Stargazing Guy

– Richard P. Feynman (11 May 1918 – 15 Feb 1988)

From the Manhattan Project to the Challenger investigation, the physicist and Nobel Laureate 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?

Credit: https://freakonomics.com/podcast/the-curious-mr-feynman/

Another quote related to his Nobel Prize.

Christopher Sykes, a documentary filmmaker for many years for the BBC and Channel Four, was interviewing Feynman for a documentary film he was making and asked Feynman about quantum electrodynamics. Not really understanding his response Sykes asked, “Was it worth a Nobel Prize?” Sykes said it produced a really classic response, which is in full below:

“I don’t understand what it’s all about or what’s worth what. And if the people in the Swedish Academy decide that X, Y, or Z wins the Nobel Prize, then so be it. I won’t have anything to do with a Nobel Prize. I don’t like honors. I’m appreciated for the work that I did, and for people who appreciate it, and I notice other physicists use my work, I don’t need anything else. I’ve already got the prize. The prize is the pleasure of finding the thing out, I don’t believe in honors.”

… and that is why Sykes called his BBC ‘Horizon’ film, from 1981, The Pleasure of Finding Things Out.

In the meantime, another Nobel Prize related gag:

I’d kill for a Nobel Peace Prize.
Credit Steven Wright

More about Feynman’s Nobel Prize win to follow.

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PS: I love coffee. BuyMeACoffee, leave a message with a date and time and we can share it, remotely, at the same time, and think about the Cosmos.

In the meantime, take care of yourself and if you can, someone else, too, because as Adam Smith said, “we naturally desire not only to be loved but to be lovely”.

Remember, hope lives here.

Opening image credit: https://twitter.com/PrincetonGrad/status/936707860431597573

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