Richard Feynman
Nobel physics, safecracking on the side
Science
Feynman worked on the bomb at twenty-four, won the Nobel for quantum electrodynamics, and later found the O-ring flaw that destroyed Challenger by dropping a piece of rubber into ice water on television. He is the great enemy of sounding clever: if you cannot explain it simply, he thought, you do not understand it, and pretending otherwise is the one unforgivable move.
We've learned from experience that the truth will out.
"Cargo Cult Science", Caltech 1974 commencement address
Nature's phenomena will agree or they'll disagree with your theory.
"Cargo Cult Science", Caltech 1974 commencement address
After you've not fooled yourself, it's easy not to fool other scientists.
"Cargo Cult Science", Caltech 1974 commencement address
I understood at last what art is really for, at least in certain respects.
"Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!", ch. "But Is It Art?" · 1985
It looks exactly the way it looked before. But it doesn't work. No airplanes land.
"Cargo Cult Science", Caltech 1974 commencement address
Details that could throw doubt on your interpretation must be given, if you know them.
"Cargo Cult Science", Caltech 1974 commencement address
So we really ought to look into theories that don't work, and science that isn't science.
"Cargo Cult Science", Caltech 1974 commencement address
The first principle is that you must not fool yourself—and you are the easiest person to fool.
"Cargo Cult Science", Caltech 1974 commencement address
You must do the best you can—if you know anything at all wrong, or possibly wrong—to explain it.
"Cargo Cult Science", Caltech 1974 commencement address
If we only publish results of a certain kind, we can make the argument look good. We must publish both kinds of result.
"Cargo Cult Science", Caltech 1974 commencement address
So it's the implication which has been conveyed, not the fact, which is true, and the difference is what we have to deal with.
"Cargo Cult Science", Caltech 1974 commencement address
Never say that you'll give a talk unless you know clearly what you're going to talk about and more or less what you're going to say.
"Cargo Cult Science", Caltech 1974 commencement address
And it's this type of integrity, this kind of care not to fool yourself, that is missing to a large extent in much of the research in Cargo Cult Science.
"Cargo Cult Science", Caltech 1974 commencement address
If you make a theory, for example, and advertise it, or put it out, then you must also put down all the facts that disagree with it, as well as those that agree with it.
"Cargo Cult Science", Caltech 1974 commencement address
One example of the principle is this: If you've made up your mind to test a theory, or you want to explain some idea, you should always decide to publish it whichever way it comes out.
"Cargo Cult Science", Caltech 1974 commencement address
Read when you are about to nod along to something you do not actually follow
