A lokacin rayuwarsa, Feynman ya zama daya daga cikin mashahuran masana kimiyya a duniya. A cikin wani zabe na 1999 na manyan masana kimiyyar lissafi 130 a duk duniya ta jaridar Physics World ta Birtaniya an sanya shi a matsayin daya daga cikin manyan masana kimiyyar lissafi goma na kowane lokaci. Ya taimaka wajen bunkasa bam din nukiliya a lokacin yakin duniya na biyu kuma ya zama sananne ga jama'a a cikin shekarun 1980 a matsayin memba na Hukumar Rogers, kwamitin da ya binciki bala'in Space Shuttle Challenger. Tare da aikinsa a cikin ilimin lissafi, an ba Feynman bashi da farko a fagen lissafin lissafi da kuma gabatar da manufar nanotechnology.
masana kimiyya