A PBS clip in which Richard Feynman explains the strange nature of light and electromagnetic radiation. He conveys how little of it we actually see and how radio waves are present everywhere.
Why Hacker News points people here: Recommended as an entertaining, accessible way to get a feel for light and electric fields.
“I highly recommend you watch this video of Feynman explaining light”HN comment, 2025
“This is one of my favorite PBS clips from the 80's in which Richard Feynman explains how strange the nature of light”
Feynman explains the strange nature of light and electromagnetic radiation
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Let's try to work the problem in a way that avoids pedantry, just for a moment. This is one of my favorite PBS clips from the 80's in which Richard Feynman explains how strange the nature of light and by extension all of electromagnetic radiation. this video If you listen carefully, you notice that he never talks about wave/particle duality (because he wasn't giving a classroom lecture). What he does talk about is an electric field that waves slosh around in, and that something "elaborate and complicated" is going on at a deeper level. That's what I'm on about, if you were pressed to explain it so that a bright child would get it, how would you do that?
Strongly recommendskyproFeb 2025
“I highly recommend you watch this video of Feynman explaining light”
Feynman explaining light in a fun, entertaining way
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I'm sure a lot of people here have already seen this, but for those who haven't I highly recommend you watch this video of Feynman explaining light, this video He had an amazing ability to make physics fun and entertaining. I could listen to him talk all day.
RecommendsJachJul 2019
“A favorite Feynman vid to give laymen a taste”
Feynman gives laymen a taste of the electric field
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The potential is obvious once you really start to grasp the reality of the electric field and its properties. (A favorite Feynman vid to give laymen a taste: this video ) I don't see how any worthwhile possibilities can be realized at the amateur level however given just two of the restrictions I pointed out in a sibling thread...
RecommendsmartyvisMar 2022
“Richard Feynman gets very excited about this very fact”
Feynman on all radio waves being present at every point
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Richard Feynman gets very excited about this very fact, that at any point it has ALL of the radio waves, amongst other electromagnetic radiation, that just has to be tuned in or focussed on. this video
Cites itQuekid5Sep 2018
“The vast majority of light is effectively invisible to you.”
Feynman on how we experience light versus what it is
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I don't think that's what the poster meant. I think it was probably more along the lines of how you experience e.g. 'light' vs. what it actually is : this video (The vast majority of light is effectively invisible to you.)
Jokep1mrxMar 2021Full comment
Oh, but you can see past events while wielding (or not wielding) a time crystal. Vision is far out: this video
