Summary of Richard Feynman - The.Character.of.Physical.Law - Part 2 (full version)

00:00:00 - 00:50:00

In this video, Richard Feynman discusses the character of physical law, explaining that while it is easy to apply mathematics to simple situations, it is also necessary to understand the fundamental laws of physics in order to make good decisions in more complex situations. Feynman also discusses the importance of mathematics in physics, and how it is only possible because the laws are "just so."

• 00:00:00 In this video, Richard Feynman discusses the character of physical law, explaining that while it is easy to apply mathematics to simple situations, it is also necessary to understand the fundamental laws of physics in order to make good decisions in more complex situations.
• 00:05:00 In this video, physicist and Nobel Prize-winner Richard Feynman discusses the mathematical underpinnings of physical laws. He explains that for fundamental laws such as Faraday's law, which describe how an electrolysis system behaves, no mathematics is actually required. However, for more complicated laws such as Newton's law of gravity, which describe how objects interact with one another, mathematics is still a necessary part of understanding the phenomenon. Feynman also discusses a theory called big-bang cosmology, which proposes that the universe evolved from a very dense and hot state, and that the mathematics governing physical laws evolved as a result.
• 00:10:00 Richard Feynman discusses how physical laws are mathematical statements that can be easily explained to the layman, but still contain complexities that are difficult to understand. He discusses how this makes explaining physical laws an impossible task, and how a person would be better off reading more books on the subject.
• 00:15:00 In this video, Nobel Prize-winning physicist Richard Feynman demonstrates how the two laws of motion, which seem to be separate, are actually connected and can be reasoned out using mathematics. Feynman goes on to explain that the beauty of this relationship is that it makes physical law easier to understand.
• 00:20:00 In this video, Nobel Prize-winning physicist and mathematician Richard Feynman explains the principle that the rate of change of area itself does not change. He goes on to explicate how this principle is useful in physics, and how modern mathematics allows for a more interconnected view of physical laws.
• 00:25:00 The Babylonian method is a more efficient way of working in mathematics, as it allows for the deduction of systems with many particles. The law of conservation of angular momentum is one of its consequences.
• 00:30:00 In this video, physicist Richard Feynman discusses the qualitative shape of spiral nebulae, and how Newtonian laws are incorrect. He also talks about how mathematical arguments can show that we can start from many different apparent starting points and arrive at the same result.
• 00:35:00 The description of physical law in this video is based on Newton's laws and the local field method. The two formulations are equivalent, and the physical law cannot be decided scientifically on one formulation over the other.
• 00:40:00 In this video, Nobel Prize-winning physicist Richard Feynman discusses the importance of mathematics in physics, and how it is only possible because the laws are "just so." Feynman also explains why the laws of physics are incomplete, and how mathematicians only need to know that the statements about the axioms are true, not what the axioms mean.
• 00:45:00 In this video, Richard Feynman discusses the character of physical law and how mathematical reasoning is useful for physicists, but can sometimes be inadequate for predicting physical behavior. He also discusses the relationship between physical law and models, and how abstract reasoning away from models can lead to great discoveries.
• 00:50:00 The video discusses the idea that physical laws are simple, and that the complexity of physics is due to our limited understanding of these laws. It also points out that it's difficult to communicate this understanding to people who are not familiar with mathematics.