What Do You Care What Other People Think?

是Feynman另一本非學術性的書. 與Surely You're Joking 差不多, 都是搞笑的, 不過, 後半是說他如何參加調查1988年穿梭機挑戰者號爆炸的事, 算是有點學術性. 

開首一兩個chapter是說他的父親如何教養他. 


之後, 是他追求當時的妻子的故事, 即後來肺癆死的一那個美人. What do you care what other people think 是他妻子的口頭禪. 


   

原來, Feynman當時有一個情敵, 是個文科的資優生, 科科拿A. Feynman自己是理科高材生, 又是科科拿A, 更拿了不少獎學金.


大學時, 要交英文作文 (他不著重英文, 也不管文法), 他打算馬馬虎虎的交一篇Treasure Island (金銀島)算了, 但同學都說他不可以一篇淺易的書來作文. 


There was also a list of questions for an essay. The one I chose was "The importance of Science in Aviation." I thought, "what a dumb question! The importance of science in aviation is obvious!"

他知道, 要令老師加分就要把文章寫得複雜, 即throwing the bull - building up their sentences to sound complex and sophisticated. 

於是: 

So I wrote stuff like: "Aeronautical science is important in the analysis of the eddies, vortices, and whirlpools formed in the atmosphere behind the aircraft..." I knew that eddies, vortices, and whirlpools are the same thing, but mentioning them three different ways sounds better! 

最後, 他以91分勝過情敵, 還上台拿了英文的honor呢. 



   

最好笑的一章是, "What the hell is Herman?" 

他對人名的記性不好, 有一天收到老朋友的電話, 說Herman及他的母親撞車死了, 想Feynman為Herman扶靈, 但, Feynman記不起誰是Herman, 打電話到殯儀館查了半天, 也記不起這個人. 於是

The last chance I have is to go to the funeral and look into the casket. 

最後

I looked into the second casket, and there as Herman - and I swear to you, I'd never seen him before in my life! 

當然, 他最後也有為Herman扶靈. 


此章寫得很活潑又很可憐, 我夜半看得哈哈大笑起來. 



   

全書最緊張是說他如何與其他勁人調查Challenger Shuttle的爆炸原因, 故意把它放在Appendix內, 是有其他的深意. 

他寫的顯淺易明, 難怪是一個教育家. 

原來, Space Shuttle有4個電腦同步做控制, 還有第5個是後備, 但只會做升空及降落. (詳情請看p.233, 很有趣的.) 最終爆炸原因原來是橡皮圈出事. 



   

還有他虛構一個Washington U 教授的身份給自己, 免得在講座內吸引了一大班不會physics, 但慕名而來聽講的學生. 


與Surely You're Joking 一樣, 很值得一看啊.