(Indeterminate, like me. Think outside the box, but when you step outside the box ... try to keep one foot in)
Monday, June 6, 2011
Best Video Ever: Feynman on "Honors"
Heck yeah and three cheers to Richard Feynman. "The kick is in the discovery." Best thing ever said, IMO, right after America's unintentional philosopher Rodney King's: "Why can't we all .... just get along?"
Wonderful stuff (I'd never seen the chart before)! "Perfectly Reasonable Deviations From the Beaten Track: The Letters of Richard P. Feynman" is daughter Michelle Feynman's great compendium of Feynman's correspondence over the yrs. and shows his distaste for honors, including his letters back and forth with the Nat. Acad. of Sciences as he tried and eventually did cancel his membership from that august group. Truly one-of-a-kind!
Wow Shecky, thanks! Didn't know that Feynman even had kids! I must check that out.
Well as I think as you know Shecky, the single most noble profession in my opinion is Teaching.
Europeans understand this. Why don't Americans? And Feynman was one of our best. Miss him, miss him, miss him so much, but thanks to the miracles of modern technology, he is immortal, thankfully.
Feynman also had a son who I believe ended up in either physics or computer science?? BTW, some of Feynman's letters in the book I referenced address his views on education. In a different blogging life I actually wrote a review of that volume here:
"In later life, Feynman became especially interested in the manner of science instruction at the lower school levels, and his thoughts/writings on that subject are always illuminating as well."
I find myself leaning in this direction as well. Step 1: stop over-testing the kids.
Wonderful stuff (I'd never seen the chart before)! "Perfectly Reasonable Deviations From the Beaten Track: The Letters of Richard P. Feynman" is daughter Michelle Feynman's great compendium of Feynman's correspondence over the yrs. and shows his distaste for honors, including his letters back and forth with the Nat. Acad. of Sciences as he tried and eventually did cancel his membership from that august group.
ReplyDeleteTruly one-of-a-kind!
Wow Shecky, thanks! Didn't know that Feynman even had kids! I must check that out.
ReplyDeleteWell as I think as you know Shecky, the single most noble profession in my opinion is Teaching.
Europeans understand this. Why don't Americans? And Feynman was one of our best. Miss him, miss him, miss him so much, but thanks to the miracles of modern technology, he is immortal, thankfully.
Feynman also had a son who I believe ended up in either physics or computer science??
ReplyDeleteBTW, some of Feynman's letters in the book I referenced address his views on education. In a different blogging life I actually wrote a review of that volume here:
http://scienceontap.blogspot.com/2009/05/inner-feynman.html
It has its dull parts, but also has plenty of delights!
Thanks again, Shecky. I liked this passage:
ReplyDelete"In later life, Feynman became especially interested in the manner of science instruction at the lower school levels, and his thoughts/writings on that subject are always illuminating as well."
I find myself leaning in this direction as well. Step 1: stop over-testing the kids.