Richard Freyman

Early Life Born May 11, 1918 From Queens, New York His family originated from Russia and Poland; both of his parents were Jewish By his early youth, however, Feynman described himself as an "avowed atheist.”

Education He attended the MIT, where he received a bachelor’s degree in While there, Feynman took every physics course offered, including a graduate course on theoretical physics while only in his second year. He obtained a perfect score on the graduate school entrance exams to Princeton University in mathematics and physics. He received a Ph.D. from Princeton in 1942 Feynman's thesis applied the principle of stationary action to problems of quantum mechanics, laying the groundwork for the "path integral" approach and Feynman diagrams, and was entitled "The Principle of Least Action in Quantum Mechanics".

Famous Accomplishments Known for his work in the path integral formulation of quantum mechanics, the theory of quantum electrodynamics and the physics of the superfluidity of supercooled liquid helium, as well as in particle physics (he proposed the parton model). Received the Nobel Prize Physics in 1965 He assisted in the development of the atomic bomb and was a member of the panel that investigated the Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster. Feynman has been credited with pioneering the field of quantum computing, and introducing the concept of nanotechnology.

Beliefs on the World You see, one thing is, I can live with doubt and uncertainty and not knowing. I think it's much more interesting to live not knowing than to have answers which might be wrong. I have approximate answers and possible beliefs and different degrees of uncertainty about different things, but I am not absolutely sure of anything and there are many things I don't know anything about, such as whether it means anything to ask why we're here... I don't have to know an answer. I don't feel frightened not knowing things, by being lost in a mysterious universe without any purpose, which is the way it really is as far as I can tell. It doesn't frighten me. -Richard Feynman ( )

Beliefs in God I don't think that the laws can be considered to be like God because they have been figured out. -- Richard P Feynman God was invented to explain mystery. God is always invented to explain those things that you do not understand. Now, when you finally discover how something works, you get some laws which you're taking away from God; you don't need him anymore. But you need him for the other mysteries. So therefore you leave him to create the universe because we haven't figured that out yet; you need him for understanding those things which you don't believe the laws will explain, such as consiousness, or why you only live to a certain length of time -- life and death -- stuff like that. God is always associated with those things that you do not understand. Therefore I don't think that the laws can be considered to be like God because they have been figured out. -- Richard P Feynman

Beliefs in Science As you know, a theory in physics is not useful unless it is able to predict underlined effects which we would otherwise expect. -- Richard P Feynman Science is a way of trying not to fool yourself. -- Richard P Feynman