The Pleasure of Finding Things Out - Richard Feynman Interview (1981)

The Pleasure of Finding Things Out – Richard Feynman Interview (1981)

The pleasure of finding things out; if only more people in our society viewed things in this way. What an intriguing man Richard Feynman was, to have the ability to view the world in such a detailed way. As a young child he was trained by his father to basically dissect his observations around him. He would create analogies to make a comparison of what he read or saw so he could have a better understanding. Being the curious child that he was, Richard recalls when he learned very early to look beyond the obvious. One can have the ability to name a certain bird in various languages, but do they really know what kind of bird it is. What are its characteristics? Where does it live? He would ask these questions to be able to really "know" the bird. As he matured his observations became more detailed as did the questions. He wondered why the rings on very average plate would appear to spin more rapidly than the rest of plate as it fell to the ground. These great curiosities lead Richard Feynman to become a Nobel Prize winner in 1965 for Quantum Electrodynamics - the theory of how electrons interact with light.

During Feynman's interview, he speaks of what he believes is needed for society to have a better understanding of our world around us. When it comes to figuring out the world, Feynman suggests starting doubting things to begin the search for the answer. Yet to do this, one must have a great understanding of mathematics. It is the subject that holds the key to all the answers. Listening to this interview reminded me of grammar school. The basic questions of Who? What? and Why? you would ask yourself when writing also applies to how you view the obvious and can really open ones eyes to "the pleasure of finding things out".

N.Diaz 06/27/2008