🐴 Will there be no more great physicists?

Nobel laureate Richard Feynman's warning about standardized education. PLUS: A simple technique to test your child's actual understanding.

February 27, 2025

3 Quick Bites:

🍎 Why a Nobel Prize winner feared for the future of scientific education
🍎 How apprenticeship models are making a comeback in modern STEM learning
🍎 The 5-minute technique that instantly reveals if your child truly understands a concept

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💡 THOUGHT

SURELY YOU’RE JOKING, DR. FEYNMAN!

"There will be no more great physicists."

That's what Nobel Prize winner Dr. Richard Feynman told quantum computing pioneer David Deutsch in a rare one-on-one conversation. Why such a grim prediction from one of the most brilliant minds of the 20th century?

Our education system.

Feynman thought standardized schooling was killing creativity. When everyone learns the same material in the same way, innovation dies. He saw the physics curricula becoming narrower, more uniform, more test-focused.

The freedom to think differently made Feynman who he was. He constantly approached problems in ways "people didn't approve of" - and revolutionized physics as a result.

What future Feynmans are we losing to standardization today?

📊 TREND

BRING BACK MASTERS

Before modern classrooms, scientists learned through apprenticeship and hands-on experimentation.

Parents are rediscovering this approach:

  • DIY science kit sales are on the rise.

  • Community maker spaces are booming

  • Apprenticeship-style STEM programs have waitlists at top universities

Why? Because real science isn't just about memorizing the periodic table. It's about curiosity, questions, and the freedom to explore what others haven't.

🔨 TOOL

5-MINUTE FEYNMAN TECHNIQUE

Feynman once famously said, "If you can't explain something to a first-year student, then you don't really understand it."

The next time your child struggles with a concept, try this simple technique:

  1. Choose a concept your child is learning

  2. Have them explain it as if teaching someone who knows nothing about the subject

  3. Notice where they get stuck - these are the knowledge gaps

  4. Review and simplify - go back to source material together, then try again with simpler language

Feynman’s trademark technique reveals instantly whether your child truly understands or has just memorized facts. Better yet, it teaches them to recognize the difference themselves.

Try it this week: Ask your child to explain something they're learning to a stuffed animal. The results might surprise you both.

(QUOTE) OF THE DAY

That’s all for today! See you tomorrow.

– Charlie (the OpenEd newsletter guy)

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