Discover
/
Article

The Young Feynman

FEB 01, 1989
How a 21‐year‐old grad student met this 28‐year‐old assistant prof and went on to amaze the kids, wreak havoc in the lab and invent a new way to understand quantum mechanics.
John Archibald Wheeler

“This chap from MIT: Look at his aptitude test ratings in mathematics and physics. Fantastic! Nobody else who’s applying here at Princeton comes anywhere near so close to the absolute peak.” Someone else on the Graduate Admissions Committee broke in, “He must be a diamond in the rough. We’ve never let in anyone with scores so low in history and English. But look at the practical experience he’s had in chemistry and in working with friction.”

This article is only available in PDF format

References

  1. 1. J. A. Wheeler, R. P. Feynman, Rev. Mod. Phys. 17, 157 (1945); https://doi.org/RMPHAT
    J. A. Wheeler, R. P. Feynman, Rev. Mod. Phys. 21, 425 (1949).https://doi.org/RMPHAT

  2. 2. R. P. Feynman, “A Principle of Least Action in Quantum Mechanics,” PhD thesis, Princeton Univ. (1942).

  3. 3. R. P. Feynman, Rev. Mod. Phys. 20, 367 (1948). https://doi.org/RMPHAT
    R. P. Feynman, A. R. Hibbs, Quantum Mechanics and Path Integrals, McGraw‐Hill, New York (1975).

  4. 4. Nova, “The Pleasure of Finding Things Out,” broadcast 25 January 1983.

  5. 5. R. P. Feynman, as told to R. Leighton, “Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman!” Norton, New York (1985).
    R. P. Feynman, as told to R. Leighton, “What Do You Care What Other People Think?” Norton, New York (1988).

More about the Authors

John Archibald Wheeler. Emeritus, Princeton University.

Related content
/
Article
Figuring out how to communicate with the public can be overwhelming. Here’s some advice for getting started.
/
Article
Amid growing investment in planetary-scale climate intervention strategies that alter sunlight reflection, global communities deserve inclusive and accountable oversight of research.
/
Article
Although motivated by the fundamental exploration of the weirdness of the quantum world, the prizewinning experiments have led to a promising branch of quantum computing technology.
/
Article
As conventional lithium-ion battery technology approaches its theoretical limits, researchers are studying alternative architectures with solid electrolytes.
This Content Appeared In
pt-cover_1989_02.jpeg

Volume 42, Number 2

Get PT in your inbox

pt_newsletter_card_blue.png
PT The Week in Physics

A collection of PT's content from the previous week delivered every Monday.

pt_newsletter_card_darkblue.png
PT New Issue Alert

Be notified about the new issue with links to highlights and the full TOC.

pt_newsletter_card_pink.png
PT Webinars & White Papers

The latest webinars, white papers and other informational resources.

By signing up you agree to allow AIP to send you email newsletters. You further agree to our privacy policy and terms of service.