Re:If Richard Feynman applied for a job at Microsoft (2002)
by hintymad on Friday July 23, 2021 @03:03PM
(#27934407)
I guess we can always clarify the context? Something like: I've never set foot in a 747, could you please describe what that is? Can I assume that the plane has no furniture, and the dimension is yada yada? You know, have a conversation.
Actually, that's exactly what Feynman did in the excellent writeup: https://longnow.org/essays/richard-feynman-connection-machin.... A quote: "For Richard, figuring out these problems was a kind of a game. He always started by asking very basic questions like, "What is the simplest example?" or "How can you tell if the answer is right?" He asked questions until he reduced the problem to some essential puzzle that he thought he would be able to solve."
Actually, that's exactly what Feynman did in the excellent writeup: https://longnow.org/essays/richard-feynman-connection-machin.... A quote: "For Richard, figuring out these problems was a kind of a game. He always started by asking very basic questions like, "What is the simplest example?" or "How can you tell if the answer is right?" He asked questions until he reduced the problem to some essential puzzle that he thought he would be able to solve."