We have met the Devil of Information Overload and his impish underlings, the computer virus, the busy signal, the dead link, and the PowerPoint presentation.
James GleickRead
"Half genius and half buffoon," Freeman Dyson ... wrote. ... [Richard] Feynman struck him as uproariously American-unbuttoned and burning with physical energy. It took him a while to realize how obsessively his new friend was tunneling into the very bedrock of modern science.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote highlights the unique duality of Richard Feynman's personality, combining playful genius with deep scientific insight.
This quote reflects the remarkable blend of characteristics that defined Richard Feynman: a genius in his field yet possessing a whimsical, almost clownish, demeanor. It illustrates how his unrestrained personality and intense passion for physics made him a standout figure in modern science, showcasing that great minds can also embrace joy and humor while engaging in profound intellectual pursuits.
Themes
FeynmanScienceGeniusHumorEnergy
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a speech about the importance of creativity in the scientific process.
More from James Gleick
All quotes →A good part of 'The Information' is about the transition from an oral to a literary culture. Books effected such a great transformation in the way we think about the world, our history, our logic, mathematics, you name it. I think we would be greatly diminished as a people and as a culture if the book became obsolete.
James GleickRead
I'm trying to look at many, many things in modern life that I believe are going faster, and I'm trying to look at why they're going faster and what effect they have on us. We all know about FedEx and instant pudding, but it doesn't mean we've looked at all the consequences of our desire for speed.
James GleickRead
Everything we care about lies somewhere in the middle, where pattern and randomness interlace.
James GleickRead
Every time a new technology comes along, we feel we're about to break through to a place where we will not be able to recover. The advent of broadcast radio confused people. It delighted people, of course, but it also changed the world.
James GleickRead
We have a habit of turning to scientists when we want factual answers and artists when we want entertainment, but where are the facts about the nature of the self? Neurologists peering at PET scans and fMRIs know they aren't seeing the soul in there.
James GleickRead
Similar quotes
All the scientists who are working on solving the problem of curing paralysis say that it won't do you any good if you don't keep your body in shape.
Christopher ReeveRead
Nature allows only experimental situations to occur which can be described within the framework of the formalism of quantum mechanics
Werner HeisenbergRead
Many of the problems facing the nation and the world today may only be solved if their technical elements are understood - climate change, energy supply, health care, and infrastructure, to name just a few.
John C. MatherRead
Our observation of nature must be diligent, our reflection profound, and our experiments exact. We rarely see these three means combined; and for this reason, creative geniuses are not common.
Denis DiderotRead
How many more years I shall be able to work on the problem I do not know; I hope, as long as I live. There can be no thought of finishing, for 'aiming at the stars' both literally and figuratively, is a problem to occupy generations, so that no matter how much progress one makes, there is always the thrill of just beginning.
Robert H. GoddardRead
C'este donc par l'étude des mathématiques, et seulement par elle, que l'on peut se faire une idée juste et approfondie de ce que c'est qu'une science.
Auguste ComteRead