Richard Feynman is a Nobel Prize-winning quantum physicist. In his 40s, he took an active interest in art and art theory. His appreciation for art, in addition to science, has given Feynman a talent for describing scientific phenomena in beautiful, even poetic ways, such as this description of the mechanics of light. Every alternate Sunday for eight years, Feynman and his friend, Armenian artist Jirayr Zorthian, would take turns teaching each other about their respective fields; Feynman explained physics and Zorthian instructed him in art. As a result, the two had many interesting conversations over the years.
Gavin Aung of Zen Pencils fame created this colorful comic illustrating Feynman’s description of one of these conversations, demonstrating how art and aesthetics can also be appreciated from a scientific point of view.
(By the way, here’s a video of Feynman telling the story in the comic!)
Featured photo credit: The Beauty of a Flower/Gavin Aung via zenpencils.com
