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Richard Feynman on getting laid: "You Just Ask Them?"

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Re: Richard Feynman on getting laid: "You Just Ask Them?"

#51

Post by powauth »

enjo wrote: post #36
winter_blue wrote: post #27

This seems to have happened in the late 1930s or the early 1940s (he says "while I was working on the bomb".) From what I've heard, the US was very conservative at that time; girls & women in general did not have sex before marriage. And additionally was contraception widely available at that time? The sexual revolution happened in the 60s and 70s. So, this does not make any sense. Can someone enlighten me?

That's just good old day syndrome. I've had some very interesting talks with older folks about this very subject. They all agree that the prevalence of sex in the culture is certainly a bit more front and center today. However, men have always been men and women have always been women. Teen birth rates where at their highest in 40's, 50's and 60's after all. Contraception certainly has played a role in reducing that,…

Interesting. My talks (at least with older people who went to college) have given me quite a different perspective - where people would typically marry very young (often out of college), and no one would even think of having sex without at least being engaged.

I don't doubt the truth of this story (though there is certainly hyperbole); rather I find it hard to believe that 'sleep with' in this context actually means 'sex'. The main flags are A) Feynman is discussing with other people about it (afaik not acceptable socially then) and B) a sexual one-night stand would be even less so.

Finally I wager that the teen birth rate drop is solely due to an increase in education and contraption (and even legalized abortions). Obviously, there were some teenagers having sex in the 1940s (with a much higher liklihood of becoming pregnant right now), but, due to the risks and less acceptance than now, the rate was lower.

Re: Richard Feynman on getting laid: "You Just Ask Them?"

#52

Post by jbyers »

zackattack wrote: post #32
char wrote: post #9

The entire book (Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman) is amazing and hilarious. I highly recommend it for the HN crowd.

Affiliate link for the lazy! http://www.amazon.com/dp/0393316041/?tag=httpwwwhiph02-20

[deleted]

I should have just down-voted the affiliate link and left it at that. Something's changed in the tenor of comments here on HN, and my reaction to it isn't productive. For the foreseeable future, I think I'm going to bite my tongue and read in silence.

Re: Richard Feynman on getting laid: "You Just Ask Them?"

#54

Post by branden »

powauth wrote: post #51
enjo wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's just good old day syndrome. I've had some very interesting talks with older folks about this very subject. They all agree that the prevalence of sex in the culture is certainly a bit more front and center today. However, men have always been men and women have always been women. Teen birth rates where at their highest in 40's, 50's and 60's after all. Contraception certainly has played a role in reducing that,…

Interesting. My talks (at least with older people who went to college) have given me quite a different perspective - where people would typically marry very young (often out of college), and no one would even think of having sex without at least being engaged. I don't doubt the truth of this story (though there is certainly hyperbole); rather I find it hard to believe that 'sleep with' in this context actually means…

Roger Ebert provides a relevant peek under history's skirt. http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/2010/01/making_out_is_its_ow...

Keep in mind that these were students living under strict authority. The adults in Feynman's story and elsewhere were free to do as they pleased.

Re: Richard Feynman on getting laid: "You Just Ask Them?"

#55

Post by zackattack »

jbyers wrote: post #52
zackattack wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Affiliate link for the lazy! http://www.amazon.com/dp/0393316041/?tag=httpwwwhiph02-20

[deleted] I should have just down-voted the affiliate link and left it at that. Something's changed in the tenor of comments here on HN, and my reaction to it isn't productive. For the foreseeable future, I think I'm going to bite my tongue and read in silence.

How is that principled?? You hate when others benefit even if it's at no detriment to you?? SCARCITY THINKING :_(

Okay, if you like reading text on your screen, you can also read it for free here: http://www.gorgorat.com

Re: Richard Feynman on getting laid: "You Just Ask Them?"

#56

Post by Estragon »

zackattack wrote: post #55
jbyers wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

[deleted] I should have just down-voted the affiliate link and left it at that. Something's changed in the tenor of comments here on HN, and my reaction to it isn't productive. For the foreseeable future, I think I'm going to bite my tongue and read in silence.

How is that principled?? You hate when others benefit even if it's at no detriment to you?? SCARCITY THINKING :_( Okay, if you like reading text on your screen, you can also read it for free here: http://www.gorgorat.com

The principle is to minimize the reward from spam.

Re: Richard Feynman on getting laid: "You Just Ask Them?"

#57

Post by Simucal »

foldr wrote: post #48
jerf wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Are you upset because a man said it? "Math is too male and we need to come up with more female ways of teaching it" is a pretty standard feminist idea. In fact, replace "math" with a wide variety of things. Recall he's not working under modern PC strictures, not that he necessarily would have subjected himself to them anyhow. He gets to say it directly, not cloak it in endless verbiage. That said, I actually disagree…

No, I'm "upset" because the rest of the article makes it clear that Feynman really did think that women were inherently useless as math -- and even "rational thought" in general: >Those people who have for years been insisting (in the face of all obvious evidence to the contrary) that the male and female are equally capable of rational thought may have something. This is a bit rich for my tastes (but it will no doubt…

I'm genuinely curious if anyone has studied the differences in the sexes when it comes to math.

Why is it no woman has won the fields medal? Why do many talented women stop their academic career at the bachelor and masters level when it comes to mathematics?

I think you would of been able to say that sexism in academia was a reason in the past, but I just don't think that really flies anymore.

Is it possible the genuinely is a difference between mathematical ability between men and women or do people this this is purely cultural?

Re: Richard Feynman on getting laid: "You Just Ask Them?"

#58

Post by zackattack »

aaronbrethorst wrote: post #40
zackattack wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ironically this probably increases your chances of getting into YC. Showing a history of assertiveness and getting what you want, Sam Altman-style!

I figure that my 'i know i'll be downmodded for this' aside zeros things out ;)

Haha you should email me I think we'd be friends

Re: Richard Feynman on getting laid: "You Just Ask Them?"

#59

Post by [deleted] »

jbyers wrote: post #52
zackattack wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Affiliate link for the lazy! http://www.amazon.com/dp/0393316041/?tag=httpwwwhiph02-20

[deleted] I should have just down-voted the affiliate link and left it at that. Something's changed in the tenor of comments here on HN, and my reaction to it isn't productive. For the foreseeable future, I think I'm going to bite my tongue and read in silence.

[deleted]

Re: Richard Feynman on getting laid: "You Just Ask Them?"

#60

Post by sp332 »

foldr wrote: post #48
jerf wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Are you upset because a man said it? "Math is too male and we need to come up with more female ways of teaching it" is a pretty standard feminist idea. In fact, replace "math" with a wide variety of things. Recall he's not working under modern PC strictures, not that he necessarily would have subjected himself to them anyhow. He gets to say it directly, not cloak it in endless verbiage. That said, I actually disagree…

No, I'm "upset" because the rest of the article makes it clear that Feynman really did think that women were inherently useless as math -- and even "rational thought" in general: >Those people who have for years been insisting (in the face of all obvious evidence to the contrary) that the male and female are equally capable of rational thought may have something. This is a bit rich for my tastes (but it will no doubt…

The "obvious evidence to the contrary" was the math gender gap, which was very real at the time. If you actually read the story, it's quite clear that Feynman is telling the story at his own expense (showing how wrong he had been about girls + math). There's no question he was sexist, but see _debug_ and blackguardx's tandem quote to see that he regarded them as equals mentally: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1197382
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