3 ms·

Do cleaning staff actually wipe blackboards at Caltec? Makes me question the authenticity of the story.

varelaz 8y ago
but quantum representation of this information still lives somewhere in the Universe
YayamiOmate 8y ago
Yea, also it seems that "had it all" might be an exaggeration... there are lots of mathematical technical details that go into those papers. I consider Feynman my idol, and he certainly could have had such idea and a shot at theory, but blackboard scribbling seems closer to napkin than a fullfledged theoretical paper. Nevertheless, cool story.
Chris_Chambers 8y ago
Jews excel at embellishing stories and fanatically promoting a positive image of their fellow tribe members.
nabla9 8y ago
I think Lightman uses artistic license a lot and has rehearsed the story mulitple times in his mind. Lightman is a writer who wrote 'Einstein's Dreams'. This article is basically transcript of the interview from 2014. http://nautil.us/blog/why-hawking-radiation-was-almost-feynman-radiation http://nautil.us/blog/why-hawking-radiation-was-almost-feynm... Another weird think in the interview is Lightman saying that he don't think Feynman didn't have a big ego. Feynman loved Feynman stories and was very intellectually very competitive with his peers. His reputation and those stories were not completely spontaneous. His breakup with Gell-Mann came because he sometimes forgot that it was not he who invented all those ideas they came up together. I think one of the things that makes Feynman a bigger than life characters are his quirks and personality. There is no need to clean up his image into some king of humble guy.
- gumby 8y ago
  > Another weird think in the interview is Lightman saying that he don't think Feynman didn't have a big ego. I only got to know him pretty late in his life (when he was in Boston) and FWIW, compared to many folks around MIT he was not especially or showily egotistical and he had the time to talk to random students about interesting things. He was more patient than most of the MIT faculty. I can't say I was some sort of pal or anything so perhaps I got the benefit of a more edited persona?
  - nabla9 8y ago
    Assuming Feynman's identity and self worth were tied around his intellect, accomplishments and reputation. I don't think his identity was challenged in day-to-day encounters with his students and colleges. Only people like Gell-Mann might be able to push his buttons. If I remember correctly the stories, the two were always trying to one-up each other even in trivial matters. That kind of mutual challenging was probably beneficial. Ego is weird word because it can mean opposite things in common use. "Weak ego" - person is easily upset when their identity is challenged. "Strong ego" or "big ego" - used as positive thing, opposite of weak ego. "big ego" - used negatively as synonym for egoistic, selfish or self centered. "egotistic" - excessive and objectionable reference to oneself in conversation or writing; conceit; boastfulness, selfishness
    - gumby 8y ago
      Insightful theory. Impossible for me to have tested as I am not, and have never been, in the Gell-Mann zone!
IshKebab 8y ago
Yeah I find this very hard to believe. Cleaners don't even erase whiteboards and unimportant ordinary companies.
aj7 7y ago
Exactly. The first thing they teach janitors in universities is to never touch the blackboards in offices.

but quantum representation of this information still lives somewhere in the Universe

Yea, also it seems that "had it all" might be an exaggeration... there are lots of mathematical technical details that go into those papers. I consider Feynman my idol, and he certainly could have had such idea and a shot at theory, but blackboard scribbling seems closer to napkin than a fullfledged theoretical paper. Nevertheless, cool story.

Chris_Chambers 8y ago

Jews excel at embellishing stories and fanatically promoting a positive image of their fellow tribe members.

nabla9 8y ago

I think Lightman uses artistic license a lot and has rehearsed the story mulitple times in his mind. Lightman is a writer who wrote 'Einstein's Dreams'. This article is basically transcript of the interview from 2014. http://nautil.us/blog/why-hawking-radiation-was-almost-feynman-radiation http://nautil.us/blog/why-hawking-radiation-was-almost-feynm... Another weird think in the interview is Lightman saying that he don't think Feynman didn't have a big ego. Feynman loved Feynman stories and was very intellectually very competitive with his peers. His reputation and those stories were not completely spontaneous. His breakup with Gell-Mann came because he sometimes forgot that it was not he who invented all those ideas they came up together. I think one of the things that makes Feynman a bigger than life characters are his quirks and personality. There is no need to clean up his image into some king of humble guy.

gumby 8y ago
> Another weird think in the interview is Lightman saying that he don't think Feynman didn't have a big ego. I only got to know him pretty late in his life (when he was in Boston) and FWIW, compared to many folks around MIT he was not especially or showily egotistical and he had the time to talk to random students about interesting things. He was more patient than most of the MIT faculty. I can't say I was some sort of pal or anything so perhaps I got the benefit of a more edited persona?
- nabla9 8y ago
  Assuming Feynman's identity and self worth were tied around his intellect, accomplishments and reputation. I don't think his identity was challenged in day-to-day encounters with his students and colleges. Only people like Gell-Mann might be able to push his buttons. If I remember correctly the stories, the two were always trying to one-up each other even in trivial matters. That kind of mutual challenging was probably beneficial. Ego is weird word because it can mean opposite things in common use. "Weak ego" - person is easily upset when their identity is challenged. "Strong ego" or "big ego" - used as positive thing, opposite of weak ego. "big ego" - used negatively as synonym for egoistic, selfish or self centered. "egotistic" - excessive and objectionable reference to oneself in conversation or writing; conceit; boastfulness, selfishness
  - gumby 8y ago
    Insightful theory. Impossible for me to have tested as I am not, and have never been, in the Gell-Mann zone!

IshKebab 8y ago

Yeah I find this very hard to believe. Cleaners don't even erase whiteboards and unimportant ordinary companies.

aj7 7y ago

Exactly. The first thing they teach janitors in universities is to never touch the blackboards in offices.