Considering Feynman

We wonder where a scientist made the most impact.

Richard Feynman (1918-1988) was one of the outstanding physicists of the twentieth century, and generally finds his way into “all time greatest” lists.  The public knew him as a popularizer and storyteller; physicists know his path-integrals; and both know his Nobel prize.  Physics teachers are familiar with his three-volume Lectures on Physics (and probably have a copy), based on a course he taught for undergraduates at Caltech.  Obviously he was extremely talented in several directions.  But our tutoring consultant recently came to the conclusion that his greatest impact was as a teacher.

On the face of it, this is an unlikely claim.  Of course he had many distinguished graduate students in his time, and directly taught many classes at the graduate and undergraduate levels.  However, his contributions to Quantum Field Theory and particle physics, for which he won the Nobel, transcend a single school.  Indeed, they form the basis of work worldwide.  Nobel-level science surely outranks even the most successful classroom career.

Of course there are his textbooks.  But as we’ve noted, few or no teachers use them as the basis for a course.  They are simply too advanced and contain too much for even an ambitious course for undergraduate physicists.  Feynman himself thought the course something of a failure.  Their direct role in teaching the subject must be small.

Our tutor, however, quotes Henry Adams: “A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his teaching stops.”  His direct students had students of their own, in most cases.  And even those who were less gifted than he at teaching (or physics) would remember his illuminating insights and penetrating explanations, and employ them.  The Feynman touch at second hand must have affected thousands.  At third hand it might be rather dilute, but still more widespread.

And the textbooks found their place in the offices of many teachers with no place in the Feynman chain.  Though not used as the basis for a course, they are often perused for an explanation or an idea or a way of expressing things.  In this way students who may not even have heard of Richard Feynman (there no doubt are such, nowadays) benefit from his teaching skill.

Of course, one could say similar things about his physics.  His work has been built on by others, as is the nature of science, and his methods are used routinely.  It would take a true historian of science, someone with background and scholarly skill beyond any we have, to make a true judgement of Feynman’s contribution here.  (We are considering picking up a good biography.)  However, it has to be substantial.

We don’t see a way to measure the relative weights of Feynman’s physics and his teaching, so we’re not quite ready to accept our tutor’s assertion wholeheartedly.  But maybe there should be a Nobel prize for teaching.