Bill Gates Makes Feynman Lectures Available Online

Dr. Richard Feynman (1918-1988) was one of the most revered physicists of the 20th century. His work in Quantum Electrodynamics earned him a Nobel Prize in 1965, and his famous "Red Book" series of Lectures on Physics have been a staple for several generations of physics students. Recently, Bill Gates put seven of the Messenger Series Lectures by Dr. Feynman on the Internet as part of Project Tuva.

When I was a graduate student in physics, Dr. Feynman was my hero, and the hero of many of my student friends. I don't think I really understood several key concepts in physics and electromagnetism until I read Dr. Feynman's Red Book series, The Feynman Lectures on Physics.

Richard Feynman

Dr. Richard Feynman (1918-88)

What made Dr. Feynman so great was his relative lack of hubris and single minded dedication to mathematical and physical insight. That he was a high genius allowed him considerable leeway as well, despite his eccentricities, at the California Institute of Technology.

As a site that covers Apple, we often cover news related to Microsoft as well, and this is no exception. We welcome Mr. Gates using his wealth acquired at Microsoft to make this valuable and historic contribution to the scientific and technical community via Project Tuva -- a name derived from from one of Dr. Feynman's own many adventures.

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Note: you will need Microsoft's Silverlight plug-in to view these lectures.