A chance encounter with my scientific HERO5 min read

First published on my now defunct FB page on Thursday, 5 May 2016 at 04:07 UTC+04

My MOST, MOST MOST memorable experience from school was when I was so damn bored… so damn bored of everything… I mean, nothing excited me. I had done and tried everything. I rebelled, I bunked classes, I fought with teachers, I won competitions, I fought with foes and flirted with girls… and there was nothing else… I was super bored… so out of boredom, I thought, let’s just go to the library … and just see what kind of books are there. And… whilst browsing the books of the library, I started to think about music and the guitar and sound and waves… Of course, because the library is so silent, you tend to wonder – what is non-silence… and hence that thought… And just as I was doing the thinking, I began to wonder where can I read more about the nature of sound… Will my lonely boring Physics book have something fascinating to say about the subject matter. So… I immediately went and got the regular school physics book that was happily and easily accessible. I looked and looked and besides formulas, SHM, pendulums and the likes, there was nothing remotely fascinating that I could read. I put it back immediately with sadness and more boredom. Then, I kept my search going and suddenly I see a light-blue colored series of books. Nothing spectacularly attractive about them. It definitely was fate. The title read “Lectures on Physics vol 1, vol 2 and vol 3”. Hmmm, I thought. What is this – an alternative book on Physics. I only thought my only source is that one ‘school’ book! I pulled out vol 2.. (I know why I did that..) – I wanted to see.. how deep a discussion on Physics will it be .. when we get to vol 2.. And lo and behold – the first chapter read: What is Sound! I joke not! It really is a true story. And so I began reading. And I continued reading. And I could not stop. I said to myself – whoever wrote this book is a genius. Is an amazing teacher. I loved him. He opened my eyes to Physics in a whole new way. And I stayed in that library till the end of the school hour … Nobody knew where I was. The next day… as soon as I got the opportunity to slip out of sight of everyone, I ran back to the library and hunted for the books – I was so scared, so scared that somehow they’d have disappeared… someone else would have found them and taken them. They were, after all … a treasure! But, there were there. Still there. vol 1 vol 2 and vol 3. For the next 2 weeks, I was in the library everyday… reading those books. Every page, every detail… the forward, the editorial, the remarks, the questions … everything. I drank that kool aid drink to the fullest. Of course, i did what anyone would do in such a situation – I hid them in a secret place in the library and NEVER told anyone about them. When I finished school, I was of course totally satisfied with my reads… and in love with Physics and had understood concepts that nobody could’ve ever understood having attended every Physics class diligently. I had not remembered a single rule or a formula or a theory. Nope. But I was filled with the passion that is Physics. That passion still runs deep. Anyway, time went by and never did I find those books again. About 9 months later, I was at IIT Madras attending my first ever cross India TechFest … I was exhilarated, excited and amazed at what so many cool amazing dudes in chappals and t-shirts were up to down south! They were the real deal. The nerds and the geeks. I did what they did. I spoke like they spoke. I started to dress like they dressed. And I listened to every word they uttered. Noting every nuance, every move and every thought they had. And… then … it happened. Someone announced that a nobel Physics prize winner is about to give an interview in the auditorium and I was excited. I never met me a real nobel prize winner so I ran as fast as I can … To my initial dismay, it happened to be a video. And it was an archive. So I was like, that’s a cheap shot. But… was it. I decided to stay on and hear this guy talk. The introduction began by one of the IIT Madras student geek lords… Professor Richard P Feynman is a …. and he said a few things… and then… one of the slides of the presentation .. showed his most famous books… Lectures on Physics vol 1 vol 2 vol 3… And my heart just STOPPED. It took me back instantly… to that moment in time when those three books had made the remaining part of my 11th and 12th grade in school bearable. When I learned how to write science education, when I learned how to think logically, when I learned how to read and appreciate amazing words and where I learned everything I learned about Physics then. I knew I had to listen to this man talk. It was after all, the mystery man himself. (I should’ve ‘searched’ him online the moment I had gone home, but it never had occurred to me that the author would be someone famous.. .I just thought, it’s a good series of books that someone had written.. ) – (Of course, I learned myself, and till date I have the weirdest fetish to always want to google the profile of everyone who ever utters even a line of wisdom.. because.. I always know .. instinctively this guy/girl is someone who’s life has been worthwhile) And the interview began. Richard Feynman in flesh and blood! On a screen, but still! It was the most heart-warming, amazing and thought-provoking interview I have ever had the chance to hear. And not only did this man inspire me with regards to Physics, but also about very important philosophies of life … about accolades and uniforms and the enjoyment of science and the pursuit of science for its own marvels… I was hooked. I bought every book he wrote. I researched everything about him. Where he lived. Who he married. How he lived. What he did. What he ate. Everything. And till date, I still go back to that interview and hear it again and again. It takes me back to that exact moment. To that moment of a heart-stop. To jubilation. To finding the owner of my treasured secrets. For those who’ve never heard of him, I suggest you do it. Chance is .. you’ll get to hear something of beauty. He, in fact is also why I pursued wanting to be a dad. He made me want to be a good father. Because of how he talked about his own father and that experience and bond he shared with him, for which .. he stayed a curious little boy who enjoyed doing science. Richard Feynman, you’re legend!

3 thoughts to “A chance encounter with my scientific HERO5 min read

  1. Wow! Thank you for the very special gift of your testimony of how you were inspired by Dr. Feynman. I got so excited about your excitement that it reminded me of those few moments when I was so awe inspired.
    There are not many opportunities I get these days to get stirred into inquisitiveness. Stories like these will do it if I give them a chance to do so.

    They’re just like the stories I used to tell my students and friends and those open enough to listen. To hold someone’s attention like that is definitely a gift to be shared. Keep it up.
    Thank you again.

    1. I am so very sorry for such a late response! Thank you for reading my blog (Nobody usually visits it :D)
      I mostly maintain it for myself.

      I see you’re an educator as well. I will go through your blog as well. (I should probably have an email notification when comments come in)

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