10 Reasons Why Richard Feynman was More than Just a Physicist
The name Richard Feynman is hardly new to any keen minds in Physics. There’s no denying that he was one of the quintessential figures in the field of Physics. He not only revolutionized Quantum Mechanics, but he also changed people’s perception of how they view Physics in General. In Quantum Mechanics, his contributions like the formulation of the theory of quantum electrodynamics are a testament to the fact that he was truly a gift that kept on giving. Also, who could forget his lectures? The time and effort he put into his classes spoke for itself and was projected in the way he talked and expressed himself. Here are ten facts about this titan of a persona:
1. His desolate love life
Everyone has a special someone that they’re lucky to be with or the one that they could never have even when many come and go in our lives. Although Feynman was married thrice, his love was reserved for only one, his very first love, Arline. It wasn’t all happily ever after though. Arline suffered from Tuberculosis and doctors said she wasn’t going to live long enough. The illness eventually took her life. Feynman was 27 at that time, alone, shattered, and devastated.
2. He was a prolific actor
Feynman was gifted with everything, his looks, his intelligence, and his charisma. He was very good at giving lectures. They were the best part of him. Once, the opportunity came knocking at his door when he was asked to portray a professor in the movie ‘Anti clock’ (1979). He played the role to perfection.
3. His deduction skills were unmatched
His unique perception of things gave him detective skills in the field of Physics which were no less than that of Sherlock Holmes himself. His deep intuition in this area helped solve many problems which were thought to be unsolved mysteries. Feynman was appointed by NASA as a member of investigating committee to find out the reason behind the Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster and wouldn’t you know it? He was successful in doing so.
4. A meticulous prankster
When we hear about a Nobel Prize-winning Physicist, we immediately jump to the conclusion that they must be a formal gentleman but this wasn’t the case with regard to Feynman. As a prank, he used to break safes while working on Manhattan Project in Los Alamos. Once, he broke the combination of the locker belonging to his colleague Frederic de Hoffmann and left a bunch of coded messages inside it. When Hoffmann discovered the messages, he was terrified assuming that a spy must have infiltrated the base.
5. Everlasting love for art
Besides music, his love for art was also sensational. He loved the visual representation of something sublime represented by an artist on paper, specifically paintings and sketches. His passion for art first ignited when he had a healthy debate with his friend Jirayr Jerry Zorthian regarding Science vs. Art. He started drawing at the age of 44, a healthy habit that would remain with him his entire life.
6. He developed his own way of learning
He always had a unique go about on any matters at hand, to say the least. While learning something, he developed a technique which is called ‘The Feynman technique’ today. The steps to this technique go like this:
1. Choose a concept or a topic of your interest and start studying it.
2. Explain it to a 12-year-old.
3. Reflect, Refine, and Simplify.
4. Organize and Review.
If you want to learn more about the technique, I have written a different story on it. Do check it out:
7. A lifelong Skeptic
He was always fascinated by the workings of Nature and would often spend hours on end being lost in it. He was always curious about the things that piqued his interest. Ever since he was a young boy, he had always questioned the circumstances that made little to no sense rather than going along with them, like the existence of Santa Claus. He made a deduction at a tender age that Santa couldn’t be real while other children were busy waiting for their gifts.
8. Eternal love for music
Feynman’s love for music was unfathomable. It helped him ease his mind while also being productive at the same time. He had a peculiar attachment to this instrument called Bongos. He would play it whenever he had time to spare. He even played in an Orchestra.
9. He believed in simplicity
Feynman believed that to make someone understand a certain discipline, it should be made as much simplistic and graspable as possible. He was humble, honest, and radiant with a little bit of a sense of humor mixed into it. He himself couldn’t be satisfied with the idea if he didn’t understand it to the minute details.
10. Involvement in Manhattan Project
He had the opportunity to work as a Professor at Cornell University in 1945. Besides this, he was involved in a secret government project called ‘Manhattan Project’ where he worked alongside some brilliant minds like Robert Oppenheimer. He couldn’t remain at a desk the whole day though. He would break the military rules several times and often prank his colleagues. He was a light-hearted fellow.
Contributed by Rishab Karki and curated by the author.
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