Feynman 'Fun to Imagine' 4: Magnets (and 'Why?' questions...)

Physicist Richard Feynman explains to a non-scientist just how difficult it is to answer certain questions in lay terms! A classic example of Feynman's clarity of thought, powers of explanation and intellectual honesty - and his refusal to 'cheat' with misleading analogies...
From the BBC TV series 'Fun to Imagine'(1983). You can now watch higher quality versions of some of these episodes at www.bbc.co.uk/archive/feynman/

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• feynman
• science
• physics
• magnet
• physical
• law
• atom
• gravity
• electric
• explain
• truth
• fun
• ice
• enjoy
• 'insane
• clown
• posse'

[Moongazerr]

I think this is the best 240p video that I watched.

[KurosenvsGrither]

I transcribed this. Here you go:

lesswrong . com/r/discussion/lw/99c/transc­ript_richard_feynman_on_why_qu­estions/

[kantastisk]

gah, now I need to know why water expands when it freezes

[1brothad]

Fuckin' magnets, how do they work?

[JeefCakes]

@kwiss Feynman's description of magnetism to a layman is fully up to date. It is exactly the same as something people take for granted (pushing something with your finger) but over a larger distance.

But I don't even why I'm bothering. If you genuinely think this guy is being a prick in taking the time to explain why he didn't want to fob the guy off with a bad analogy, I think you'd find there's no shortage of people who'd disagree and think you are the prick.

[skydome29]

6:00 onwards this herein lies why he was a great scientist and professor, he was concerned about the students education (whomever they were) and "cheating" them of a better explanation or method, because he was comfortable with the most complex of scientific issues.

[gotanmp3]

Or in other words, it would be like trying to explain something to the Amish by using a car analogy.

[mcmanhandles]

I am an engineering student, and he is sooooooo correct in the vid. It is impossible to understand without a big backround...People should get a little curious and try to understand something that takes more than ten seconds to grasp... Rather than singing FUCKIN MAGNETS, HOW DO THEY WORK? Yeah, search that phrase :/

[bdsnellable]

amazing for so many reasons

[peska2006]

Feynman was the embodiment of will.

[tostare]

I think he didn't know and was just bluffing. He probably looked it up in the encyclopedia afterwards.

[rhcquant]

@kwiss I agree. He diverted from the question. Feynman always believed that if he couldn't explain something properly to his dad (who was not a scientist), then he didn't understand it. One can only conclude that he doesn't really understand how magnetism works. Thing is, few do... especially in 1960s... I wager he was hedging his bets here because the Ising model was still a new thing.