TEDxCaltech - Danny Hillis - Reminiscing about Richard Feynman

Danny Hillis is an inventor, scientist, author and engineer, and is chairman and co-founder of Applied Minds. Previously, he was Vice President and Disney Fellow at Walt Disney Imagineering and was a co-founder of Thinking Machines Corp. Danny pioneered the concept of parallel computers that is now the basis for most supercomputers, and RAID disk array technology used to store large databases while completing his PhD at MIT. He holds over 150 U.S. patents, and is the designer of a 10,000-year mechanical clock. Danny is also the Judge Widney professor of engineering and research medicine at the University of Southern California, and serves as co-chairman of The Long Now Foundation, and is on the board of the Hertz Foundation. He is a Fellow of the Association of Computing Machinery, of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the International Leadership Forum, and a member of the National Academy of Engineering.
About TEDx, x = independently organized event: In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized. (Subject to certain rules and regulations.)
On January 14, 2011, Caltech hosted TEDxCaltech, an exciting one-day event to honor Richard Feynman, Nobel Laureate, Caltech physics professor, iconoclast, visionary, and all-around "curious character." Visit TEDxCaltech.com for more details.

[@thomasbostick4468]

"I'll be dead but I won't be entirely gone." How absolutely right he was. I was very fortunate to be an undergrad when he was actively around on campus. He'd just finished "The Feynman Lectures" with Leighton and Sands, often showed up at undergrad parties, usually with one or two Playboy Bunnies on his arm, and gifted us with a physics lecture in which he presented Newton's explanation of gravity in the original terms that Newton used, i.e. entirely based on esoteric properties of conic sections with no reference to calculus (not yet accepted by other physicists). But the greatest memory was when he showed up at Zorthian's Ranch (google Zorthian, Feynman's friend, teacher in live figure drawing and notorious character) at a big undergrad barn dance after winning the Nobel Prize. He spun a long, involved, utterly captivating story of why they should ask your permission before giving you the Nobel. "You must wear white tie and tails", "but I don't wear suits, let alone white tie and tails", "but you're presented to the King of Sweden", "I'm an American, we don't believe in Kings!", "But the Swedish people Love their king! He's a constitutional monarch and a symbol of their history", "OK, if I must, but I do object", Feynman goes home, wife greets him at the door and demands money. "Why?", I need a dress for Sweden!", "You have lots of nice dresses.", "But you'll be in white tie and tails!". Feynman resigns himself to ignoble defeat.

[@sanjaytumati]

Dan looks like he is expending a lot of effort to prevent himself from bursting into tears

[@ottorinoori6370]

For all of us, proud employees @ 245 First Street, both Danny and Richard have been inspiring guides, Ciao OTTO

[@peter-radiantpipes2800]

My grandfather was a professor at Caltech at the same time as Feynman. I wish I could have been old enough to ask more questions. He himself had a very amazing life.

[@RWBHere]

Wow. That was not easy. Thanks, Danny Hillis, for making the effort to share that insight with us.

[@RaiWitt]

I've read this already a couple of years ago, a very touching talk indeed. Both Danny Hillis and Richard Feynman have my deepest respect.

[@Chertoff88]

Greatest teacher I never had.

[@boogiecat55]

what an incredible guy feynman was, i just wish there was more footage. 2 bbc documentries are brilliant to watch 10 times over.

[@mike28110]

Wow, this seemed really heartfelt. I'm sure it was really hard for him to openly reminisce about his dearly loved friend. Support to him for doing this.

[@teejmd91]

Good speech, I also had tears >_

[@DanielK-vp9cb]

yeah i knew him too T^T

[@ffggddss]

I remember where I was when I heard JFK had been assassinated, when I heard MLKJ had been assassinated, when I heard that the WTC towers had fallen, and when I heard Feynman had died. Each of these times, I suddenly felt I was living in a somewhat smaller world.

[@PapiJack]

Who the f#$% dislike something like this? There is always a slow one in every bunch. Dick was a great influence on many people. Including young scientists who never saw him alive. Many would argue the biggest contribution to science in the 20th century was made by Einstein. I disagree, if we factor in how inspiring Feynman was during his career along with his scientific contributions he has to be the most influential scientist of the past century. My two cents.

[@101LiquidNitrogen]

feynman is awesome

[@Tonicwine999]

Thanks Danny, was hard to watch and I can see that it was hard for you to tell these stories.

[@JordanBeagle]

4:18 Talk about making the best of negative situation, what a legend

[@JordanBeagle]

Very touching, glad he could find the positives for even nearing death

[@rodsims8471]

he was the average guy , and love the feeling of KNOWING , what is really going on , and then was ... some .. how able to convert that into wonderfully simple analogy's , ,I loved it when he said .. " yaaaa Ok , But WHYYYYY ? WHYyyy does it do that ?? with his open hand turning in the air .. I really miss him , and I never even knew him , yet in a way I did . sorry if that was boring .

[@boogiecat55]

feynman...my favourite genius

[@burnhippiesforfuel]

hfs! mr. hillis looks great!

[@elfootman]

very touching indeed :'(

[@nishparadox]

This was sentimental in more funny way... :)

[@Tonicwine999]

Obviously Feynman was impressive however I didn't think the stories were lame at all. I though they were interesting and heartwarming. Danny Hillis was interesting enough to hang around and even employ Fenyman

[@fabieuxhabieux]

Danny Hillis is a beautiful person. I recommend you read his short The Big Picture.

[@un2mensch]

My nomination for most awesome people of the 20th Century is split between Norman Borlaug and Richard Feynman

[@RWBHere]

Norman who?

[@Nautilus1972]

You're kidding me - there's a wealth of lectures he gave that are on youtube! Search!

[@PrivateAckbar]

Jesus this guy is impressive.

[@Tonicwine999]

I've watched it all and there's nowhere near enough footage of him.

[@JordanBeagle]

Homie be invented entirely new computer systems for his thesis!

[@phy29]

It is desintegration beta for sodium ....

[@phy29]

Quils sont bete tes amis.....

[@Shmannel]

Every one got that idea man, even the dinosaurs considered parallel computing

[@Shmannel]

Wtf happened to the volume, ie my phone speaker taking a shit?

[@archaedemos]

sad.

[@phy29]

Dummy c'est moi richard fineman....

[@Nautilus1972]

Danny Hillis? Impressive? He told two lame stories and he's still living off having known Richard Feynman. Feynman was impressive, this guy ... no.

[@JimBalter]

Way more impressive than you.

[@lamper2]

I lost respect for feinman when I read he regretted the dropping of the atomic bomb

[@fracaralho]

no one fucking cares about your respect for him or lack thereof.

[@ReddooryogaSH]

Do you have a source where he actually said that?

[@EclecticConsilience]

lee shafer So you mean to say, you lost respect for Feynman because you realized he had a conscience.

[@ffggddss]

In matters of extreme complexity, where there is no "right" answer, a given person's conscience isn't always a guide to truth; even when that person is among the smartest on the planet. Such extremes are always present in war, and it's hard to imagine a more extreme example than World War II. The dropping of the bombs was arguably instrumental in saving millions of lives that would have been lost on both sides in the invasion of Japan, where the culture precluded any reasonable surrender, short of total annihilation, or the demonstration of the certainty thereof. Such an invasion would have been a long, drawn-out, horrific end to the war, as surely as was the brief, horrific one wrought by the bombs. I don't fault Feynman for that remark; he had, after all, a personal stake in the matter, having worked on the Manhattan Project. But I find it difficult to fault others for faulting him for it.

[@EclecticConsilience]

ffggddss I'm willing to bet Feynman was well aware of this, in that the official reasoning put forth for dropping the nukes, which was to supposedly save lives, was a pure fabrication, and thus thoroughly morally bankrupt. So no, Feynman demonstrated great courage by admitting his regret.