bironic: Neil Perry gazing out a window at night (feynman finger)
[personal profile] bironic
I've been going to this film series on Richard Feynman these last couple of weeks. Why didn't anyone ever tell me that he was not only a genius but also really good looking?

I guess in his heydey he had a Hollywood star thing going for him, even though it isn't quite my type:





But wow, did he age well.




Here's a YouTube clip from a video taken shortly before he died of cancer. My favorite Feynman period so far.


I found this one online, too, from the early days at Los Alamos (he's in the middle):




Mm. And now I completely understand and agree with the choice to cast Alan Alda to portray him in that play. They have the same accent and many of the same mannerisms, and, when Feynman was older at least, they look similar. Feynman also reminds me of Ricardo Montalban.


Speaking of which. RIP, Ricardo Montalban. Even though Yahoo said you were best known for Fantasy Island, you'll always be Khan to me.


Today's random fact for SGA fans: I was told today that chopper pilots who've flown in Middle East deserts are best suited to land lunar modules, because the featureless dunes are the closest thing on Earth to the dark, shadowy landscape of the moon. In addition to being used to maneuvering in more dimensions that those who fly the shuttle or airplanes, the pilots are more prone to trust on-board navigational computers rather than trying to judge by looking out the window when there's no way to grasp any sense of scale.

Date: Jan. 16th, 2009 01:52 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] thingswithwings.livejournal.com
. . . so, where's my AU of John Sheppard, Apollo mission pilot? It could be set in the 1960s, and John would have that slicked-down hair-cream hair and big bright white-toothed smile (ironically) and . . . uh . . . Ronon and Rodney and Teyla would be there, too. I ran out of steam there, but you get the idea.

Date: Jan. 16th, 2009 02:02 am (UTC)
ext_2047: (Default)
From: [identity profile] bironic.livejournal.com
I do, and yes! I just love the idea of Sheppard as an astronaut; I'm so certain he wanted to be one when he was a kid. And Rodney as a Mission Control guy is a perfect fit. There was this fic (http://www.wraithbait.com/viewstory.php?sid=12446), which did not satisfy me, and then there was this fic (http://community.livejournal.com/parrotfic/23945.html) by [livejournal.com profile] thedeadparrot, which is hopping for attention on my to-read list.

Date: Jan. 16th, 2009 03:00 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] euclase.livejournal.com
Mr. Feynman, your wicker condom theories only work in Monte Carlo.

(Sorry, lame joke, and now I'm having flashbacks to college)

Date: Jan. 16th, 2009 03:07 am (UTC)
ext_2047: (Default)
From: [identity profile] bironic.livejournal.com
I do not know this joke. 'splain me?

Date: Jan. 16th, 2009 03:16 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] euclase.livejournal.com
It's just a lame pun on Feynman diagrams. Wick was a theoretical physicist, and "Monte-Carlo" is a random number algorithm.

Date: Jan. 16th, 2009 03:53 am (UTC)
ext_2047: (geek willow)
From: [identity profile] bironic.livejournal.com
Reason #249 I love LJ.

Date: Jan. 16th, 2009 03:29 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] musicisbelievng.livejournal.com
KHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN

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