
...was granted a divorce because he was constantly working calculus problems - antman
http://explore.noodle.org/post/73954140444/the-appointees-wife-was-granted-a-divorce-from
======
lutusp
This is a classic Internet daisy chain of the worst sort.

The article linked above ([http://explore.noodle.org/post/73954140444/the-
appointees-wi...](http://explore.noodle.org/post/73954140444/the-appointees-
wife-was-granted-a-divorce-from)) acquired its content from MetaFilter
([http://www.metafilter.com/116688/The-FBI-has-a-Do-Not-
Contac...](http://www.metafilter.com/116688/The-FBI-has-a-Do-Not-Contact-
List)), which in turn acquired its content from MuckRock
([https://www.muckrock.com/news/archives/2012/jun/06/feynman-f...](https://www.muckrock.com/news/archives/2012/jun/06/feynman-
files-professors-invitation-past-iron-curt/)), which acquired its content from
an FOI request from the FBI ([https://www.muckrock.com/foi/united-states-of-
america-10/fbi...](https://www.muckrock.com/foi/united-states-of-
america-10/fbi-files-on-richard-feynman-1165/)) which produced an historical
361-page archive ([https://www.muckrock.com/foi/united-states-of-
america-10/fbi...](https://www.muckrock.com/foi/united-states-of-
america-10/fbi-files-on-richard-feynman-1165/#366921-responsive-documents))

Surprising no one, the article linked above manages to locate the most
tabloid-oriented part of the 361-page FBI archive, and omit the more
interesting and politically educational parts.

Here's a link to a browsable version the source documents:
[https://www.muckrock.com/foi/united-states-of-
america-10/fbi...](https://www.muckrock.com/foi/united-states-of-
america-10/fbi-files-on-richard-feynman-1165/#366921-responsive-documents)

Here's a direct link to the PDF archive:
[https://muckrock.s3.amazonaws.com/foia_documents/Feynman_Mas...](https://muckrock.s3.amazonaws.com/foia_documents/Feynman_Master_of_Deception.pdf)

------
fsck--off
Keep in mind that there was no such thing as a no-fault divorce in the U.S
until 1969. So the listed reasons for divorce — which in this case included
violence — are not reliable because they were often invented out of necessity.

~~~
jgalt212
Interesting. I can only imagine how this discusson would take place on
Jezebel.

Know your audience, I guess. I, like many here, would not be happy to read
negative things about Feynman who is a hero to many in this community.

~~~
phillmv
*shrug.

Reading between the lines from the various writings he put out, I think the
odds were good that he was an asshole to a lot of people.

He had a lot of privilege from being, on average, the smartest dick in a given
room, and being the right age and in the right place to enjoy the Greatest
Period of Prosperity We've Ever Known.

He was probably a blast at parties and exhilarating to work alongside and
shoot the shit with, but also probably really flakey and insufferable if you
needed something from him.

For me, the most telling moment in the Feynman comic
([http://www.amazon.com/Feynman-Jim-
Ottaviani/dp/1596438274](http://www.amazon.com/Feynman-Jim-
Ottaviani/dp/1596438274)) was how little attention was paid to his kids.

You gotta take the good with the bad. Steve Jobs was a manipulative douchebag,
but also conniving, ruthless and full of taste.

------
brandonhsiao
Wow, I can completely see that happening.

His anger could have been more healthily displaced, but being interrupted
while you're thinking is actually the most frustrating thing ever. From my own
experience the biggest problem is that sometimes when you're thinking you
don't even realize it, and it's not till you're interrupted that you do. And
once you're self-aware, the flow of thoughts required with the hardest kinds
of thinking comes to a stop.

And if this guy is thinking about the kind of insanely hard stuff he thought
about, man, I can't imagine how much that would've sucked.

~~~
BlackDeath3
"But I just had a quick question! It will only take _two seconds_ of your
time!"

To me, the real problem is that a lot of people don't understand that the
duration of the interrupting event itself is often the lesser of the
distractions. The fifteen minutes I have to spend getting my head back on-
track afterward is the real pain-in-the-ass, and what are the chances that
_those_ fifteen minutes go uninterrupted?

~~~
danielweber
That's why you go into another room and lock the door.

~~~
BlackDeath3
That doesn't solve every problem, but it helps.

------
EpicEng

      "...the FBI set out to out him as a “communist sympathizer” in a witch hunt 
      characteristic of the Cold War era."
    
      "As for Feynman’s bongo drums, well, that’s true."
    

I'm not sure I understand the point of this article (if you can even call it
that.) Is the author claiming that the wife's testimony is false, or perhaps
that it was never even given and the entire paragraph is a fabrication of the
FBI? I don't get it.

People fight, everyone has their own version, and nasty things come up in a
divorce proceeding. I obviously have no idea if this account is 100% accurate,
but it sounds like the author is claiming that it is not. Based upon what
evidence I do not know.

~~~
quasse
I think the author is providing you some background information about why the
files exist, and then saying that the story about the drums and calculus is
probably true.

I don't see any claim in there that the wife was a lying tool of the FBI.
These files would have been compiled after the divorce anyway.

~~~
EpicEng
The author certainly implies that those charges are false.

------
Delmania
I think I've read that people who are very intelligent are also very
passionate, which I guess is why Fenyman wrote a touching love letter to his
(dead) first wife and (allegedly) beat his second wife. Also keep in mind the
notion of "emotional intelligence" is relatively new, so given the time period
and the person, this really isn't a surprise.

~~~
judk
Neither of those activities are the exclusive domain of the "very
intelligent".

------
falconfunction
Well, he was crazy smart, loved life, strip clubs, and interesting things. It
is pretty fucked up that he thought she was okay with that behavior towards
her.

[http://www.openculture.com/2013/08/richard-feynmans-
letter-t...](http://www.openculture.com/2013/08/richard-feynmans-letter-to-
departed-wife.html)

------
Aqueous
"he attacked her" \- is this true?

Richard Feynman is a personal hero of mine, but if he became violent towards
his wife I might view him in a different light.

Also, what's "bric-a-brac?"

~~~
lutusp
> "he attacked her" \- is this true?

We would first need to define "attacked". There are verbal attacks, chain-saw
attacks, and much territory between them.

Also, during the divorce proceeding, his soon-to-be-ex-wife primarily
complained about his tendency to be lost in thought, not his tendency to
attack her if she interrupted him. My point is that if he actually physically
attacked her, she would not have needed to mention his annoying preference for
calculus.

~~~
Aqueous
That is what I initially thought as well, but since abuse was more
socially/legally acceptable back then, I thought it was also possible that it
wouldn't register as hugely important in the complaint.

------
BlackDeath3
Interesting article. While the title of this submission hooked me and brought
me here, it may need a little reworking as well.

------
qwerta
Before we start flamewar, please keep on mind this happened in 50ies.

------
JoeAltmaier
Spouses can be so sensitive.

