OT: Happy Belated Birthday, Richard Feynman, 106 yesterday.

[LionJim]

My favorite quote of his: “What I cannot do, I do not understand.” I’ve gotten a lot of mileage out of that one.

He has a well-known reputation for being a superb teacher. He took his teaching seriously and worked very hard to perfect his craft. I love this story: a graduate student went down to the Cal Tech physics building at 7am one Sunday and he’s working in what he believes is an empty building when he hears a familiar voice. He follows the voice and finds the world’s greatest living physicist lecturing to an otherwise empty lecture hall, rehearsing for his Physics 101 lecture the next day.

James Gleick wrote an excellent biography, Genius. Highly recommended.

 

[Leo Ridens]

I knew several students who got their PhDs with Feynman as their advisor. One guy could never get in to discuss his progress with Feynman. One time he waited outside his door. Feynman came out, gave a passionate kiss to a young woman, and as she walked away, the student said, "Professor Feynman, now that you have a minute, can I talk to you about my thesis?" Feynman yelled at the student for stalking him, then calmed down and said, "You know, I never had trouble meeting women. I just have trouble getting rid of them". He then invited the guy in to discuss his thesis.

Another Feynman student was walking in Pasadena one day and Feynman came by in the other direction with a young woman who had previously dated the student. As they passed, the student said, "Good morning Professor Feynman, good morning Debbie". She replied in a very warm fashion, " Hi, John". Feynman whipped around and gave him a stare that could have killed him. He still got his PhD with Feynman as his advisor.