  This article is a summary of a talk about Richard Feynman, given at a
conference Polymaths across the Eras organized in November 2023 by the St Cross
Centre for the History and Philosophy of Physics (HAPP) in Oxford. It describes
Feynman as an unconventional polymath, primarily concerned with his own
understanding of nature, having little regard for previous authorities. His
curiosity, respect for experiment, ability to calculate and notable ingenuity
led to important developments in quantum mechanics, quantum electrodynamics,
and strong interactions. In particle physics, Feynman diagrams have been a
mainstay of calculation for the last 75 years. His relish for the spoken word
led to renown as an educator and raconteur. His perceptions were influential in
a wide range of other scientific fields, including weak interactions, gravity,
superconductivity, biology, nanotechnology, algorithmic computation and quantum
computers. In all of this, he held to the idea that nature has an intrinsic
simplicity and beauty that permit us to find things out, if only we will try
hard enough.
