Way of Thinking by Richard Feynman | The Cosmological Reality #richardfeynman #universe #cosmos

Summary

The transcript explores the idea that anyone can become a scientist with dedication and study, debunking the myth of innate talent for complex subjects like quantum mechanics. It delves into the personal experience of thinking and problem-solving, highlighting the unique mental imagery individuals use when processing information. The speaker also discusses the challenge of visualizing atomic behavior, suggesting that while mathematical equations can predict outcomes, a clear, intuitive picture of quantum phenomena remains elusive. The conversation contemplates the evolution of understanding and whether future generations might develop new ways to conceptualize the quantum world.

Takeaways

• 📚 The concept that anyone can become a scientist through hard work and study is emphasized, dispelling the myth of innate talent or 'miracle' abilities.
• 🧠 The speaker describes the complexity of understanding advanced concepts like quantum mechanics and electromagnetic fields, highlighting the need for practice, reading, and learning.
• 🤔 The personal experience of the speaker working with complex ideas, suggesting that the process is rapid and involves a blend of equations and imagery.
• 👥 The idea that each person's mental imagery and thought processes may be very different, even when discussing the same topic, is introduced.
• 🕒 The experiment with counting to understand time sense and the difficulty of multitasking, such as counting and speaking simultaneously, is shared.
• 👀 The realization that different people visualize counting differently, with one person seeing a 'tape with numbers' and another using an internal voice.
• 🌐 The discussion of how our brains are designed for ordinary circumstances and may struggle with the extraordinary behavior of quantum particles.
• 🌌 The acknowledgment that while we can calculate the behavior of atoms mathematically, we often lack a clear, intuitive picture of their behavior.
• 🔬 The speaker's belief that future generations may develop new ways of understanding and visualizing complex scientific concepts more effectively.
• 💡 The possibility that there may not be a 'right picture' for quantum phenomena, suggesting that our understanding may need to be abstract and mathematical rather than visual.
• 🚫 The rejection of the idea that quantum mechanics can be reduced to simple, large-scale behaviors, asserting that nature's imagination surpasses human understanding.

Q & A

What is the main idea presented in the script about becoming a scientist?

The script suggests that anyone, even an ordinary person, can become a scientist by devoting a significant amount of time to study, work, and thinking, emphasizing that there is no special miracle talent required for understanding complex subjects like quantum mechanics.

How does the speaker describe the process of doing deep, esoteric work in science?

The speaker describes it as a 'crazy mixture of partial equations' and having a semi-visual understanding of what the equations are conveying, which is difficult to articulate and may vary greatly between individuals.

What does the script imply about the differences in how people think and visualize complex concepts?

The script implies that there may be significant differences in the mental imagery or semi-imagery that people use when thinking about complex concepts, suggesting that what goes on in one person's head might be very different from another's.

What experiment did the speaker conduct to understand time sense and multitasking?

The speaker conducted an experiment where they counted to a minute (48 counts) while also trying to do other tasks like counting socks or reading lines of type in a newspaper, to see what affected their time sense and whether they could multitask effectively.

Why was the speaker unable to count socks while counting time internally?

The speaker was unable to count socks because their 'counting machine' was being used for the internal counting of time. They had to develop a pattern recognition method to count the socks without using the internal counting mechanism.

What did the speaker discover about the differences in mental processes when comparing with John Tukey?

The speaker discovered that when counting, John Tukey visualized a tape with numbers, which allowed him to speak while counting but not read, whereas the speaker could read but not speak during the counting process, highlighting the different mental processes used by different individuals.

What analogy does the script use to describe the difficulty of visualizing atomic behavior?

The script uses the analogy of a computer that performs arithmetic to determine the arrival time of a car at different destinations without being able to visualize the car itself, to describe the difficulty of visualizing atomic behavior.

What is the speaker's opinion on the possibility of developing a better understanding of quantum mechanics?

The speaker believes that through study and practice, people might develop a familiarity with quantum mechanics and atomic properties, potentially leading to new ways of teaching and understanding these complex subjects.

Why does the speaker think that some people have difficulty accepting the reality of quantum mechanics?

The speaker suggests that the difficulty in accepting quantum mechanics is due to a deep prejudice stemming from familiarity with large-scale behavior, and a desire to find mundane, ordinary explanations for atomic behavior.

What does the script suggest about the limitations of human imagination in understanding nature?

The script suggests that human imagination may be limited compared to the complexity and diversity of nature, and that we may never fully grasp or visualize the behavior of small-scale particles as easily as we do with larger, more familiar objects.

What is the speaker's view on the future of scientific understanding and education?

The speaker is hopeful that future generations, through better education and training, may overcome current difficulties in visualizing and understanding complex scientific concepts, such as quantum mechanics.

Outlines

00:00

📚 The Pursuit of Knowledge and the Illusion of Talent

This paragraph emphasizes that there is no inherent 'miracle ability' to understand complex subjects like quantum mechanics or visualize electromagnetic fields. It suggests that anyone can become a scientist through dedication, study, and hard work. The speaker reflects on the nature of deep thought and problem-solving, describing it as a rapid, complex process involving equations and imagery. They also discuss the subjective experience of thinking, suggesting that each person's mental imagery and thought processes are unique, which can lead to communication difficulties even among experts.

05:00

🔍 The Individuality of Thought and the Challenge of Understanding the Quantum

The speaker explores the idea that the way people think about and visualize complex concepts can vary greatly, as demonstrated by their experiment with counting and time sense. They discovered that another person, John Tukey, visualized counting differently, using an 'optical system' rather than an auditory one, allowing him to speak while counting. This leads to a broader discussion about the difficulty in understanding quantum mechanics and the behavior of particles at a small scale, which is fundamentally different from large-scale phenomena. The speaker ponders whether it's possible to develop a better understanding and familiarity with these concepts through study and practice.

10:01

🌌 The Limitations of Human Imagination in Grasping Quantum Reality

In this paragraph, the speaker contemplates the limitations of human imagination in visualizing quantum phenomena, which behave very differently from anything on a large scale. They discuss the inadequacy of simple models like 'electrons acting like waves or particles' and the challenge of forming a clear, accurate image of atomic behavior. The speaker suggests that while mathematical equations can predict outcomes, they do not provide a visual understanding. They also touch on the idea that future generations might develop new ways of thinking and teaching that could make understanding quantum mechanics less challenging.

Keywords

💡Ordinary person

The term 'ordinary person' in the script refers to someone without any special or extraordinary abilities. It is used to emphasize that through dedication and hard work, anyone can achieve a deep understanding of complex subjects. The script mentions that there are no 'miracle people' with innate abilities to comprehend quantum mechanics, suggesting that expertise is built through study and practice, not just talent.

💡Quantum mechanics

Quantum mechanics is a fundamental theory in physics that describes the behavior of matter and energy at the smallest scales. In the script, it is presented as a complex subject that requires significant effort to understand, illustrating the idea that even 'ordinary people' can master such subjects through study and interest.

💡Miracle ability

The 'miracle ability' mentioned in the script is a hypothetical innate talent that would allow someone to understand advanced concepts effortlessly. The speaker argues against the existence of such abilities, asserting that understanding comes from practice and learning rather than innate genius.

💡Practice

Practice, as discussed in the script, is the act of repeatedly performing an activity to improve or master it. It is highlighted as a key component in the process of learning and understanding complex subjects like quantum mechanics or electromagnetic fields.

💡Electromagnetic fields

Electromagnetic fields are a fundamental concept in physics that describes the influence that electric charges and currents have on their surroundings. The script uses this term to illustrate the complexity of the subjects that one can learn and understand through dedicated study.

💡Scientist

A scientist, in the context of the script, is someone who has devoted a significant amount of time to study and work in a field of science. The term is used to describe the end result of an 'ordinary person' who has immersed themselves in study, work, and thinking in mathematics and science.

💡Partial equations

Partial equations, or partial differential equations, are equations that involve unknown functions of several variables. In the script, they are used to describe the complex thought processes that occur when working with deep scientific concepts, suggesting that understanding these equations is part of the 'crazy mixture' of a scientist's thought process.

💡Imagery

Imagery in the script refers to the mental pictures or semi-imagery that people use to conceptualize abstract ideas. It is discussed in the context of how different individuals may visualize and understand complex scientific concepts, highlighting the subjective nature of thought.

💡Time sense

Time sense is the ability to perceive and estimate time intervals. The script describes an experiment where the speaker counts to measure a minute, exploring how different activities affect this sense and how it can be trained to be more accurate.

💡Translation scheme

A 'translation scheme' in the script refers to the mental process of converting one person's words or ideas into another's internal images or understanding. It is used to explain the potential differences in how people comprehend complex discussions and the challenges of communication at high levels of abstraction.

💡Atomic behavior

Atomic behavior in the script refers to the way atoms act and interact at the quantum level. It is contrasted with large-scale behavior to illustrate the unique and sometimes counterintuitive properties of the quantum world, such as electrons not behaving exactly as waves or particles.

💡Nature's imagination

The phrase 'nature's imagination' is used in the script to express the idea that the complexity and variety of natural phenomena may surpass human comprehension. It suggests that the underlying rules governing the universe at the quantum level are more imaginative and intricate than anything humans can conceive.

Highlights

The belief that anyone can understand complex concepts like quantum mechanics through dedication and study, rather than relying on innate talent.

The idea that people's internal imagery and thought processes can greatly differ even when discussing the same topic.

The challenge of describing the experience of working with high-level, abstract concepts due to the rapid and complex nature of thought.

The experiment with counting to measure time sense and the discovery of different cognitive processes when performing simple tasks.

The realization that the brain's ability to handle large-scale familiar tasks does not necessarily translate to understanding small-scale phenomena.

The notion that the brain may struggle to conceptualize quantum phenomena because they behave differently from macroscopic objects.

The comparison of understanding quantum mechanics to a computer performing calculations without visualizing the process.

The use of approximate models to understand certain aspects of atomic behavior, despite their limitations.

The difficulty in visualizing atoms and their behavior accurately, especially when considering phenomena like superfluidity in helium.

The hypothesis that future generations might develop new ways of understanding and visualizing quantum phenomena.

The ongoing debate about whether atomic behavior can be understood through large-scale analogies or if it requires a fundamentally different approach.

The importance of mathematical expressions in understanding and predicting atomic behavior, even in the absence of a clear visual image.

The possibility that the brain's evolution has not equipped us to easily understand quantum phenomena, suggesting a need for new cognitive frameworks.

The exploration of how practice and learning can change our cognitive abilities, as demonstrated by the speaker's ability to count and read simultaneously.

The discussion on the potential limitations of human imagination in understanding the natural world at the quantum level.

The reflection on the diversity of thought processes and the implications for communication and understanding in scientific discussions.

The philosophical musings on the nature of reality and our ability to comprehend it through scientific theories and mathematical models.

The emphasis on the importance of continuous learning and the potential for human understanding to evolve over time.

Transcripts

usb of an ordinary person

by studying hard would get to be able to

imagine these things like i imagine of

course

i was an ordinary person who studied

hard there's no miracle people

it just happens they got interested in

this thing

and they learned all this stuff

they're just people

there's no talent a special

miracle

ability to understand quantum mechanics

or a miracle ability

to imagine electromagnetic fields that

comes

without practice and reading and

learning and study so if you say you

take an ordinary person who's willing to

devote a great deal of time and study

and work and thinking and mathematics

and timeline then he's become a

scientist

[Music]

well when i'm actually doing my own

things and i'm working in the high you

know the deep and esoteric stuff

that i worry about

i don't think i can describe

very well

because what it's like first of all it's

like asking a centipede which light

comes after which it happens quickly and

i'm not exactly sure what flashes and

stuff go in the head but i know it's a

crazy mixture of partial equations

partial solving in the equation then

having some sort of picture of what's

happening that the equation is saying is

happening but they're not that well

separated as the words i'm using

and it's a kind of a nut nutty

thing it's very hard to describe and i

don't know that it does any good to

describe it

and i that is something that struck me

that's

very curious i suspect

that what goes on in every man's head

might be very very different

the actual imagery or semi-imagery which

comes

and then when we're talking to each

other at these high and complicated

levels and we think we're

speaking very well and we're

communicating

but what we're really doing is having

some kind of big translation scheme

going on for translating what this

fellow says into our images

which are very different i found that

out because at the very earl lowest

level

i won't go into the details but i got

interested in

well i was doing some experiments and i

was trying to figure out something about

our time sense

and so what i would do is i would count

trying to count

to a minute

actually say i'd count to 48 it then it

would be one minute so i'd calibrate

myself and i would count a minute and 48

i think i was count seconds but it's

close enough

and then it turns out if you repeat that

you can do very accurately when you get

to 48 or 47 or 49 not far off you're

very close to a minute

and and i would try to find out what

affected that time sense and whether i

could do anything at the same time as i

was counting

and i found that i could

do many things i could uh

there were some things that not for

example i had great difficulty but i was

in the high university i had to get my

laundry ready

and i was putting the socks out and i

had to make a list how many socks and it

was something like six or eight socks

and i couldn't count them because the

counting machine was you being used and

i couldn't count them until i found out

i could put them in a pattern and

recognize the number

and so i learned a way after practicing

by which i could go down on lines of

type and newspapers and see them in

groups three three three one that's a

group of ten three three three one

without saying the numbers just seeing

the groupings and could therefore count

the lines of type i practiced

in the newspaper the same time i was

counting internally the seconds and so i

would come

i could do this fantastic trick of

saying 48 that's a one minute and there

are 67 lines of type you see

it was quite wonderful

and i

discovered

many things i could read

while i was uh no i

excuse me yes

yes i could read perfectly all right

while i was counting

and get an idea of what it was about but

i couldn't speak i couldn't say anything

because of course i was sort of when i

count i sort of spoke to myself inside i

would say one two three sort of in the

head

well i went down to the

breakfast

and there was uh

john tukey was a mathematician down at

princeton at the same time and we had

many discussions and i was telling him

about these experiments and what i could

do and he says that's absurd he says

he says i don't see why you would have

any difficulty talking whatsoever and i

can't possibly believe that you could

read

so i couldn't believe all this but we

calibrated him it was 52 for him to get

to 60 seconds or whatever i don't

remember the numbers now

and then he'd say all right he said what

do you want me to say barry had a little

lamb i can speak about anything blah

blah blah blah blah blah 52 it's a

minute he was right

and i couldn't possibly do that and he

wanted me to read because he couldn't

believe it

and then we compared notes and it turned

out that when he thought of counting

what he did inside his head is when he

counted was he saw a tape with numbers

that when clink clink clink the tape

would change with the numbers printed on

it he could see

was since it's sort of an optical system

that he's using and not voice he could

speak as much as he wanted but if he had

to read then he couldn't look at his

clock

whereas for me it was the other way and

that's where i discovered

at least in this very simple operation

of counting the great difference in what

goes on in the head

when people think they're doing the same

thing

and so it struck me therefore if that's

already true at the most elementary

level that when we learn the mathematics

and the muscle functions and the

exponentials and

the electric fields and all these things

that the imagery and method by which

we're storing it all and the way we

think about it

could be it really if we could get into

each other's heads entirely different

and in fact why somebody sometimes has a

great deal of difficulty understanding a

point which you see as obvious

and vice versa it may be because it's a

little hard to translate what you just

said into his particular framework and

so on

now i'm talking like a psychologist and

you know i know nothing about this

suppose

that little things

behaved very differently than anything

that was big

anything that you're familiar with

because you see as the animal evolves

and so on as brain evolves it gets used

to handling the brain is designed

for ordinary circumstances

but if the

gut particles and the deep inner

workings were by some other rules and

some other character they behaved

differently they were very different

than anything on a large scale

then there would be some kind of

difficulty in understanding and

imagining reality

and that difficulty we are in

the behavior of things on a small scale

is so fantastic it's so wonderfully

different so marvelously different than

anything that behaves on a large scale

you say electrons act like waves no they

don't exactly they act like particles no

they don't exactly they act like a kind

of a fog around the nucleus no they

don't exactly

and if you would like to get a clear

sharp picture of an atom

so that you can tell exactly how it's

going to behave correctly i have a good

image in other words a really good image

of reality i don't know how to do it

because that image has to be

mathematical we have a mathematical

expression strange mathematics i don't

understand how it is but we can write

mathematical expressions and calculate

what the thing is going to do

without actually being able to picture

it it would be something like a computer

that you put certain numbers in and you

have the formula for at what time the

car will arrive at different

destinations and the thing does the

arithmetic to figure out what time the

car arrives at the different

destinations but cannot picture the car

it's just doing the arithmetic so we

know how to do the arithmetic but we

cannot picture

the car no it's not a hundred percent

because

for certain approximate situations a

certain kind of approximate picture

works that is simply a fog

around a nucleus that when you squeeze

it it repels you is very good for

understanding the stiffness of material

that it's a wave which does this and

that is very good for some other

phenomena all right so when you're

working with certain particular

aspects of the behavior of atoms for

instance when i was talking about

temperature

and so forth that they're just little

balls it's good enough and it gives a

very nice picture of temperature but if

you ask

more specific questions and you get down

to questions like how is it

that when you cool helium down even to

absolute zero where there's not supposed

to be any motion it's a perfect fluid

that hasn't any viscosity has no

resistance flows perfectly and isn't

freezing

well if you want to get a picture of

atoms that has all of that in it i can't

do it you see but i can explain why the

helium base as it does by taking my

equations and sowing the consequences of

them is that the healing will behave as

it is observed today so we know we have

the theory right but we haven't got the

pictures that will go with the theory

and is that

because we're limited and haven't caught

on to the right pictures

or is that because there aren't any

right pictures

for people who have to make pictures out

of things that are familiar to them well

let's suppose it's the last one

but there's no right pictures in terms

of things that are familiar to that

is it possible then

to develop a familiarity

with those things that are not familiar

on hand by study

by learning about the properties of

atoms and quantum mechanics by

practicing with the equations until it

becomes a kind of second nature just

like a second nature to know that if two

balls came toward each other they'd

smash into bits you don't say

the two balls when they come toward each

other

turn blue

you know what they do so the question is

whether you could get to know

what

things do without

better than we do today you know as the

generations develop

will they invent

ways of teaching and where so that the

new people

will learn the tricky ways of looking at

things

and be so trained so well trained

that they won't have our troubles

with the adam picturing

there's still a school of thought

that cannot believe

that the atomic behavior is so different

than large-scale behavior i think that's

a deep prejudice it's a prejudice from

being so used to large-scale

and they're always seeking

to find to waiting

for the day that we discover that

underneath the quantum mechanics there's

some mundane ordinary

balls hitting or particles moving and so

on i think they're going to be defeated

i think nature's imagination is so much

greater than man's

she's never going to let us

relax

[Music]

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