Feynman is in the forefront of one of the
oldest and most intriguing games of hide and
seek in science – finding the ultimate constituents
of the world. In this search Feynman is a
celebrated maverick who was encouraged by
his father, who was a New York clothing salesman,
to confront conventional wisdom.
One Sunday all the kids were walking in little
parties with their fathers in the woods. The
next Monday we were playing in a field, and
a kid said to me, "What's that bird? Do you
know the name of that bird?"
I said, "I haven't the slightest idea."
He said, "Well, it is a brown‑throated thrush."
He said, "Your father doesn't teach you anything."
But my father had already taught me about
the names of birds. Once we walked, and he
said, "That is a brown-throated thrush. In
German it is called the Pfleegel flügel.
In Chinese it is called Keewontong. In Japanese
a Towhatowharra, and so on. And when you know
all the names of that bird in every language,
you know nothing, but absolutely nothing,
about the bird."
And then we would go on and talk about the pecking and the feathers.
So I had learned already that names don't
constitute knowledge. Of course that has caused
me a certain amount of trouble since because
I refuse to learn the name of anything. So
when someone comes in and says, "Have you
got any explanation for the Fitch‑Cronin
experiment?" I say, "What's that?"
And he says, "You know – that long‑lived
k meson that disintegrates into two pi's."
"Oh, yes, now I know."
I never know the names of things.
What my father forgot to tell me was that
knowing the names of things was useful if
you want to talk to somebody else – so you
can tell them what you are talking about.
The basic principle of knowing about something
rather than just knowing its name is something
that you have stuck to, isn't it?
Yes, of course. We have to learn that these
are the kinds of disciplines in the field
of science that you have to learn – to know
when you know and when you don't know, and
what it is you know and what it is you don't
know. You've go to be very careful not to
confuse yourself.
