This talk is aimed at lay persons curious to know how quantum mechanics works. The great American physicist Richard Feynman invented a formulation of quantum mechanics which can be readily understood through a set of simple pictures. In this talk, Feynman's somewhat crazy sounding (but correct!) ideas will be illustrated without equations via some simple examples and demonstrations (which you can perform yourself at home). By the end of this talk you will understand how mirages work, what a lens does, and be able to drop the phrase `quantum interference' in casual conversation.
Richard Feynman was no ordinary genius. He was a magician who frequently pulled radically original solutions to physics puzzles `out of the hat.' He was also an expert safe cracker, bongo player, technology visionary, and a generally curious character. His best-selling autobiography
Surely You're Joking Mr. Feynman!
is fun reading for people of all ages.
Additional background material for this talk can be found in Feynman's wonderful little book based on his public lectures:
QED: The Strange Theory of Light and Matter (Princeton Univ. Press; ISBN: 0691083886)
and on the following web page:
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