Why do magnets repel each other?

Science
#1

Richard Feynman

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZjNJy9RJks

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#2
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#4

Q: “why do two magnets repel each other”?

A: “because I am a physicist – and therefore a dick – and have no intention of giving you a straight answer.”

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#6

Seemed perfectly reasonable answers to me. It’s a tough question to answer without quite a bit of information as a common frame of reference. Feynman was talking to someone who was not one of his students, so the theory lecture that would have been much more informative was not appropriate.

#7
#8

1 - As my profile “about me” block somewhat to indicates, I have a soft spot in my black heart for electromagnetics. And, as I am sure you already probably understood, I don’t really think Feyman is a dick, or all physicists for that matter. Just some :wink:

2 -

Yep, so why talk down to him and careen off into ice and water and love and the meaning of life and what’s for dinner and how not to ask a stupid question? If you are correct (nb: you’re not) that the material is beyond explaining to anyone not sufficiently enlightened into the high priesthood, then he can just say “I can’t explain it to you” and be done with it.

3 -

As indicated just above, it not really that tough, assuming the goal is not to treat the topic fully and formally, but to make the basics of the topic accessible to regular people. Here is a both clear and succinct explanation for anyone with a basic understanding of the periodic table of elements and atomic structure, i.e. most high school graduates:

Does this handful of paragraphs and accompanying image make someone an E-M expert or ready for their Ph.D. defense? No, but I bet most people grasp the underlying principles/explanation after having read it.

#9

Reductio ad absurdum.

Neither “High Priesthood” - nor graduate studies - are required. I’ve done the latter, in physics BTW.

I do not know who the interviewer was, but I’m guessing it was not someone Feynman knew was another student of physics. The question asked makes this pretty clear. ( “Why do I feel this ?” )

He was venturing off topic to establish why it was a less then straightforward question.

When he finally did throw out an answer, the one about all of the electrons orbiting the same way, that was shorthand. If you know about such things, it conveyed a fair amount of information, but if you don’t, it did not.

The diversion was more on the nature of teaching than on electromagnetism. It’s always a challenge to figure out where to start on a new subject. Once you’ve done the higher level version of a class, backing up to teach the freshman version takes some thought.