Lawrence M. Klaus, the author of Biography of richard feynman, is a famous physicist. He and Feynman intersect at Caltech. The author makes no secret of his admiration for Feynman, and his works are full of passion. It also systematically shows the scientific background at that time and the interesting process of Feynman's development of quantum theory under this background, which is beyond the reach of non-scientific writers.
This book shows us Feynman's persistence and love for physics and the qualities that a physicist should possess. At the same time, it also makes us feel Feynman's brilliant humanity and distinctive personal color.
0 1 Unique education of family
Richard feynman's father Melville had a great influence on him. His father has been cultivating Feynman since he was a child, teaching Feynman how to look at the essence of a thing, not the appellation attached to it. For example, if a moving car stops suddenly, the ball on the car will still move. My father will patiently explain this situation, but his father will not say, this is Newton's law of motion. But tell him that the object will always keep its original state of motion. His father also made him question authority, thinking that authority is just uniforms and positions, and there is nothing to be afraid of.
The cultivation of Feynman by his father made Feynman learn to think. This reminds me of stephen hawking, whose parents had no restrictions and didn't give Hawking a direction. Hawking showed interest in maintenance technology, physics and astronomy, and his father often shared with him their feelings about the wonderful parts of the book. In a small town, Hawking's parents often run around with their children, and the family's performance is incompatible with the conservative neighbors around them. Hawking's parents don't care about this.
Obviously, these seemingly inconspicuous family education methods provide a powerful boost for children's future.
Even interest needs constant stimulation.
A person's interests can't always be fresh, but also need external stimulation.
Feynman didn't show great interest in physics at least in high school class, because he probably taught himself all the courses in high school at that time, and he often lacked enthusiasm in the face of familiar things. Once, Bud, a physics teacher, called him and said he looked listless. Budd told Feynman about the "principle of minimum action": when an object moves, if the cumulative value of the difference between potential energy and kinetic energy at each point on its path is the smallest, then this path determines the movement route of the object. Feynman's curiosity about this strange principle rekindled his enthusiasm for physics.
Showing the outside world at the right time often has unexpected effects and may have a lifelong impact on a person.
Learning without friends is ignorant.
Feynman found a kindred spirit at MIT-Ted Wilton. They all took advanced postgraduate courses in theoretical physics, and only two of them were juniors. Faced with the siege of senior students and graduate students, the two formed an alliance, circulated a notebook to each other, and added self-taught advanced mathematical calculations to it. Feynman also re-derived a very common equation.
At Princeton University, Feynman and john wheeler, a young assistant professor, are also mentors. Feynman has a super talent for mathematics, while Whit is gentle on the surface, but his ideas are as bold as tigers in the forest. Physics needs bold imagination and careful verification, which complement each other. For Feynman's crazy idea, Wheeler will not directly deny it, but continue to put forward more crazy but enlightening ideas on the basis of assumptions. For example, the function of charge may be "time reversal", which was really incredible at that time, but it provided a wonderful idea for Feynman diagram later.
Feynman met hans bethe in the Manhattan Project. Bette has such a characteristic that once he has an idea, he must find someone to discuss it with. However, he couldn't go to diamond cut diamond, so he found his subordinate Feynman. What makes people pleasantly surprised is that Feynman is wise and insightful and full of enthusiasm for physical research. Moreover, once Feynman discusses physical problems with others, he will get carried away If he thinks it's wrong, he just denies it, whether this person is his boss or not.
Later, Feynman moved to California Institute of Technology, when Murray gherman was a physics superstar rising from Ran Ran in Ran Ran. Gherman liked Feynman's pure and straightforward academic style, and it was because of Feynman that he came to the university. They often discuss together, which seems to be an argument. Sometimes they ridicule each other academically. Geniuses always appreciate each other. Although they sometimes disagree, they still consult each other regularly.
The biggest advantage of getting along with like-minded friends is that you can get unexpected knowledge from each other, which is impossible for a person to achieve.
Behind the absurd behavior
Feynman's original love was sad. His fiancee Arlene had tuberculosis and had to be hospitalized all the time. Both parents are opposed to their marriage, but for the sake of their childhood friends, they have decided to get married, and Feynman is very willing to take care of sick Arlene. You will be very touched by Feynman's decision and behavior. However, Arlene died of illness after only two years of marriage, which made Feynman very sad.
And the use of nuclear bombs by the United States has caused great panic. At this time, "nihilism" spread rapidly, which had a more serious impact on Feynman who participated in the Manhattan Project. He is convinced that nuclear weapons will be used again and everything built will be meaningless.
One year after his wife Arlene died, his father, who inspired him from childhood, died of a stroke, which undoubtedly gave him a heavy blow. He loves his wife deeply, which is his emotional sustenance. And his father is full of worries about Feynman's future. In a letter to him, his father was extremely proud that Feynman could teach at Cornell University. His father is his spiritual pillar.
These triple blows had a great impact on his spirit, and he obviously couldn't find a solution and became very depressed for a time.
After that, a dramatic scene happened. Feynman changed from a shy man when talking to women to a man addicted to lust. He constantly pursues beautiful women and abandons them faster. He is famous for seducing women at foreign conferences. In order to avoid emotional entanglements, he went to California Institute of Technology. Then I went to Brazil to teach and appreciate the exotic customs.
Undeniably, indulging in one's own behavior relieves one's inner emptiness to a certain extent, but it is also tantamount to quenching thirst by drinking poison. Maybe being accused by others will liberate and ease your mind.
05 maverick jumping out of the trap of thinking
Usually, physicists are in such a state that they gather there like hounds because they know there are prey there. Feynman does not belong to this kind of person. He likes to delve into less popular scientific fields, but with keen physical intuition, he can find the points that are combined with the tools he developed, such as the "superfluidity" phenomenon of liquid nitrogen at low temperature. When the scientist is looking for new particles, he focuses on it.
I think this trait can also make him more calm about his research object, instead of rushing to get the "holy grail" first and enter the trap of thinking.
Feynman is interesting anyway. But he became very strict about science. He doubted not only the authority, but also whether the quantum electrodynamics he developed was really useful. He didn't compete with others for fame and fortune, and winning the Nobel Prize was not his original intention. At one point, he even wanted to refuse to accept the prize. This is Feynman, who only focuses on what he thinks is interesting and is committed to judging whether his ideas are correct or not.