Lessons On Understanding With Richard Feynman

MOMENT IN THOUGHT

Blogging the podcast.

 As states, governments, and people begin to imagine what reentry into a world free of the novel coronavirus might look like we carry with us the scars of uncertainty. We have marched science down to Washington and Washington has obliged in a way only Washington can, by marching politics to science. At a time very much like the one we are in now, we search for a set of shared facts not politics. Yet we left with questions.  How exactly does airborne contagion occur in a virus 0.5 microns in diameter? How useful can a homemade mask be in stopping that spread? And as this virus mutates the context of work, of connection, and of information how can we understand this unprecedented disruption that affects us all. These unanswered, perhaps unanswerable, questions point to our need to understand. And If knowledge is what we seek, we all will eventually find ourselves perched at the feet of Richard Feynman, who was an eccentric theoretical physicist most known for his contribution to the atomic bomb.

“So I prepared the talk, and when the day came, I went in and did something that young men who have had no experience in giving talks often do—I put too many equations up on the blackboard. You see, a young fella doesn’t know how to say, “Of course, that varies inversely, and this goes this way . . .” because everybody listening already knows; they can see it. But he doesn’t know. He can only make it come out by actually doing the algebra—and therefore the reams of equations.”

RICHARD FENYNMAN

 To understand what understanding means, Feynman´s autobiography titled “Surely you’re joking Mr. Feynman” sprinkles science and philosophy directly from the mouth of a brilliantly accessible scientist. The big idea in the book is the law of simplicity. First is observation, next is play, and finally is a simplified answer. we must do these three. Observe, play, and simplify. Feynman explains this concept in his retelling of his first time at the lectern.

¨ On a first read this concept of simplifying an idea appears to conflict with the thought of observing the intricacies of that very idea or subject. But observation, true to life observation is a step that must come first before we begin the burden of explanation.  The bridge between simplicity and objective observation according to Feynman is, get this, play. “Then I had another thought: Physics disgusts me a little bit now, but I used to enjoy doing physics. Why did I enjoy it? I used to play with it. I used to do whatever I felt like doing—it didn’t have to do with whether it was important for the development of nuclear physics, but whether it was interesting and amusing for me to play with. When I was in high school, I’d see water running out of a faucet growing narrower, and wonder if I could figure out what determines that curve. I found it was rather easy to do. I didn’t have to do it; it wasn’t important for the future of science; somebody else had already done it. That didn’t make any difference And the proof is in the pudding because this new attitude led to Feynman questioning the motion of wobbling plate and this work pushed forward quantum physics and was the basis on which he won the Nobel Prize. As we look for answers, slack jawed at the tremendous amount of information before us. Take on the following steps Observe, play, and explain simply.  The work in understanding this moment extends beyond you or I. it will nurture future generations and electrify innovation for the human spirit is agile, it bleeds for change.

¨Until we see how many dimensions of behavior even a one-celled animal has, we won’t be able to fully understand the behavior of more complicated animals.

RICHARD FENYNMAN