The Curious Mr. Feynman (Update)

May 22, 2026 · 1h 3m

About this episode

From the Manhattan Project to the Challenger investigation, the physicist Richard Feynman loved to shoot down what he called “lousy ideas.” Today, the world is awash in lousy ideas — so maybe it’s time to get some more Feynman in our lives? (Part one of <a href="https://freakonomics.com/the-curious-brilliant-vanishing-mr-feynman/" rel="noopener noreferrer">a three-part series</a> originally published in 2024.) <ul> <li>SOURCES: <ul> <li><a href="https://www.helenczerski.net/about-helen" rel="noopener noreferrer">Helen Czerski</a>, physicist and oceanographer at University College London.</li> <li><a href="http://www.tedxcaltech.com/content/michelle-feynman.html" rel="noopener noreferrer">Michelle Feynman</a>, photographer and daughter of Richard Feynman.</li> <li><a href="https://bookshop.org/search?keywords=Ralph+Leighton" rel="noopener noreferrer">Ralph Leighton</a>, biographer and film producer.</li> <li><a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/authors/60291/charles-c-mann/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Charles Mann</a>, science journalist and author.</li> <li><a href="http://theory.caltech.edu/~preskill/bio.html" rel="noopener noreferrer">John Preskill</a>, professor of theoretical physics at the California Institute of Technology.</li> <li><a href="https://www.stephenwolfram.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Stephen Wolfram</a>, founder and C.E.O. of Wolfram Research; creator of Mathematica, Wolfram|Alpha, and the Wolfram Language.</li> </ul></li> </ul> <ul> <li>RESOURCES: <ul> <li>"<a href="https://lithub.com/how-legendary-physicist-richard-feynman-helped-crack-the-case-on-the-challenger-disaster/" rel="noopener noreferrer">How Legendary Physicist Richard Feynman Helped Crack the Case on the Challenger Disaster</a>," by Kevin Cook (Literary Hub, 2021).</li> <li><a href="https://www.netflix.com/watch/81012174?trackId=255824129&tctx=0%2C0%2Cd665a67a-45cf-47bf-9dd7-d2309dc5b791-416051258%2Cd665a67a-45cf-47bf-9dd7-d2309dc5b791-416051258%7C2%2Cunknown%2C%2C%2CtitlesResults%2C81012137%2CVideo%3A81012174%2CdetailsPageEpisodePlayButton" rel="noopener noreferrer">Challenger: The Final Flight</a>, docuseries (2020).</li> <li><a href="https://amzn.to/3SGq3Ov" rel="noopener noreferrer">Perfectly Reasonable Deviations From the Beaten Track: Selected Letters of Richard P. Feynman</a>, edited by Michelle Feynman (2005).</li> <li><a href="https://amzn.to/3vZ1nI0" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Pleasure of Finding Things Out</a>, by Richard Feynman (1999).</li> <li><a href="https://amzn.to/3UtXMf0" rel="noopener noreferrer">Genius: The Life and Science of Richard Feynman</a>, by James Gleick (1992).</li> <li><a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/what-do-you-care-what-other-people-think-further-adventures-of-a-curious-character-richard-p-feynman/10049716?ean=9780393355642" rel="noopener noreferrer">“What Do You Care What Other People Think?” </a>by Richard Feynman and Ralph Leighton (1988).</li> <li>"<a href="https://calteches.library.caltech.edu/3570/1/Feynman.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer">Mr. Feynman Goes to Washington</a>," by Richard Feynman and Ralph Leighton (Engineering & Science, 1987).</li> <li><a href="https://amzn.to/48dJ933" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Second Creation: Makers of the Revolution in Twentieth-century Physics</a>, by Robert Crease and Charles Mann (1986).</li> <li><a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/surely-you-re-joking-mr-feynman-adventures-of-a-curious-character-richard-p-feynman/8737624?ean=9780393355628" rel="noopener noreferrer">Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!</a>, by Richard Feynman and Ralph Leighton (1985).</li> <li>"<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1024912/" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Pleasure of Finding Things Out</a>," (Horizon S18.E9, 1981).</li> <li>"<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uY-u1qyRM5w" rel="noopener noreferrer">Los Alamos From Below</a>," by Richard Feynman (UC Santa Barbara lecture, 1975).</li> </ul></li> </ul> <ul> <li>EXTRAS: <ul> <li>"<a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast/exploring-physics-from-eggshells-to-oceans/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Exploring Physics, from Eggshells to Oceans</a>," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2023).</li> </ul></li> </ul> Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See <a href="https://pcm.adswizz.com">pcm.adswizz.com</a> for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.