 |
Richard Phillips Feynman at the 1965
Nobel Banquet
John Archibald Wheeler was Richard Phillips Feynman’s doctoral advisor. As
a person, he was largely responsible for reviving interest in general
relativity in the United States after World War II. In this conversation with Kenneth William Ford,
John Wheeler gave him story about ‘Wheeler-Feynman’. This story is mentioned in
the chapter titled Monster Minds in Richard Feynman's autobiography SurelyYou're Joking, Mr. Feynman!.
Monster Minds chapter showed
that Richard Feynman fell nervous when deliver seminar in front of monster,
include Albert Einstein, Wolfgang Ernst Pauli, and John von Neumann (please don’t
compae Feynman-Einstein relationship with Einsten- Werner Karl Heisenberg, itz not my focus
now!). Their teacher-student collaboration now called ‘Wheeler–Feynman absorber
theory’ that firtsly published entitled Interaction with the
Absorber as the Mechanism of Radiation on Reviews of Modern Physics,
17 (2–3), 157–181, as John Wheeler and Richard Feynman collaboration.
Richard Feynman received a Ph.D. from Princeton University in 1942 after
finished his thesis that advice by John Wheeler. His thesis was titled The Principle of Least
Action in Quantum Mechanics. In this thesis,
Richard Feynman had applied the principle of stationary action to problems of
quantum mechanics, inspired by a desire to quantize the Wheeler–Feynman
absorber theory of electrodynamics, and laid the groundwork for the path
integral formulation and Feynman diagrams.
Don’t think so deeply, just enjoy your activity. But, if you wanna know
about path integral, you can see this
Freeman Dyson’s video. He also tell
about ‘Feynman diagram’ in this video. In addition, he also expressed
his views on the PhD system in this video, an academic degree awarded by
Princeton University to Richard Feynman, but didn’t liked by Freeman Dyson.
I always remember Richard Feynman’s story when he decided to go Princeton
University, based on two reason. First, itz an example—best example for me so
far — from one of principles taken from Ta’līm al-Muta’allim (download full manuscript here):
وينبغى
لطالب العلم أن لا يختار نوع العلم بنفسه، بل يفوض أمره إلى الأستاذ، فإن الأستاذ
قد حصل له التجارب فى ذلك، فكان أعرف بما ينبغى لكل واحد وما يليق بطبيعته.
In seeking knowledge, it is necessary that one not choose by himself the
kind of learning to pursue, but to entrust the matter to the teacher. For
indeed the teacher has gained more experience in these matters, such he is more
knowledgeable of what is needed for each person and what is suitable to the
nature (of each student).
An example tell in the chapter entitled “SurelyYou’re Joking, Mr. Feynman!” in Richard Feynman's autobiographicalbook. Richard Feynman love MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology),
thought it was a great place and, of course, wanted to go to graduate school
there too. But when he went to John Clarke Slater—as his bachelor advisor—told
him of her intentions, an unpredictable dialogue happen.
“We won’t let you in here.” Slater said.
“What?” Richard Feynman responded.
Slater said, “Why do you think you
should go to graduate school at MIT?”
“Because MIT is the best school for
science in the country.”
“You think that?”
“Yeah.”
“That’s why you should go to some other
school. You should find out how the rest of the world is.”
So, Richard Feynman decided to go to Princeton without arguing.
Second—and honestly itz main reason—based on love story. One of the
conditions of Richard Feynman’s scholarship to Princeton University was that he
couldn’t be married, nevertheless, he continued to see his high school
sweetheart, Arline Greenbaum, and was determined to marry her once he had been
awarded his Ph.D. “Does anyone know how it make me fell?” (let say this
sentences like Park Bom and Lee Chaelin sing in 2NE1’s Goodbye, annyeonggg). This
part always ...make me uuuhhhh... (let’s say this itcalic like Britney Spears
sing in her Make Me).
How it make me uuuhhh? Yo can imagine this case: Richard Feynman know that
Arline Greenbaum was seriously ill with tuberculosis. This was an incurable
disease at the time, and she was not expected to live more than two years. On
June 29, 1942, they took the ferry to Staten Island, where they were married in
the city office. The ceremony was attended by neither family nor friends and
was witnessed by a pair of strangers. Richard Feynman could only kiss Arline Greenbaum
on the cheek. After the ceremony he took her to Deborah Hospital, where he
visited her on weekends.
Melting like Kim Hyuna song?
That's not so worth, if we comparing with next step, Step by Step like
Ayumi Hamasaki mmmuacchhh. The next step happen in early 1943, when Julius
Robert Oppenheimer was establishing the Los Alamos Laboratory, a secret
laboratory on a mesa in New Mexico where atomic bombs would be designed and
built.
Like many other young physicists, Richard Feynman soon fell under the spell
of the charismatic Robert Oppenheimer, who telephoned Richard Feynman long
distance from Chicago to inform him that he had found a sanatorium in
Albuquerque, New Mexico, for Arline. They were among the first to depart for
New Mexico, leaving on a train on March 28, 1943. The railroad supplied Arline Greenbaum
with a wheelchair, and Richard Feynman paid extra for a private room for her.
Richard Feynman was working in the computing room when he was informed that
Arline was dying. He borrowed Fuchs' car and drove to Albuquerque where he sat
with her for hours until she died on 16 June 1945. At least Richard Feynman can
Do It at Last Minutes.
On 17 October 1946, Richard Feynman wrote a letter to Arline, expressing
his deep love and heartbreak. The letter was sealed and only opened after his
death. “Please excuse my not mailing this,” the letter concluded, “but I don't
know your new address.” Unable to focus on research problems, Richard Feynman
began tackling physics problems, not for utility, but for self-satisfaction. As
a Richard Feynman’s teacher, John Wheeler tell about Richard Feynman and Arline
Greenbaum here.
I love this story, and some Arline Greenbaum’s letter is mmmuuuaaaccchhh
just because itz linear with my heart about some girl (don’t say with
generation, I am BlackJack) and gave to Richard Feynman on 26 March 1943
(again: 26 MARCH!!!). I found this letter, and you also can read
full-brief letter via Google Book. Some
part of this letter is:
“Darling how can I
show you how much you mean to me when we’re miles apart! If only
tomorrow would hurry and come—I want to feel your warm cheek pressed close to
mine and your tender embrace—your nearness fills me with such content!”
Richard Feynman’s legacy on physics is amazing. Expecially after Richard
Feynman come back home from touch of Brazil. A full story presented as a
chapter titled O Americano, Outra Vez!.
Murray Gell-Man aprreciate this come back home in this video. Itz not-so-joking when Murray
Gell-man tell us about ‘not repeat the calculus battle’ here.
Does anyone know how it make mefeel? Waitttt... am I must write all references?
We believe in the power of girls! 💖 (again, don’t say with generation, I am BlackJack)
— Alobatnic, a huge fans of Park Bom.
 |
Richard Phillips Feynman and Arline
Greenbaum