. When a learn more, and study by his books. The As Physicist Richard [aka Dick] Feynman, shown always the same straight manner to put the complicated in a new and simple way. When you red all his books about his life, you find why we love the nature. A truly universal and curious man and nice person. A Legend.

[vishnusiva007]

Thanks for sharing this video !!

[thescottishJimmy]

'I have a limited intelligence' surely you're joking mr. feynman

[geoffmthomas]

Ha, ha!

[andyx1205]

@thescottishJimmy If he has a limited intelligence than the rest of us have the intelligence of an ant!

feynman is brilliant

[levlobotomy]

@andyx1205

he means his iq. its reported to be about 126. there are certainly more intelligent people around. certainly not many more gifted people however.

[DeathZeroTolerance]

@levlobotomy

just goes to show IQ tests aren't a great metric for measuring intelligence.

[Vennificus]

@thescottishJimmy well played, well played

[Sampycock]

@thescottishJimmy He probably means limited as in 'not infinite' rather than 'small'. He didn't want to 'spend' any intellect on the humanities when that would mean reducing the amount he could spend on science.

[ropeadope87]

@thescottishJimmy Just like Socrates, it makes him smarter

[contrail2k8]

"ï have a limited inteligence" yes you do but if far succeeds mine LOL

[Sydumizar]

proof that a well fueled childhood really sparks the imagination and intellect

brilliant man. you are grand

[PCoderch]

"I have a limited intelligence." Lol. are you kidding Mr.Feynman?

[geoffmthomas]

Well, obviously he knew he was a very talented man but his humility turned him into a likeable character and is one of the main reasons he was so popular, I think.

[PCoderch]

Yeah, he probably said that because people stupid people and people of average intelligence, which comprise the bulk of Humanity, love when highly intelligent people say that their intellect is nothing special. It makes them feel better about their own limited abilities.

[feta3000]

i disagree

i think people of great intelligence do sense the many questions they can't answer. my opinion is that when he says he is of limited intelligence, he doesn't compare himself with people, he actually compares his capacity with an idealized potential which he has set for himself... in addition scientists keep on impressing each other.. you might be clever to understand an explanation of a novel concept easily, but you do beat yourself for not imagining the concept itself first!

[dietermauer]

@feta3000 Thumbs up !

Very wise words.

[Emeengor]

@geoffmthomas No its not his with humility.. he just understands the reality... he meant that! He meant that he had a limited intelligence.. he didnt mean that he is stupid.. but that he could understand things that affare his field.. (such as logic math physics) and his intelligence was not bright enough to understand things like art or worksmanship.. that is what he means by "limited" he didnt mean that he is stupid or less intelligent than other people..

[gene15644a]

@PCoderch He was probably in that place where he realized that there was so much more to learn and so much more to do.

[nanogirl]

Thank you so much for putting this up!

[watchmeuser]

yaaaay

i m like him

i might make history too lol

[happyseaurchin]

beautiful indeed

delicate

a fine light mind

[KiranGopalAshtekar]

Interested people: see Richard Feynman's poem in his quotes somewhere on Wikipedia ..

[knighcs66]

what a great dad

[lawsonks]

I remember watching this when first broadcast and videoing it - I found the tape last week but no more video player! Thank you for putting this up.

[mmafighternow]

Nobel Laureate, Awesome Professor, and Lady's Man.

[KenfromDublin]

Pity about the very poor video quality.

[FlowersBirdArtist]

yes, there is so much beauty at a smaller dimension. Microbiology and chemistry are awesome sciences!

[dibbuck]

when the bbc made real programmes so long ago

[sn1pe352]

what a beautiful man and what a beautiful mind. his father was a great man and I truly admire Richard. He also proved ether was real and could quite possibly get academia to check it out.

Much Love and Light Richard

[vjb007]

Thank you. Always good to hear from Feynman, and from people who appreciate him. Tuva or bust!

[Sp3EdB4LL]

Great post. Thanks from Italy!

[EpicHiroDJ]

ahhh this is beautiful, thx!

[linlorienelen]

watching him, I realize that casting Alan Alda as Feynman in QED was brilliant. A perfect fit.

[vitaminrich2]

That was very nice.

[DickPPPPP]

He IS a genius, as said by James Gleick, in the world of pure science.

[sirmolio]

This clip is refreshing, in light of today's rampant idiocy.

[VincentJS]

It's a great naturalistic and down to earth view on the universe we live in and I really feel envious I can't express myself in such a simple yet concise way as Feynman does. But, a well, he had the advantage of being a genious and having quite a few more years of experience behind him than i have ;)

[apollyon1]

Every teacher should watch this clip.

This is the first time I've seen feynman's image, but I read his books before now. This is why I love youtube, before now he was a generic 1950's guy, but now he has a true face.

He looks more reagal than I imagined, certaintly he has an adictive personality.

[livingroomsong]

Yeah, I've learned a lot since YouTube started. Everything from violin and guitar technique to politics to history. It's really changing how we learn things, in a good way. Now, the only limits are our own creativity and curiosity :).

[jrcolli22morris]

good comment

[Sevkrum]

anybody has something similar to this in spanish?

thank you

[meantime08]

"Foist of all"...Brooklyn born Feyn man kinna did good by the world.

[jupiterjjrm]

Thanks a lot. I enjoyed it very much. I'm a scientist, but what he says is really of general interest! The way his father taught him to notice things is so necessary nowadays.

[Katalyzt]

Ahhhhh, now I understand the comparisons... Thanks for posting these videos...

Katalyzt

[crashtv]

knowing the name of something against KNOWING something. That's never left me. I feel a bit teary.

[geoffmthomas]

Yes, very perceptive guy wasn't he. Very down to earth I thought.

[crashtv]

understaement.

[crashtv]

THANK YOU! I didn't want to play my old tape of the actual thing I taped at the time on my Dad's video recorder. I'll try recording it ontpo DVD now that I know this is here - I'll see if I can up the quality a bit.

[DickJohnson3434]

Thanks for posting.

[geoffmthomas]

You're welcome, Dick. Glad you enjoyed it.