Richard Feynman: Fun to Imagine
Season 1
Gifted physicist Richard Feynman (1918-88) was known as the 'great explainer' due to his ability to help non-scientists imagine something of the beauty and order of the universe as he saw it. In this series, Feynman looks at the mysterious forces that make ordinary things happen and, in doing so, answers questions about why rubber bands are stretchy, why tennis balls can't bounce for ever and what you're really seeing when you look in the mirror.
Where to Watch Season 1
6 Episodes
- Stretching, Pulling and PushingE2
Stretching, Pulling and PushingWhy do rubber bands stretch and contract? And why do two magnets feel as though there's something in between them when they repel each other? These are simple enough questions but, as Professor Feynman explains, the answers are surprisingly complicated. - How to Enjoy a Trip to the DentistE3
How to Enjoy a Trip to the DentistA trip to the dentist prompts Richard Feynman to ponder on the wonder of electrical and magnetic forces. Using examples from everyday life, the eminent scientist explains how these concepts work and reveals just how important the discovery of electromagnetism was. Combing one's hair isn't such a mundane task after all. - How Mirrors Turn You Inside OutE4
How Mirrors Turn You Inside OutWhy do mirrors invert a reflection from right to left but not up to down? This is just one of the questions that Professor Richard Feynman answers in the fourth of his series of chats about the way the world really functions. He also dissects the eye (painlessly) to describe how sight works. - Big NumbersE5
Big NumbersIn this brain-boggling session from Professor Feynman, the scientist reveals how imagination leads the way when trying to understand such cosmic phenomena as black holes, quasars and pulsars. He also provides a fascinating explanation as to why Earth's mountains are no higher than Everest. - Ways of ThinkingE6
Ways of ThinkingRichard Feynman gives us a glimpse inside his head in this exploration of how we think about complicated ideas. Fellow Nobel Laureate Hans Bethe said of Feynman that he was not only a genius but also a magician because "a magician does things that nobody else could ever do and that seem completely unexpected - and that's Feynman".
