“It’s interÂestÂing that some peoÂple find sciÂence so easy, and othÂers find it kind of dull and difÂfiÂcult,” says Richard FeynÂman at the beginÂning of his 1983 BBC series Fun to ImagÂine. “One of the things that makes it very difÂfiÂcult is that it takes a lot of imagÂiÂnaÂtion. It’s very hard to imagÂine all the crazy things that things realÂly are like.” A true sciÂenÂtist accepts that nothÂing is as it seems, in that nothÂing, when you zoom in close enough or zoom out far enough, behaves in a way that accords with our everyÂday expeÂriÂence. Even the necÂesÂsary scales — in which, for examÂple, an atom is to an apple as an apple is to Earth itself — are difÂfiÂcult to conÂceive.
Despite his much-celÂeÂbratÂed brilÂliance as a physiÂcist, FeynÂman also admitÂted to findÂing the quanÂtiÂties with which he had to work unfathÂomable, at least when examÂined outÂside their parÂticÂuÂlar conÂtexts. At the atomÂic levÂel, he explains, “you’re just thinkÂing of small balls, but you don’t try to think of exactÂly how small they are too often, or you get kind of a bit nutÂty.”
In astronÂoÂmy, “you have the same thing in reverse, because the disÂtance to these stars is so enorÂmous.” We all have an idea of what the term “light year” means — assumÂing we don’t misÂunÂderÂstand it as a unit of time — but who among us can realÂly enviÂsion a galaxy 100,000 light years away, let alone a milÂlion?
FeynÂman disÂcussÂes these matÂters with charÂacÂterÂisÂtic underÂstandÂing and humor across Fun to ImagÂine’s nine segÂments, which covÂer physÂiÂcal pheÂnomÂeÂna from fire and magÂnets to rubÂber bands and train wheels. Those who know their physics will appreÂciÂate the vividÂness and conÂciÂsion with which he explains this mateÂrÂiÂal, apparÂentÂly right off the top of his head, and anyÂone can sense the delight he feels in mereÂly putting his mind to the behavÂior of matÂter and enerÂgy and their relaÂtionÂship to the world as we know it. And howÂevÂer much pleaÂsure he derived from underÂstandÂing, he also got a kick out of how much mysÂtery remains: “Nature’s imagÂiÂnaÂtion is so much greater than man’s,” he says toward the end. “She’s nevÂer going to let us relax.”
RelatÂed conÂtent:
The Life & Work of Richard FeynÂman Explored in a Three-Part FreakoÂnomÂics Radio MinisÂeries
What Made Richard FeynÂman One of the Most Admired EduÂcaÂtors in the World
Richard Feynman’s “Lost LecÂture:” An AniÂmatÂed Retelling
Watch a New AniÂmaÂtion of Richard Feynman’s Ode to the WonÂder of Life, with Music by Yo-Yo Ma
Based in Seoul, ColÂin Marshall writes and broadÂcasts on cities, lanÂguage, and culÂture. His projects include the SubÂstack newsletÂter Books on Cities and the book The StateÂless City: a Walk through 21st-CenÂtuÂry Los AngeÂles. FolÂlow him on the social netÂwork forÂmerÂly known as TwitÂter at @colinmarshall.
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