The famous Nobel winning physicist Richard Feynman understood and the difference between knowing something and knowing the name of something and it’s one of the most important reasons for his success. Giving a speech at the US National Science Teachers Association back in 1996, he was trying to impart on the educators of tomorrow the difference between knowing the name for something, and truly understanding it. There is a big difference between knowledge and wisdom, knowledge is having the information, wisdom is knowing how to use it. While he won the Nobel Price in Physics in 1965 for his work developing quantum electrodynamics, today he is also famous for his forays into bongo drum playing, Tuvan throat singing, and safe cracking. Richard Phillips Feynman ForMemRS (/ ˈ f aɪ n m ə n /; May 11, 1918 – February 15, 1988) was an American theoretical physicist, known for his work in the path integral formulation of quantum mechanics, the theory of quantum electrodynamics, the physics of the superfluidity of supercooled liquid helium, as well as his work in particle physics for which he proposed the parton model. He didn’t just give me the name. What the essays did provide, however, was something much more valuable—deep insights into Feynman’s original way of thinking about science. “Physics is like sex: sure, it may give some practical results, but that's not why we do it.” ― Richard … I learned very early the difference between knowing the name of something and knowing something. This is the first and most critical mistake that many make when trying to learn new things. So let's look at the bird and see what it's doing — that's what counts. Feynman became famous for his work on quantum electrodynamics which earned him the 1965 Nobel Prize. Richard Feynman (1918–1988), an author, graphic novel hero, intellectual, philosopher, physicist, and No Ordinary Genius is considered to be one … (Richard Feynman, What is Science?, presented at the fifteenth annual meeting of the National Science Teachers Association, 1966 in New York City, and printed … At a deeper level, practicing this means you have to remove all the assumptions propping up your knowledge on a subject. I wanted to know. Then, you put it all back together in a way that makes sense to you and to others. Is it possible to find a harmony between these two great physicists? If you are seeking Feynman-level understanding, it is not enough to merely know the math formula as that is akin to just knowing the name of something. Basically, you're told to cut out your extracurriculars and bury your head in the books. Fall in love with some activity, and do it! You would know that if you were not such an idiot. Feynman knew the difference between knowing the name of something and knowing something. How? Physicist Richard Feynman elaborated this method, and it's a powerful technique to explain anything. ”. Feynman understood the difference between knowing something and knowing its name. The steps in the Feynman learning technique can be summarized as follows: Identify the Topic Mountain and a boy there knew the name of a bird and Feynman didn’t. The Feynman Technique is a four-step process for understanding any topic. An exploration of Richard Feynman's approach to understanding. “You can know the name of a bird in all the languages of the world, but when you're finished, you'll know absolutely nothing whatever about the bird. If you are seeking Feynman-level understanding, it is not enough to merely know the math formula as that is akin to just knowing the name of something. The learning and understanding of something requires exposure to a topic, digestion of the material, synthesizing information, and storing the information into long-term memory that can be recalled and applied to real-life situations. Part of the missing understanding is to mistake what it is you’re supposed to know. Their knowledge is so fragile!" So so much more. I learned very early the difference between knowing the name of something and knowing something.” - Richard Feynman The Feynman Technique is a four-step process for understanding any topic. Feynman: Knowing versus Understanding - YouTube Richard Feynman on the differences of merely knowing how to reason mathematically and understanding how and why things are physically analyzed in the way the... In order to talk to each other, we have to have words, but we often talk in fact-deficient, obfuscating generalities to cover up our lack of understanding. Feynman was a theoretical physicist professor at Cornell University from 1945-1950, soon after he became a professor at Caltech (California Institute of Technology) until he died in 1988. Firstly, whilst Feynman did nay-say philosophy … 2. While trying to break a concept into simpler words you’re completely analyzing the concept from its roots. But there is so much more. It encourages you to delve into the areas you don’t know, so you develop a more precise understanding. Feynman had a gift for breaking down and explaining incredibly complex ideas, making them simple and easy to understand. However, Richard Feynman knew the difference between knowing the word of something and actually knowing something. This method created by Richard Feynman touches on all the essential components of learning. 2 Answers2. Nobody ever figures out what life is all about, and it doesn't … He went on to say, “If you look from the side, you’ll see that it’s the back of the wagon that you’re pulling against the ball, and the ball stands still. The example that really struck the message home for me was Feynman… Basically, Feynman says that if you know nothing about physics, the most essential scientific knowledge to understand is that everything is made up of atoms. In one simple sentence, Feynman conveys the foundational existence of our universe. It’s a master class not just for scientists, but for writers of any stripe. 7, issue 6, 1969, pp. Writing what you know and trying to simplify it exposes your gaps in understanding. Richard Feynman understood the difference between: knowing something and ; knowing the name of something; He created a formula for learning that ensured … Feynman’s biography, penned by James Gleick, provides a host of clues into the famous physicist’s learning process. Well, that just isn’t right! The only difference is a Susskind sandwich would have a … Feynman: Knowing versus Understanding Richard Feynman on the differences of merely knowing how to reason mathematically and understanding how and why … If we think of the (free) electron as some disk-like structure (a two-dimensional oscillation, that is), then we’ll have a ½ factor in the formula for its angular momentum and the ‘mystery’ is solved. Richard Feynman believed that “the world is much more interesting than any one discipline.” He understood the difference between knowing something and knowing the name of something, as well as how, when you truly ‘Knowing’ is the expertise and skill acquired by an individual from his experiences and education while ‘understanding’ is a psychological process that requires an individual to think and use concepts to deal with a person, object, message, or situation. But when Feynman went to his father, he helped him understand that there’s a “difference between knowing the name of something and knowing something.” So, they watched the birds for awhile. This technique rejects automated recall in favor of true comprehension gained through selection, research, writing, explaining, and refining. The ultimate objective of the Feynman technique is to have such a high-quality understanding of the topic that you can explain it in the simplest of terms, without compromising the central idea. Explore the world. In the coming years it will revolutionize our quantitative understanding of nuclear physics over a broad front. Often, when being taught howto study, we’re told to limit our social lives, put as much time per day into reading and researching, and to write and rewrite notes to drill it into you memory. 1. He didn’t just give me the name. To achieve this, of course, we need to take everything we have gathered … When he finished the story, I said to him, “Dick, I wonder what would be the difference between a Feynman sandwich and a Susskind sandwich.” And without skipping a beat at all, he said, “Well, they’d be about the same. His thoughts are summarized below. There is, of course, a difference between knowing something and knowing the name of something and that’s where understanding types of knowledge is crucial. As you know, I am a harmony man. Feynman meant here that understanding something is not just about working through advanced mathematics. Most of us focus on the wrong GR provides a framework to interpret Newtonian gravity as a 'subtheory' valid only in certain regimes. The right type of knowledge focuses on actually knowing something—that is understanding something. This technique rejects rote memorization in favor of true comprehension gained through selection, research, writing, explaining, and refining. Richard Feynman is one of the greatest theoretical physicists.It was his method that enabled him to learn what he wanted.He received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1965.He said; ” I do not know what’s wrong with people: they do not learn by understanding; they learn in other ways.Their knowledge is so fragile! In fact, he created a formula for learning that ensured … One of the most famous quotes attributed to Feynman, often requoted with relish by the British science presenter Brian Cox, is that “The philosophy of science is as useful to scientists as ornithology is to birds.” But although this has become a standard put-down by some scientists to those philosophers brave enough to opine on science, maybe this phrase can be lit under a different light? VI. The difference between the g-factor for spin versus orbital momentum (2 versus 1) can easily be explained by a form factor. Hence, Feynman and many others probably did try to re-establish an original sense of mystery and wonder to attract the brightest. 313-320 by permission of the editor and the author. the other boy said to Feynman. “I think it’s much more interesting to live not knowing than to have In short, you’re trying to–with both accuracy and precision–demonstrate a more or less complete understanding of the topic you’re trying to learn with the Feynman Technique. As your understanding changes, your demonstration of that understanding should change. Studying techniques are essential for any student looking to study effectively and efficiently. D uring Richard Feynman’s Messenger Lecture Series on “The Relation of Mathematics & Physics” held at Cornell University in 1965, “The Great Explainer” addressed what he found to be the key differences between mathematics and physics. Feynman also learned very early the difference between knowing and understanding. It gives a good insight into how a theoretical physicist can hold several different theories in… This recourse to knowledge without understanding was a constant in other statements from Feynman, such as when in 1983 he responded to a BBC interviewer who asked him about the mechanism of magnets: “I can’t explain that attraction in terms of anything else that’s familiar to you.” You need to understand the information qualitatively and quantitatively supporting the formula - only then should you feel confident in your understanding. I learned very early the difference between knowing the name of something and knowing something. Some people call it a method for how to learn anything fast, and it really is one of the best learning techniques out there. Feynman thinks it’s futile to ask “why”. ”. More specifically, can Dirac's physics and Feynman's physics be put into one box to generate a new understanding or the world? Just knowing the name does not increase knowledge. One of the best ways to grasp a deeper understanding of an idea is to utilize the Feynman Technique. In its simplest form, this technique involves you, the learner, figuring out how to teach a complex concept you’ve just learned to a complete newbie. ', 'Study hard what interests you the most in the most undisciplined, irreverent and original manner possible. Learning By Simplifying: How To Use The Feynman Technique. There is a difference between knowing the name of a thing (memorization) and knowing a thing (understanding). Active Oldest Votes. I’ve dabbled with the Feynman technique to delve into NFTs, artificial intelligence, parenting strategies, Stanford pscyhology experiments, mental models, quark gluon soup and antifragility.To varying degrees of success. “I learned very early the difference between knowing the name of something and knowing something.” - Richard Feynman. But a few days later he told the faculty member, "You know, I … Meet them at their level of understanding … Apart from being a brilliant scientist, Richard Feynman was known for being amazingly quotable. Ravi: 12/13/19 1:59 AM: ... are able to distinguish between 2 and "2" or '2'. There is a difference between knowing the name of a thing (memorization) and knowing a thing (understanding). Many of us make mistakes. This is the performance gap that Feynman had identified. For example, you know that a stone dropped from the top of the building will hit the floor. However, teaching is not an end-game, but a lifelong journey of synthesizing knowledge, understanding concepts, and transcending ideas in unique ways that people meaningfully grow from. The Feynman Technique is a mental model that will help you gain sufficient wisdom in any endeavour. ... and knowing … This is a diagram of β decay, where a neutron becomes a proton and in the process emits an electron and anti-neutrino. He is content that mathematics is just a language and a way of describing. This is the performance gap that Feynman had identified. One kind of knowledge is to know the name of something. There are four simple steps: Step 1: Explain the topic out loud to a peer who is unfamiliar with the topic. Feynman was of the belief that "If you can’t explain something simply, you don’t understand it well enough” and this is the basis of the Feynman technique. Richard P. Feynman (1918 – 1988) was an American theoretical physicist often referred to as “The Great Explainer” due to his ability to make complex topics understandable. Feynman’s biography, by James Gleick, says the following about his learning process-. It’s impossible to explain a concept without actually understanding how it works, knowing the name alone won’t help. As Feynman’s writes in the epilogue to his Lectures: “The main purpose of my teaching has not been to prepare you for some examination—it was not even 1. “ Study hard what interests you the most in the most undisciplined, irreverent and original manner possible. This tendency is called ‘inertia,’ but nobody knows why it’s true.” Now, that’s a deep understanding. Rising to the challenge, he said, "I'll prepare a freshman lecture on it." This tendency is called ‘inertia,’ but nobody knows why it’s true.” Now, that’s a deep understanding. Top 280 Richard P. Feynman Quotes (2021 Update) - Quotefancy. Ravi: 12/13/19 1:59 AM: ... are able to distinguish between 2 and "2" or '2'. This is often attributed to the fact that he understood the difference between knowing something and knowing the name of something , and it's one … ‘Understanding’, for Feynman, is a much deeper relationship with the world than knowing what gets taught as ‘facts’ – I can understand something even when the evidence is pointing in the opposite direction. Intuitively, there is a clear difference between knowing something and understanding something. We speak of someone 'getting' or 'internalizing' … It is the so-called “dark energy.” (Dark energy is … Quotes By Richard Feynman I learned very early the difference between knowing the name of something and knowing something. 1. He would later say: "I don't know what is the matter with people: they don't learn by understanding; they learn by some other way – by rote or something. It is often used in exam preparation and for understanding difficult concepts. The Feynman Technique teaches you how to break down complex information. Feynman on mathematical modeling vs understanding physics: Engr. Maybe you have it too. The point that Feynman’s trying to make is that simply knowing the name of something doesn’t mean you understand it. Feynman on mathematical modeling vs understanding physics Showing 1-51 of 51 messages. “The worthwhile problems are the ones you can really solve or help solve, the ones you can really contribute something to. Think about a light wave. Feynman’s technique helps you understand the reason behind the facts you know. He went on to say, “If you look from the side, you’ll see that it’s the back of the wagon that you’re pulling against the ball, and the ball stands still. He was a brilliant guy. Feynman once said: “The first principle is that you must not fool yourself and you are the easiest person to fool.”. The second is to know about something means to understand or comprehend it. Oppenheimer was … Here is a great clip one of his lectures where he talks about the difference between knowing and understanding. And Feynman developed his own personal method for deeply learning and internalizing topics. I've seen a few more sources that spell out Feynman… I love this story because as Feynman puts it, there's a difference between knowing the name of something and really knowing it. The basic idea is to actively read the material and then try to explain it simply, as if you’re talking to a child or someone who knows much less than you about the subject. Many Many This is what the Feynman Technique helps you achieve. Unlike any other physics textbook that I have ever encountered, The Feynman Lectures on Physics never bothers to explain how to solve any problems, which made trying to complete the daunting homework assignments challenging and time-consuming. “Your father doesn't teach you anything!" You need to understand the information qualitatively and quantitatively supporting the formula — only then should you feel confident in your understanding. Knowledge falls under two buckets – knowing something and understanding something. Knowing the object rather than just the name of something is an integral part of the Feynman … And was often prone to telling the emperor they had no clothes as this illuminating example from James Gleick’s book Genius: The Life and Science of Richard Feynman shows. Understanding involves why does the stone move downwards instead of going towards the sky. The old favouite, youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdZMXWmlp9g Download them and watch them any time you want. The biggest change is that people have now measured the density of vacuum more precisely, and discovered that it does not vanish. Richard Feynman has several contributions to the scientific community, such as the Feynman path integral and Feynman diagrams, which are still used to this day. The puzzle Feynman thought he’d solved is still with us, though it has evolved in many ways. Time is going up, and if you keep that in mind I think you can sort out most of your questions. 2. “ The first principle is that you must not fool yourself and you are the easiest person to fool. He urged that understanding something to its gist is the real achievement rather than just knowing the name of some phenomenon and not actually knowing its roots. I thank Mr. DeRose for the opportunity to join you science teachers. Presented at the fifteenth annual meeting of the National Science Teachers Association, 1966 in New York City, and reprinted from The Physics Teacher Vol. It will take your I learned very early the difference between knowing the name of something and knowing something. Both Dirac and Feynman made their life-long efforts to combine quantum mechanics with special relativity. Feynman on mathematical modeling vs understanding physics: Engr. (Richard Feynman, What is Science?, presented at the fifteenth annual meeting of the National Science Teachers Association, 1966 in New York City, and printed … The decay is mediated by the weak force so the W − boson appears. Feynman: Knowing versus Understanding At the time of this letter, however, Feynman was a 25-year-old learning how to stand on the shoulder … After walking back and forth in front of the lecture room for a minute, Feynman grabbed on to the question with gusto. In Richard Feynman’s “The Making of a Scientist,” his claim is knowing the difference between a person seemingly knowing something versus truly understanding it on a deeper level. One must also have a notion that is intuitive enough to explain to an audience that cannot follow the detailed derivation. Feynman learned that there is a big difference between knowing the name of something and knowing something about it. The Feynman Technique is a key resource for those looking to improve their teaching, and ultimately enable the learning of others. Feynman is content not to know “why” theory (from reasoning) can predict stuff in nature like the mass of an electron. 649 quotes from Richard P. Feynman: 'Nobody ever figures out what life is all about, and it doesn't matter. Richard Feynman, the late Nobel Laureate in physics, was once asked by a Caltech faculty member to explain why spin one-half particles obey Fermi Dirac statistics. This is how many people go about learning, reciting things only to forget them later. Since we're on the topic of light -- despite going to a great school and taking several physics courses, I suffered from a severe misconception until about a month ago.