For many, Richard Feynman (1918–1988), the Nobel Prize–winning physicist turned cultural icon, is the prototype of a creative genius (Gleick, 1992). Beyond physics, he became renowned for his impish personality, boundless curiosity, and adventurous spirit (Feynman, 1985). He was an avid proponent and communicator of science and foe of sloppy thinking and hidebound convention. What people often overlook, though, is that he was also an enthusiastic, dedicated, and acclaimed teacher. In fact, his lectures and teaching materials are collected and available online, and Caltech, his former institution, awards the Richard P. Feynman Prize for Excellence in Teaching. It is worth examining how Feynman approached teaching and why his teaching had such great impact.
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Interesting commentary! When I was an undergraduate at MIT, volume 2 Feynman Electromagnetism, was our core textbook for second semester Physics. I don’t remember any problems pr complaints that we had understanding his book. It was the only one of his physics lectures that was still in the required reading for our physics courses.