Was Feynman a ladies man?

[dimreepr]

3 minutes ago, Strange said:

I don't know what that means.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/campus-confidential-coping-college/201501/there-is-nothing-either-good-or-bad-thinking-makes-it

[StringJunky]

9 minutes ago, Prometheus said:

That was the first defence given by a member of Jimmy Savile's family (a cousin i think) when the first suggestions of inappropriate behaviour were reported (the scale was not known then, more Michael Jackson than Gary Glitter, iirc). Fortunately the police felt otherwise.

To be clear i'm not trying to draw an equivalence between the Savile and Feynman situations, only that the 'past is past' is a lame excuse to ignore inappropriate behaviour.

So Feynman was a great scientist and allegedly a bit of a dick when it came to his treatment of women. What's wrong with stating these facts, if proven?

If it interests you, but I'm not going to first check someone's sexual history before I start reading up on quantum mechanics

[Prometheus]

1 minute ago, StringJunky said:

If it interests you, but I'm not going to first check someone's sexual history before I start reading up on quantum mechanics

For sure. I'd imagine it would be of interest to historians of science and people interested in Feynman as a person. Not entirely out of place in the lounge section of a science forum.

[Strange]

17 minutes ago, dimreepr said:

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/campus-confidential-coping-college/201501/there-is-nothing-either-good-or-bad-thinking-makes-it

I still have no idea what you mean.

[dimreepr]

1 minute ago, Strange said:

I still have no idea what you mean.

the bad news is, there is no good news.

[John Cuthber]

22 hours ago, zapatos said:

I didn't notice Alfred judging him.

Nor did I.

 

Did you notice this?
 

On 31/12/2018 at 11:48 AM, Strange said:

I gather he treated women pretty badly, if that is what "ladies man" means.

 

[zapatos]

5 minutes ago, John Cuthber said:

Nor did I.

 

Did you notice this?
 

 

I did. But that was not who you were responding to.

[MigL]

Interesting read Swansont. Thoroughly enjoyed it.
You notice that he always asked; any of the women could have said no, and he would not have asked her again.
I have read many accounts of his interactions with female scientists and students. None of them involve any condescension, or treatment as inferiors. So I would hesitate to jump from his proclivity to have his soup served by a pretty lady, to being a 'dick', as Prometheus posted.
( most people called him Dick, so don't feel bad Prometheus )

[Prometheus]

4 minutes ago, MigL said:

( most people called him Dick, so don't feel bad Prometheus )

I did say 'allegedly a bit of a dick'; didn't even occur to me he actually was Dick. 

[Strange]

39 minutes ago, MigL said:

You notice that he always asked; any of the women could have said no, and he would not have asked her again.

Which is exactly the sort of thing people like Weinstein say in their defense: "Of course she could have said no; the fact I am a powerful man who could make or break her career is completely irrelevant."

[koti]

28 minutes ago, Strange said:

Which is exactly the sort of thing people like Weinstein say in their defense: "Of course she could have said no; the fact I am a powerful man who could make or break her career is completely irrelevant."

At least 75 women accused Weinstein of abuse with 25+ years in prison hovering over him as a result. Aren't you crossing the line a bit Strange, attempting comparing that sleazeball to Feynman?

Edited January 1, 2019 by koti

[Strange]

49 minutes ago, koti said:

At least 75 women accused Weinstein of abuse with 25+ years in prison hovering over him as a result. Aren't you crossing the line a bit Strange, attempting comparing that sleazeball to Feynman?

Huh? I'm not comparing him to Feynman. At worst, I could be accused of comparing hm to MigL, but I am certainly not doing that either!

I am just pointing out that the "they could have said no" defence has little credibility, whoever says it.

[beecee]

Feynman was an accoplished scientist...he was also adapt at safe cracking, as well as playing the bongos I have read. Was he a lady's man? I'm sure he had an eye for the appreciation of the female form and associated beauty. But he was first and foremost an accomplished scientist.

No I havn't been following this thread, just thought I would now add my 2 cents worth. 

[MigL]

What power did R Feynman have over these women, Strange ?

If you read Swansont's link, the soup incidents happened when he helped out one of his son's friends setting up and building a parallel processing computer ( the Connection Machine ), and where his job was analysis/troubleshooting and even included buying stationary supplies or painting walls. He may have had some 'celebrity' status as a Nobel laureate, but this was in 1984, four years before his death.

Had you presented an account where he had power over one of his female students, I would totally agree with you.

Is this another case of going looking for sexism because we expect it to be there ?

( compare me to R Feynman as much as you like. Please !  )

Edited January 2, 2019 by MigL

[Strange]

2 minutes ago, MigL said:

What power did R Feynman have over these women, Strange ?

I don’t know that he had any. That wasn’t the point I was making. 

[koti]

24 minutes ago, Strange said:

At worst, I could be accused of comparing hm to MigL

If I was MigL I'd treat that particular comment of yours as funny, amusing cynicism.

Quote

but I am certainly not doing that either!

Right.  

[Strange]

3 minutes ago, MigL said:

Is this another case of going looking for sexism because we expect it to be there ?

It may be an example of seeing it because it is always there, I don’t know. 

[MigL]

I would take Strange's comparison as a great compliment, Koti.

[koti]

2 minutes ago, MigL said:

I would take Strange's comparison as a great compliment, Koti.

That's Weinstein you're not being compared to MigL, not Feynman.

[MigL]

Strange wouldn't compare me to H Weinstein.
He likes me.

Besides, I have no power over women.
( other than my good looks, intelligence, great personality and modesty )

[koti]

6 minutes ago, MigL said:

He likes me.

Strange or H. Weinstein?  

Quote

Besides, I have no power over women.
( other than my good looks, intelligence, great personality and modesty )

Being too modest as a man can lead to failure in romantic situations. But who am I to tell you that, you know this. 

[Strange]

10 hours ago, MigL said:

Besides, I have no power over women.
( other than my good looks, intelligence, great personality and modesty )

"He is a very modest man, but then he has a great deal to be modest about" (can't remember who said it, or about whom but it is a nice back-handed insult!)

10 hours ago, koti said:

Strange or H. Weinstein?

You like ambiguity more than most people. (See what I did there?)

[John Cuthber]

18 hours ago, zapatos said:

I did. But that was not who you were responding to.

I'm sorry that I didn't make it clear that , in saying that, I was responding to the thread as a whole (which meant that my comment made sense) rather than to a specific post (where my post would not have made sense).

For future reference; my posts generally make sense.

 

[koti]

2 hours ago, Strange said:

You like ambiguity more than most people. (See what I did there?)

"He is a very modest man, but then he has a great deal to be modest about" (can't remember who said it, or about whom but it is a nice back-handed insult!)

Correct. I have to make up for my lack of IQ, knowledge and education somehow so I choose ambiguity over being modest.

PS. Ambiguity intended.

[zapatos]

1 hour ago, John Cuthber said:

I'm sorry that I didn't make it clear that , in saying that, I was responding to the thread as a whole (which meant that my comment made sense) rather than to a specific post (where my post would not have made sense).

For future reference; my posts generally make sense.

 

Calm down friend. It's just a discussion. No need to get snarky.