Do You Know This Kid XVIII? Updated

This young man, seated with his little sister, was born in 1918.  He was eccentric, rhythmic and sought after.  He invented stuff, played music, traveled, and explained shit.  He is dead.

He looks as an adult pretty much as he looks in this photo--see the slightly devious grin?

He is world famous.  Althea probably already knows the answer, and I haven't even posted it yet!

There, it's posted.  Althea....??

Update:  Kathleen got it (as did a couple others in private emails)--Richard P. Feynman.

Richard Feynman

Here is a video of Feynman talking about the Space Shuttle Challenger panel and whether he should accept a seat or not.

There is quite a bit of Feynman video available. He is so watchable!! Feynmanchaser of youtube has most of them.

Richard Feynman On Textbook Adoptions

Nobel Prize-winning physicist and all-around genius Richard Feynman was once asked to be on the committee that decides which textbooks will be used in a certain California district. He devoted a chapter to it in Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman.

Richard Feynman On Jiggling Atoms

I love Richard Feynman. You should watch all the videos in the series (just click the video to go to YouTube). In this video, though the whole thing is fun and shows Feynman's extraordinary ability to make things understandable, it's the last 12 seconds that I want you to listen to. It's about education and testing. And it takes him a couple seconds to sum it up. So pay attention at 6:54.

Richard Feynman: Be Confusing!

He was a genius and Nobel Laureate as well as a bongo player and wildman. But fundamentally he was a teacher; yes, he was a perpetual student, but being so smart he had to teach himself much of what he learned, making him a teacher, mkay?

This video is a glimpse into his pedagogy, though I don't think that was the film's purpose. Feynman is so all-over-the-place in terms of curiosity that his pedagogy just slips out.

I find his notion of confusion as classroom practice refreshing, and right.

He's a joy to listen to, even for an hour!