
The Feynman Lectures on Physics (2013) - m_sahaf
http://www.feynmanlectures.caltech.edu
======
hermitdev
Microsoft Research made a number of Feynman lectures available in 2009 with
their Project Tuva [1]. Originally it required Silverlight, but the
Silverlight app has been decommissioned. The videos are now directly available
online.

For those interested in Feynman, the man, I highly recommend "Surely you must
be joking, Mr. Feynman.". It's a mostly fun, sometimes sad, look at his life.

[1] [https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/project/tuva-
richar...](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/project/tuva-richard-
feynman/)

~~~
stOneskull
Thank you.

I had tried to find this before and it was like Microsoft were making it for
Windows users only.

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atpgamma2
Here is a path for learning physics,
[https://www.susanjfowler.com/blog/2016/8/13/so-you-want-
to-l...](https://www.susanjfowler.com/blog/2016/8/13/so-you-want-to-learn-
physics) for those interested, and here is relevant HN discussion
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12691963](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12691963)

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cbHXBY1D
Is this a good introduction to physics for a layman who is comfortable with
linear algebra and calculus?

~~~
popobobo
No, definitely not. Try to find some book in the topic that you are interested
in. If it is electromagnetism, go for the black book with four equations
printed. If it is quantum mechanics, I like the Sakurai book.

~~~
yomritoyj
Griffiths on Electromagnetism?

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popobobo
Yeah, I like the Griffiths book. Last time I heard he is on the gre physics
panel. Wonder what is he doing now.

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LordDragonfang
I notice that the way these volumes are split up is the same as both the way
US AP classes and most colleges I've seen split up physics classes. Is it safe
to assume that it has become the canonical order to teach the subject because
of these lectures?

~~~
rerx
No, that was the canonical order of lectures long before Feynman started
teaching.

Actually, I think Feynman's influence on introductory physics teaching is much
smaller than it is often stated. More "standard" courses that put a higher
emphasis on how to actually carry out computations are more successful first
physics courses. Feynman's lecture notes are an illuminating read to gain a
broader perspective when one has already learnt how to "do" physics. IIRC in
the preface Feynman himself actually expresses his disappointment with how
well his students actually managed to learn from his teaching.

Feynman as a researcher was a master at presenting his (innovative and
important) results in insightful ways, such that they appear almost obviously
plausible from these alternative angles. But he did that after powering
through insanely hard, long calculations to really obtain these results. Those
are the most important part of the work.

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facepalm
I'm a huge fan of Feynman, but the lectures gave me the impression they are
not the ultimate learning resource for physics. Any other books on physics
that people would recommend?

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madengr
Funny to see the guy in the top photo in the process of lighting a smoke. Ah,
the good old days.

Anyway, great series. I happened upon the 50th anniversary hardbound edition
in a Los Alamos museum bookstore.

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hackuser
Does anyone know how this publication relates to Six Easy Pieces? Same thing
now free? Different lectures? Same lectures but one is abridged?

[http://www.basicbooks.com/full-
details?isbn=9780465025275](http://www.basicbooks.com/full-
details?isbn=9780465025275)

~~~
CalChris
_Six Easy Pieces_ corresponds to these chapters in _The Feynman Lectures on
Physics_ :

    
    
      Chapter 1, Atoms in Motion
      Chapter 2, Basic Physics
      Chapter 3, Relation of Physics to Other Sciences
      Chapter 4, Conservation of Energy
      Chapter 7, Theory of Gravitation
      Chapter 37, Quantum Behavior
    

The editing differences are probably slight. _Six Easy Pieces_ first came out
in 1994 and the question would be whether a particular edition contains the
2006 definitive edition corrections.

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al2o3cr
My favorite part of those books is Book II, Chapter 19 on "The Principle of
Least Action" \- a great explanation of the core of what he would win his
Nobel prize for two years later.

The sizable section that analyzes ways to try "beat" the two-slit electron
experiment is also amazing.

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Chris2048
Are these good for getting an intuition for the underlying _math_ , without
particularly caring about physics?

I don't care so much about particle interactions, but if I can get a better
intuition for thinking about common mathematics, that would be more useful to
me.

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rajeshp1986
I wish I knew about the Feynman lectures during my undergrad :(

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richard___
Bill Gates supposedly put all the free video lectures online. I see a comment
there that links to 7 of them but I wonder where the rest are.

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evanb
There are no videos of the lectures of the material the book is based on. The
videos Gates put up are the Messenger Lectures that Feynman gave at Cornell.

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HaveCourage
If only the greatest of us didn't rot away and die. I think Feynman would be
great to still have around.

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popobobo
I was a physics major. These 3 volumes used to be so dry that I can't even
turn a page. But those are real good memory considering I am now just a web
developer digging code just for the money. Hey, at least I can show off to my
former classmates on how much I am making. Don't you pity me.

