The pleasure of finding out about Feynman's pleasure of finding things out

My first impulse was to start with "Wonderful Feynman". Well, I changed my mind. Just Feynman!

I find it hard to describe the delight that watching Feynman talk brings to me. A strong and lively mind always clicking effortlessly at maximum speed, describing its contents and its own processes at the same time. Pure joy...

I find it infinitely better than many hours of teaching and equivalent to many hours of the deep pleasure that learning is...



PS. For the ones who, like me, can't have enough of Feynman, there's fortunately plenty of material on the internet. I suggest you begin here. 

Christopher Hitchens: "All of Life Is A Wager"

In honor to Christopher Hitchens who died two days ago, I'm posting an interview of his which I found very inspiring.

Didn't agree with everything that Christopher said, neither always with his style in saying it, although it was often very entertaining. Still, I learned a great deal of important lessons thanks to his work. I admired him for much, mainly his clear thinking, the breadth of his knowledge including knowlege of himself, his interest for humanity's well-being and, most of all, for his courage and intellectual honesty. By the way he faced his death he proved that he deserved every bit of the high expectations I had grown to have from him. It's the high profile example of the way I would like to face mine.

Hitchens did not "pass" or "pass away", he did not "exit" or "go", he did not "perish" or "decease", and he most certainly did not "move on to the afterlife". He just plain died.

I, for one, will remember and miss him.


First posted the same interview link on FB, on 28/1/2011.