---
language:
- en
task_categories:
- automatic-speech-recognition
- audio-classification
- text-to-speech
- audio-to-audio
task_ids:
- speaker-identification
tags:
- physics
- education
- lectures
- feynman
- caltech
- audio
- educational-content
- scientific-lectures
- quantum-mechanics
- electromagnetism
- mechanics
size_categories:
- 100K<n<1M
source_datasets:
- original
license: other
multilinguality:
- monolingual
pretty_name: The Feynman Lectures on Physics - Audio Dataset
dataset_info:
  features:
  - name: audio
    dtype: audio
  - name: sequence_order
    dtype: int64
  - name: lecture_title
    dtype: string
  - name: lecture_number
    dtype: string
  - name: topic
    dtype: string
  - name: lecture_type
    dtype: string
  - name: series
    dtype: string
  - name: volume
    dtype: int64
  - name: chapter_topic
    dtype: string
  - name: date
    dtype: string
  - name: year
    dtype: int64
  - name: month
    dtype: int64
  - name: speaker
    dtype: string
  - name: institution
    dtype: string
  - name: course
    dtype: string
  - name: duration
    dtype: float64
  - name: duration_minutes
    dtype: float64
  - name: audio_quality_score
    dtype: float64
  - name: original_sampling_rate
    dtype: int64
  - name: rms_energy
    dtype: float64
  - name: silence_ratio
    dtype: float64
  - name: file_size_mb
    dtype: float64
---

# The Feynman Lectures on Physics - Audio Dataset

## Dataset Description

This dataset contains the complete audio recordings from Richard Feynman's famous physics lectures at the California Institute of Technology, delivered between 1961-1964. The dataset includes all three volumes of "The Feynman Lectures on Physics" with rich metadata and quality metrics.

## Dataset Summary

- **Total Lectures:** ~100+ audio recordings
- **Format:** M4A (original format preserved)
- **Speaker:** Richard Feynman
- **Institution:** California Institute of Technology
- **Time Period:** 1961-1964
- **Total Duration:** ~127 hours of content
- **Language:** English

## Dataset Structure

### Data Fields

- `audio`: Audio file in M4A format
- `sequence_order`: Order of the lecture in the series (1-N)
- `lecture_title`: Full title of the lecture
- `lecture_number`: Lecture identifier
- `topic`: Main physics topic (Mechanics, Electromagnetism, etc.)
- `lecture_type`: Type of lecture (main, supplementary, review, special)
- `series`: Volume information (I, II, or III)
- `volume`: Volume number (1, 2, or 3)
- `chapter_topic`: Broader chapter topic grouping
- `date`: Date of the lecture (when available)
- `year`: Year of the lecture
- `month`: Month of the lecture
- `speaker`: Always "Richard Feynman"
- `institution`: Always "California Institute of Technology"
- `course`: Always "The Feynman Lectures on Physics"
- `duration`: Duration in seconds
- `duration_minutes`: Duration in minutes
- `audio_quality_score`: Computed quality score (0-1)
- `original_sampling_rate`: Audio sampling rate
- `rms_energy`: Root mean square energy
- `silence_ratio`: Ratio of silence in the audio
- `file_size_mb`: File size in megabytes

### Volume Breakdown

**Volume I: Mechanics, Radiation, and Heat**
- Covers fundamental mechanics, conservation laws, relativity, and thermodynamics
- Lectures 1-52

**Volume II: Electromagnetism and Matter**  
- Covers electromagnetic fields, Maxwell's equations, and properties of matter
- Lectures S1-S40

**Volume III: Quantum Mechanics**
- Covers quantum mechanical principles and applications
- Lectures S41-S64

## Data Quality

- Audio files are preserved in their original M4A format to maintain quality
- Quality scores computed based on energy levels and silence ratios
- Original sampling rates preserved (typically 44.1kHz or 48kHz)
- Comprehensive metadata cleaning and validation applied

## Educational Applications

This dataset is valuable for:
- **Physics Education**: Access to Feynman's legendary teaching style
- **Audio Processing Research**: High-quality physics lecture audio data
- **Speech Recognition**: Scientific and educational speech patterns
- **Educational AI**: Training models on expert physics explanations
- **Historical Preservation**: Digital preservation of important physics lectures