I work in a building close to the one that hosted the late Richard P. Feynman, Nobel-prize winner and one of my heroes. Feynman worked on the theory of quantum electrodynamics, quark theory,
the superfluidity of supercooled liquid helium, and many, many other subjects. He created or advanced tools like the Feynman diagrams and path integrals, and delivered the famous Feynman Lectures on Physics.
His life and exceptional career in physics have been described in numerous books and websites. A leading Dutch physicist, Robbert Dijkgraaf, talked about Feynman in the Dutch television program 'Zomergasten.' In this program, which sharply contrasts with many other television programs - especially American ones - in that it provides more than three hours of live television without any commercial break whatsoever, the first thing Dijkgraaf said about Feynman was that he was a clown (he used the English word). He was a genius, but the emphasis was definitely on clown. This disturbed me greatly. 'Just read the books!' I yelled to the screen.
I had lunch here the other day with someone who has won the Richard Feynman Prize for excellent education, and who appeared to have been a personal friend of Feynman's. I jumped. He had first met Feynman when contributing to a play by Caltech faculty and students, where Feynman played the bongo. 'Above all,' he declared, 'Feynman was a great story teller.' I choked in my salad, thinking, 'Not again!'
Well, anyway, Feynman was not the only one here to win the Nobel Prize: twenty-nine Caltech colleagues have joined him over the years; one of them even won it twice! Working in such an environment is impressive, right on the cutting edge of science. It leads one to despair, however, about the mysterious meanderings of the Dutch ministers of education, on the opposite edge, and the terribly slow and mild reaction of Dutch universities. Students here follow classes and do homework for up to sixteen hours a day, seven days a week. Mathematics and physics are not dirty words here; students use them all the time.
Best regards,
Rob Hagmeijer
Associate Professor, Engineering Fluid Dynamics
Faculty of Engineering Technology
Millikan Library and Jacaranda trees in 2006. Shortly after Feynman died, a couple of students climbed over the face of this building on ropes, and hung a sign saying: "WE LOVE YOU DICK".
