New! FEYNMAN AND THE BOMB - audio only

Here the American physicist Richard Feynman talks about how, although very young, he came to be involved in the WW2 atomic bomb project. He shares his thoughts on the moral dilemmas that faced him and his fellow scientists, including Robert Oppenheimer. This audio recording is largely outtakes from the filming for a BBC TV Horizon documentary called 'The Pleasure of Finding Things Out' (1981). The film negative and work print for this unused material were junked after transmission of the finished programme as was the practice at the time - film cans took up a lot of space! But you can see the accompanying picture for the sections included in the final film at the BBC Archive website if you live in the UK, or on Vimeo worldwide - search for 'The Pleasure of Finding Things Out'

[@robdave1974]

Richards ability to see things happening around him and automatically “do the maths”. It’s inspiring yet sobering. I appreciate that he shared his inner conflicts, and admitted to being human and making errors of judgment.

[@Fiyaaaahh]

I never realized how young Ferynman was when was asked to join a project of such caliber. He must've made quite the name already, even before doing a PhD (usually the first step into getting your name out into the academic world).

[@odurandina]

Interviewer was a kind of a turd. Feynman a longtime idol.

[@hunahpuyamamoto3964]

How unfortunate-the interviewer is an asshole.

[@DylanUPSB]

Chris - I've gotten great joy from watching the feynman documentaries you've produced (and shared with us online!). I was so happy to see this additional content released - if you have any other unpublished content floating around, I'm sure many would be incredibly grateful for you to share it! Either way, thanks again for the wonderful work you've done

[@ChristopherSykesDocumentaries]

Thanks v much! Glad you enjoy them!

[@paulbyerlee2529]

I don't know how you found this material but thankyou for sharing it. Richard Feynman remains one of my idols. It was so sad that he died before getting to Tanna Tuva.

[@bigdave6952]

Tanna tuva?

[@paulbyerlee2529]

@@bigdave6952 kzbin.info/www/bejne/nKbUnmd8fN-iaJIfeature=shared

[@barrypickford1443]

@@bigdave6952he found a remote country and liked the novelty of going to find it! I think he got too sick to follow this dream. There is a doc where he discusses this and his love of playing bongos. Great doc, it was about his life and I think it was made by one of his best friends.

[@ChristopherSykesDocumentaries]

Tannu Tuva Feynman should find the story via Google...@@bigdave6952

[@Kristianlking]

Almost made it, brought me to tears how close he was.

[@iainholmes2735]

I loved his two books, especially 'What do You care...?'. His account of the Rodgers Commission into the Challenger disaster is gripping stuff.

[@diarmuidbyron-oconnor3563]

Ha! Christopher we met many years ago in Putney as I sought your advice in helping promote my friend’s documentary. I mentioned at the time how my father corresponded with Richard Leighton as our family are firm Feynman fans. Her I am 17 years later having just listened to the 1953 Reith lecture on R4 sounds”Science and common understanding”by Oppenheimer and pondering on how Feynman considered Oppenheimer. It turns out you had anticipated my question. Many Thanks. I hope you are well. Diarmuid Byron-O’Connor.

[@diarmuidbyron-oconnor3563]

Sorry I meant Ralph

[@DusanPavlicek78]

A cat at 3:20 🐱

[@cacogenicist]

No-pretense, no-bullshit geniuses are my favorite kind. You can really see why Feynman got along so well Lenny Susskind. Very similar personalities.

[@xezene1]

Thank you very much for sharing these interesting and thoughtful comments and reflections from Feynman on this important subject.

[@meepmeep6363]

Thank you for uploading this!

[@Al-cynic]

The interviewer wants to write a script for hollywood, Feynman is just saying what he felt and thought.

[@amitpatil2020]

Many thanks for sharing this!

[@ghettorcshenanigans258]

A good read is his autobiography, "Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!"

[@jonnyrocca7426]

Absolutely fascinating. Thank you 🙏

[@DirahEvans]

❤ Thank you for sharing.

[@TheSmokinducks]

Amazing. Well preserved for posterity. Congrats.

[@ForEntertainer]

Unbelievable! How can you find this wonderful records? Thank you for uploading

[@txdmsk]

Feynman was peak human.

[@notaspeck6104]

Well he was involved in a case of manslaughter and was a serial adulterer. Great scientist, but just a human.

[@megamastah]

Beautiful.

[@fawzious7185]

Welcome back 🎉

[@Fallingmonsters]

Dense questions

[@petethepeg2]

Impressive! So he was the only person at Trinity to see the atomic flash from 20 miles without special dark glasses but nevertheless still protected . But just imagine 100,000 seeing the same from a few hundred yards away ! With this foreknowlege from all the scientists,perhaps this is what the interviewer is struggling to find answers from Feynman et al. I believe iFeynman was quoted to have said later that he had two big regrets in his life , The first that he joined the Manhattan Project and the second .....that he enjoyed it !!

[@eetuhalonen9902]

Interviewer is very annoying. He is trying hard to get the answers he is looking for.

[@TheSmokinducks]

So Feynman gives his right answer first .... working on my own project 'difficulty 6 or difficulty 8 ...classic'. When asked about Oppenheimer ... 'No' .He was amazing

[@tykjenffs]

Worst interviewer ever. Trying to guilt-trip Feynman for developing the atom bomb before the nazis did. He just does not get the fkn point.

[@odurandina]

@@TheSmokinducks Feynman a man of integrity--realizes how stupid the interviewer is--failing to see the context of 1942: with a fellow scientist walking into his office and recruiting him to build the bomb. Thick as a brick.

[@falcodarkzz]

Typical journalist, fishing for scandal and drama. Trying to frame Feynman as under appreciating the magnitude of the decision, when in the event Hitler had got the bomb first, Feynman and co wouldve been our only hope. When the interviewer seems to suggest some villainy on Oppenheimer's part for wanting to make such a "terrible thing" he really enters the point of folly. Men like that are enemies of reason, plain and simple

[@PherPhur]

Wrong person to try to do it to. I'm sure that interviewer strong armed his way to many answers he wanted, but Feynman was not in the least bit hesitant to tell you "what the fuck are you talking about dude?" without telling you "what the fuck are you talking about dude?"

[@bulldog3512]

Which way do you want to define human?

[@user-bx6kx6ps7m]

I’m Japanese, a physics major, a big fan of Feynman. I know his psychopathy aspect as I have dug up some of his wrong doing with women. This is true to Einstein, too. I truly admire his intelligence and all. But it’s just mind boggling to me that the reason why it was a difficult decision to make for him was because of his personal career and interest. The fact that he didn’t state moral and ethical issues, no remorse, at all in the interview was really something. Logically, it was either Hitler or the us, yes. Logically, it was going be developed, yes. But I was just curious as to what he had to say after witnessing such atrocities. 20,000 civilians were wiped out, some evaporated in an instant, lots and lots wandered around in the battered cities suffering from melted body for days before they could end the hell. Lack of compassion, lack of interest in people. Is that what it takes to be a legendary scientist? I guess the answer is yes, and I sense that psychopathic ingredient is in me, too. Too logical to feel empathy. Still….

[@notaspeck6104]

Personally I think the atomic bombings are the most accurate reflection of war. It's awful. Both sides do killing, and both sides suffer. No on has the moral high ground, each side does what's best for themselves and that might involve fighting for an ethically sound cause or it might not. I mean America only got involved when they were attacked... In the end the bombings were horrific, but they did have strategic credence. America did what was best for themselves to end a war. But that doesn't erase how awful the ramifications were. People love to argue about 'right' and 'wrong' because they're only interested in justifying their own countries actions. If only more people cared about the humanity of it all, and about never letting something like it happen again. Maybe the bombings would mean something more and we could learn from it. In a way it would give meaning or purpose to all the death.

[@radikai]

What childish nonsense.

[@radikai]

Feynman isn’t whatsoever a psychopath.

[@jackharle1251]

A good man

[@calebmartinez9350]

I don't know about that lol, a serial cheater and known womanizer.

[@notaspeck6104]

He did a lot wrong, (saying this as a fan of his lectures). He wasn't 'good' or bad, just a great scientist lmao.

[@tadcooper9733]

idk if i wanna listen to this I've listeded to all the stories and videos. IS THIS NEW? if so, I'd gladly listen and upvote

[@rockets4kids]

3:20 😺

[@gp92510]

The interviewer's a bit thick...

[@anonymous-sr5ks]

It's Christopher himself at the time attempting to be objective as a true journalist does. He did one on Wittgenstein also.

[@thenorup]

No, he is extremely smart. But when you put somebody next to Feynman, well, it's like putting a star next to a super nova

[@odurandina]

Thick.

[@falcodarkzz]

​@@anonymous-sr5kshe is not objective, he is prying for slander against Oppenheimer and framing thinge, e.g. "terrible weapon". He knows Feynman put a lot into the bomb and lost his wife in its creation, such suggestions would take an inhuman self control not to react to. Somehow Feynman doesnt

[@michaelcox436]

The worst part of these "fun to imagine" interviews are the boneheaded interruptions from the interviewer.

[@diegokricekfontanive]

11:00 Those who associate humanity with kindness and love are the most dangerous fools indeed.

[@notaspeck6104]

Wow you're so deep and cynical... how original.

[@diegokricekfontanive]

@@notaspeck6104 That`s not my opinion sir, but rather what human history shows us so well.

[@Carlins_Prophet]

Human animalism and human altruism have created a stasis in the past that have enabled human survival to the point that they have become, at best, unnecessary and at worst, detrimental too human existence.....

[@diegokricekfontanive]

@@Carlins_Prophet That`s precisely where the core of the human issue lies: as humans civilised themselves, they managed to transfer the need to survive from the mere biological domain to the abstract/intellectual one, which is all the inventions of thought, such as beliefs, dogmas, ideologies.

[@JM-cv7nv]

amen

[@Miriewoud]

The double nature of nature.

[@sergeyromanov5560]

meow