Richard Feynman Resources
This is going to be an ODD entry, even me. I usually have some bug or other and need to share it - a book, a set of ideas, psychology, neuroscience, politics. This one is a little different. For example here is a poem which completely captures what this is about:
“The Auguries of Innocence,” by William Blake:
To see a World in a Grain of Sand
And a Heaven in a Wild Flower
Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand
And Eternity in an hour
I just stumbled on Richard Feynman. I love this guy. Steven Dubner, of Freakonomics fame, has a three part podcast about Richard Feynman. I loved the book Freakonomics, and Danny Kahnneman, Behavioral Economics and all that stuff. So when Dubner did this series of Feynman, I had to listen to it. It was a gift. I laughed, I was intrigued, I was amazed. Wonderful stories and amazing ideas. Listen to the first one below, I guarantee you will enjoy it. You will not learn how to build an atomic bomb, but you will hear a bunch of stories about it. You will not learn the details of particle physics, but the stories about the folks who did that are wonderful - with Feynman. And you will understand just a bit better what is so wonderful about life itself.
This entry is a compilation of some references to Richard Feynman talks, books, videos. You can skip down there right now and avoid this personal introduction. I actually just wanted to collect this stuff in a spot where I could easily find it all. So . . .
Introduction
I have a “math disability.” I am fairly bright, but I do not “get” math. I took all the high school courses through trig, and I got good grades - but it made no sense to me. I cannot even retain a number in my head for more than 5 minutes. When I took history in college, I had to find a mnemonic to remember dates. I went into the seminary library, and found a little book that saved my life. It involves turning numbers into words, and those into images, and then forming sentences or sequences of events in a little “play” in your brain. It works! My boss once gave me my accountabilities once in an equation. I said - “What the heck is this?” He said it’s clear - the relationship of x and y, etc. I had to work out all the permutations of the equation to see the relationship.
One of my grandsons has a super math brain. He was tutoring other undergraduates in college, and he is just starting a 10 month advanced degree in big numbers and networks. When he talks about math things my eyes glaze over.
Richard Feynman was a super math person. But the best thing about him is that he was curious - he wanted to know “how things work.” I know that itch very well. I had a theology prof, Fr. Gordon Knight. He had an STD from the Gregorian, and he taught at Duquesne University for years - and students loved him. He was a tall, bald guy, who rode a Harley! He loved ham radio, and he had a personal mantra - everything has to “make sense.” If someone tells you it’s a mystery, don’t believe it. Think about it. You can do this. He approached theology and radio with the same idea - how does this work? He was my idol for the few years that we lived in the same residence. I never had him in class, but I read all of his books. I became a ham radio nut, with an extra class incense. My last call sign was W0FJ.
We also had a session every Wednesday night. Myself and a few others would gather in his room, and Father Knight would just talk - about everything. He knew no limits. He had theories about radio waves, electrons, economics, politics etc.
Richard Feynman was exactly like that. Listening to the stories about him is just excellent fun.
With Father Knight it all started with electronics and radio. I learned a great deal about how those things work. I built my own transmitter from the ground up. This is not rocket science. This was all tubes back then, and I understood perfectly how they work. Solid state came along and things changed, but it was not rocket science either.
Richard Feynman lights up my curiosity every time I hear one of these stories about him, or when he explains things from a totally different perspective. Check out the podcast, you will see what I mean.
Richard Feynman Resources
Freakonomics Radio. These links will take you to the website where you can listen to the podcast, and see the related materials. Of course, they are also available on any podcast player.
The Curious Mr. Feynman (Update)
From the Manhattan Project to the Challenger investigation, the physicist Richard Feynman loved to shoot down what he called “lousy ideas.” Today, the world is awash in lousy ideas — so maybe it’s time to get some more Feynman in our lives? (Part one of a three-part series originally published in 2024.)
https://freakonomics.com/podcast/the-curious-mr-feynman-update/
The Brilliant Mr. Feynman (Update)
What happens when an existentially depressed and recently widowed young physicist from Queens gets a fresh start in California? We follow Richard Feynman out west, to explore his long and extremely fruitful second act. (Part two of a three-part series originally published in 2024.)
https://freakonomics.com/podcast/the-brilliant-mr-feynman-update/The Vanishing Mr. Feynman (Update)
In his final years, Richard Feynman’s curiosity took him to some surprising places. We hear from his companions on the trips he took — and one he wasn’t able to. (Part three of a three-part series originally published in 2024.)
https://freakonomics.com/podcast/the-vanishing-mr-feynman-update/
Ralph Leighton - life long friend and teller of his stories.
Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman: Adventures of a Curious Character.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0393355624/What Do You Care What Other People Think?: Further Adventures of a Curious Character.
https://www.amazon.com/What-Care-Other-People-Think/dp/0393355640/ref=sr_1_Feynman Lectures on YouTube 41 videos
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLyQSN7X0ro23NUN9RYBP5xdBYoiv2_5y2Feynman Reborn 77 Videos
https://www.youtube.com/@FeynmanReborn
Feynman Reborn brings Richard Feynman’s stories, ideas, and vision back to life — using AI-powered visuals and storytelling to recreate the wonder of discovery.
From quantum weirdness and time… to gravity, atoms, and the biggest questions in physics — we turn complex science into videos that feel like a movie, but teach you something real.
If you love mind-blowing explanations, true curiosity, and science that actually makes sense…
Subscribe and bring the universe back into focus.From Freakonomics - There is a long series of links to other resources at the Freakonomics website. I will not bother listing them all here. You can find them above. I am going to hold on to the list and work my way through them, as time permits. I love his NY accent, his casual demeanor, his insights. I would have loved to have had him as a teacher.
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