Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!

http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/collaboration/focus/education/tuva.aspx

Richard Feynman awards
Albert Einstein Award (1954)
E. O. Lawrence Award (1962)
Nobel Prize in Physics (1965)
Oersted Medal (1972)
National Medal of Science (1979)

Ron and Frank review the book "Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!" Adventures of a Curious Character by Richard P. Feynman. Winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics.

Feynman On Flying Saucers

I had a conversation about flying saucers some years ago with laymen. You see, because I'm scientific they think I know all about flying saucers!

So, I said, I don't think there are flying saucers.

My antagonist said. Is it impossible that there are flying saucers?! Can you prove that it's impossible?

I said, No, I can't prove it's impossible. It's just very unlikely.

That they say, is very unscientific. If you can't prove it impossible, then how can you say it's unlikely?

But, that's the way it is, scientifically. It is scientific only to say what's more likely or less likely, and not to be proving all the time what's possible or impossible.

To define what I mean, I finally said to him. Listen. I mean that from my knowledge of the world that I see around me, I think that it is much more likely that the reports of flying saucers are the result of the known irrational characteristics of terrestrial intelligence rather than the unknown rational efforts of extraterrestrial intelligence.

The last statement has also been reported as UFOs are better explained in terms of the unknown irrational characteristics of terrestrial beings rather than by any unknown rational efforts of extraterrestrial beings.

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[Sheila6325]

I have always wanted truth more than being right, therefore, I find that when I get truth, and try to share it, I get rolled eyes, and eventually anger, from my family. thinking I want to be right. I could care less about being right all the time, I simply wished to share something I have found. Over the years I learned to be quiet and not tell anyone what I think, until now. I'm 63 yesterday, and now they can all "Bite Me" If some want to be "Rock Heads" so be it, but I will have my views too.

[ockteby]

@Sheila6325 I am 72, and age has some privileges. Glad you are freethinking my friend, and thanks for the comment.

frank

[crankyboris]

i beleive you were looking for the term "occam's razor" at a few points there.

[ockteby]

@crankyboris I went to Wikipedia for that one. :-) ;-)

[irishblood6355]

Don't call me Shirley.

[barrywilliamsmb]

@ockteby I am 54 and uh, where am I?

[mkarnerfors]

"....because Feynman really wants to know the truth, and alot of people just want to be right".

That, right there, sums up the quintessential difference between a scientist and a believer.

Adding that to my little black book of Principles, Arguments and Useful Oneliners. :)

[SShamit1]

Feynmen inspired me to be a physicist

[StrongHeartLives]

Feynman must have missed some art classes - Red, Yellow and Blue are the primary colors - you don't mix anything to get yellow but yellow.

[skyzalimt]

@LeeTheAgent I'll check it out. Even though the Challenger investigation included some very dark days, it will be good to revisit a time when we still had a robust space program. Thanks....

[LeeTheAgent]

Great review. I've been rereading this book again lately, and it just reminds me of what an amazing kind of mind Feynman's was. I'd recommend the follow-up, "What Do You Care What Other People Think?" as well. It's not as funny, it has more sad stories, and half of it is devoted to the Challenger investigation, but it's still fascinating to see how he thought, especially in the investigation. And it concludes with an amazing speech he gave.

[ThingsConsideredNews]

Excellent

[sixtiksix]

@skyzalimt I stand corrected....sorry...

[skyzalimt]

@sixtiksix Didn't say he was "instrumental on the bomb"... said he was instrumental in opening up physics to common folks... like me....