The Character of Physical Law | Richard Feynman

Richard Feynman was obviously famous for his work as a physicist, but he's also widely regarded as one of the most lucid and effective lecturers to ever address an audience. So renowned, so readily accessible were his presentations, that his introductory physics lectures (which he delivered to undergraduates at Caltech) have since been immortalized in the form of a three-volume set called, quite simply, The Feynman Lectures.

The set is a phenomenal resource to anyone with even a passing interest in the physical world and the laws that govern it — but even these lectures cannot capture the essence of what it might have been like to attend a presentation given by Feynman himself.

Fortunately for all of us, in 1964, Feynman delivered a series of seven, hour-long lectures at Cornell University. Those lectures were recorded by the BBC, and in 2009 (with a little help from Bill Gates), they were released to the public. You'll find all seven of them featured below, but you'll also want to check out the lectures on Microsoft's Project Tuva, where they have been carefully edited to include closed captioning and annotations.

Source: Watch a series of seven brilliant lectures by Richard Feynman

Lecture 1: Law of Gravitation - An Example of Physical Law

After a brief introduction by Dale Corson, Dr. Richard Feynman discusses the physical law of gravity. He covers its origins through scientific discoveries in astronomy and also Newton's contribution. He then discusses its implications and relationship to other laws.

Richard Feynman - The Character of Physical Law - Part 1 The Law of Gravitation - An Example of Physical Law

Lecture 2: The Relation of Mathematics and Physics

In this lecture, Dr. Richard Feynman explores the relationship between mathematics and physics. He discusses the use of mathematics, its power as a reasoning tool, the two traditions in science, and the fact that pursuits in physics have many possible starting points.

Richard Feynman - The Character of Physical Law - Part 2 The Relation of Mathematics to Physics

Lecture 3: The Great Conservation Principles

In this lecture, Dr. Richard Feynman discusses the great conservation principles including those related to electric charge, baryons, strangeness, energy, and angular momentum. He also discusses locality and the principle of relativity.

Richard Feynman - The Character of Physical Law - Part 3 The Great Conservation Principles

Lecture 4: Symmetry in Physical Law

In this lecture, Dr. Richard Feynman discusses symmetry in physical law. He covers translation in space, translation in time, rotation in space, the principle of relativity, symmetry in atomic particles, changes in scale, uniform angular speed, and reflection in space. He also discusses the relationship between conservation laws and symmetry, and concludes with a brief look at antimatter.

Richard Feynman - The Character of Physical Law - Part 4 Symmetry in Physical Law

Lecture 5: The Distinction of Past and Future

In this lecture, Dr. Richard Feynman discusses the linearity of time, and its irreversible nature. He discusses the related topics of order and disorder, equilibrium, and how these relate to phenomena in our universe.

Richard Feynman - The Character of Physical Law - Part 5 The Distinction of Past and Future

Lecture 6: Probability and Uncertainty - The Quantum Mechanical View of Nature

In this lecture, Dr. Richard Feynman discusses the peculiarities of physics at the quantum level. He uses the classic double-slit experiment to illustrate the odd behavior of electrons and photons, and what scientists have learned about the way the universe works at such a small scale.

Richard Feynman - The Character of Physical Law - Part 6 Probability and Uncertainty

Lecture 7: Seeking New Laws

In this lecture, Dr. Richard Feynman explores the process by which new laws of nature are discovered. He discusses the fundamental constituents of matter, and how scientists use various methods to attempt to discover new laws.

Richard Feynman - The Character of Physical Law - Part 7 Seeking New Laws