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Isn't what is remarkable about Feynman worth celebrating? Perhaps even more so because he was only a human being.
In particular, I like how TLS slid it in there as a joinder to his life's work, because it totally fits there.
Well done HN, well done.
The article quotes Feynman's memoirs is a highly misleading way. It says: > Such behavior is chronicled in a notorious chapter of his autobiography, Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman! (“I adopted the attitude that those bar girls are all bitches, that they aren’t worth anything, and all they’re in there for is to get you to buy them a drink, and they’re not going to give you a goddamn thing”). This suggests that the…
Feynman definitely had some undesirable features, and he probably should if nothing else be re-examined as the poster boy for American science, but yeah, most articles criticizing him seem to be from people who haven't read anything he wrote. There was an interesting article in The Baffler a little while ago on his polarizing history and personal views. I don't really agree with the conclusions it came to (it was ver…
It should be noted that the author literally wrote a book about Feynman, so definitely would have read a ton of his work.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Feynman definitely had some undesirable features, and he probably should if nothing else be re-examined as the poster boy for American science, but yeah, most articles criticizing him seem to be from people who haven't read anything he wrote. There was an interesting article in The Baffler a little while ago on his polarizing history and personal views. I don't really agree with the conclusions it came to (it was ver…
I don't know if you meant to suggest this article falls under "most articles criticizing him seem to be from people who haven't read anything he wrote.", it certainly gives the impression. It should be noted that the author literally wrote a book about Feynman, so definitely would have read a ton of his work.
I’m so sick of these hatchet jobs on long dead people. If you are not empathetic enough to put yourself in the position of a different society, you’re probably not empathic enough to criticize a persons character. Additionally, I don’t care if he was sexist. We don’t like Feynman because he was a feminist. We like Feynman because he led the charge in scientific discovery and progress. No one is perfect.
What is 'sometimes sexist attitudes' doing there? I've read his memoirs and his lectures, and I saw some of his challenger stuff on youtube. I dont really see this. Now he lived in a more sexist culture than we do, so maybe that has something to do with it?
I’m so sick of these hatchet jobs on long dead people. If you are not empathetic enough to put yourself in the position of a different society, you’re probably not empathic enough to criticize a persons character. Additionally, I don’t care if he was sexist. We don’t like Feynman because he was a feminist. We like Feynman because he led the charge in scientific discovery and progress. No one is perfect.
These folks are so selective in what they present, and the slant never changes.
Sure he was in a more sexist society. But the reason this still matters is that it represents the sexist culture that's still around in science today. It's not about the man it's a bigger discussion on an institution.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Simultaneously you acknowledge that sexism existed and simultaneously you want to make it taboo. It is not personal offence to you that sexism existed or exist nor something outrageous to talk about it. This is how he is characterized: > known for his [...], sexism along with generous support for women academicians But to answer the question, the reason for this to not make it taboo is simple - it is part of history…
Why do you say that hyperman1 "want[s] to make it taboo"? I don't see that at all. I think he[1] is just saying: the article says Feynman was sexist, but I haven't seen evidence of that and find it hard to believe. For what it's worth, I think it's clear that Feynman was, at the very least, what-we-nowadays-tend-to-call-sexist. That is, he saw women as sex objects and talked about them as sex objects, and so far as I…