Finished reading The meaning of it all today. It's a collection of three John Danz lectures Richard Feynman gave in 1963. They are not technical, the official topic is the effect of ideas from science on other branches of knowledge. In the first lecture Feynman clarifies what science is. He defines science to be a way of finding things out, a way based on the principle that observation is the sole judge of the merit of an idea. He discusses the importance of imagination in science, how ideas develop and more importantly, the uncertainty inherent in all scientific knowledge. You can never be 100% sure, but that also doesn't mean you are perpetually trapped in the middle of possibilities. You can be pretty sure of things, it's just not 100%. Which is a good thing, as Feynman points out, because we are uncertain means we'll keep trying new things, and I think this is an important statement, to keep trying new things out is the way to do everything.
The second lecture discusses the relationship between science and religion. Feynman points out the difficulties faced by an young man brought up in both scientific and religious disciplines, and the conflict he might see between the two. He also describes how the wonders of the universe are greater and more challenging and ultimately more satisfying than the greatest human imagination has to offer. A point made by many other scientists too, and I guess you start seeing the truth behind it after only a bit of exploration.
The third lecture is titled 'This unscientific age'. Here Feynman confesses that he ran out of organized ideas in the first two lectures and hence will present some of his uncoordinated thoughts. That gives him opportunity to jump from topic to topic, everything from radio ads insulting the intelligence of listeners (he takes on Pepsi here, What is thinking young anyway? he asks..) to some ways to improve how ideas are judged (talk about what is probable, not what is possible. UFOs are possible, yes, but what's the probability?) and some gotchas that media and sometimes even scientists make (like using the data that suggested a conclusion to support that conclusion instead of doing independent experiments and seeing what happens) and some more. Naturally, Feynman's enthusiasm makes this the longest lecture of the series.
Probably the most impressive thing about Feynman's writing is his honesty. Here's this guy adorned with words like 'The smartest man in the world' and 'The coolest scientist who ever lived' and he'll tell you straight away that you don't have to believe him because he's won some awards (Feynman shared the 1965 Physics Nobel). He'll frankly tell you that he does not know the answer and can live with that. This kinda honesty is something hard to find. But honesty is not the only thing that makes Feynman remarkable, it's also his amazing clarity of thought, his wit and enthusiasm, and his ability to successfully convey ideas, important ideas to be sure, and that without boring you.
I'll urge you to read it (won't even take that long, it's a small book (122 pages)).
The second lecture discusses the relationship between science and religion. Feynman points out the difficulties faced by an young man brought up in both scientific and religious disciplines, and the conflict he might see between the two. He also describes how the wonders of the universe are greater and more challenging and ultimately more satisfying than the greatest human imagination has to offer. A point made by many other scientists too, and I guess you start seeing the truth behind it after only a bit of exploration.
The third lecture is titled 'This unscientific age'. Here Feynman confesses that he ran out of organized ideas in the first two lectures and hence will present some of his uncoordinated thoughts. That gives him opportunity to jump from topic to topic, everything from radio ads insulting the intelligence of listeners (he takes on Pepsi here, What is thinking young anyway? he asks..) to some ways to improve how ideas are judged (talk about what is probable, not what is possible. UFOs are possible, yes, but what's the probability?) and some gotchas that media and sometimes even scientists make (like using the data that suggested a conclusion to support that conclusion instead of doing independent experiments and seeing what happens) and some more. Naturally, Feynman's enthusiasm makes this the longest lecture of the series.
Probably the most impressive thing about Feynman's writing is his honesty. Here's this guy adorned with words like 'The smartest man in the world' and 'The coolest scientist who ever lived' and he'll tell you straight away that you don't have to believe him because he's won some awards (Feynman shared the 1965 Physics Nobel). He'll frankly tell you that he does not know the answer and can live with that. This kinda honesty is something hard to find. But honesty is not the only thing that makes Feynman remarkable, it's also his amazing clarity of thought, his wit and enthusiasm, and his ability to successfully convey ideas, important ideas to be sure, and that without boring you.
I'll urge you to read it (won't even take that long, it's a small book (122 pages)).
2 comments:
The book sounds interesting. Shall check the library.
It is..
Jaroor vach..
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