Richard Feynman on working with IBM computers at Los Alamos

The great story teller talking about replacing mechanical calculating machines with electronic computers in the race for the atomic bomb.

[@Afalstein]

It's remarkable, the way he describes his leadership of the team when he came in and everything was a mess. His subordinates told him to get out and leave it to them--and he did. Often, bosses think their role is to be the savior, the one to provide firm direction for their less intelligent employees--and if there was ever a boss justified in thinking that, it would be Feynman. But he just got out of their way and let them do their job. Sometimes, that's all a boss needs to be. Someone who lets his employees do their work.

[@ElSmusso]

Dick is a masterful storyteller. I say IS, because he’s still living here on KZbin :)

[@gregjhill]

Brilliant, I loved the bit about how they used a room full of ladies to simulate the machines and iron out the bugs. The ladies were just as quick or quicker than the machines.

[@bhavikyadav7495]

I didn't understand how they used the girls Could you explain

[@siulumlion]

@@bhavikyadav7495 It was like a Ford factory where each person does one task over and over, and so can do the job quickly. One girl would multiply, one divide, and one cube numbers. That was similar to the way the early computers worked, so they were able to plan and refine the routes the cards would take through the machine by using human labor to perform each operation.

[@RiDankulous]

He sound like a charismatic and communicator, more than introverted.

[@briancannard7335]

So, technically, they invented cellular automata. "Leave us alone, boss!" Good management, Feynman!

[@matlord8799]

Awesome :)

[@cxzm3395]

"The computer disease" 😂

[@slixnix9698]

aka a developer 😂

[@possiblypoet]

What’s this from??

[@possiblypoet]

8:55 when he mentions the car he used to see his dying wife for the last time was the car used by the his buddy, the spy smuggling secrets out what a piece of history

[@barryfennell9723]

Reverse engineering patented computer designs.