Part 5: Alfred Nobel's Other Mistake Summary and Analysis

This chapter discusses Feynman's ambivalence about winning the Nobel Prize in Physics—the media attention, fame and social formalities of the experience are stressful to him.

Feynman is also nervous about being presented to the King of Sweden, and about interactions with royalty in general, since he finds the prescribed social rituals involved in such occasions confusing (he relates one very awkward encounter with a Danish princess). All in all, he seems to have fond memories of Sweden, however.

After winning the Nobel Prize, Feynman discovers people with no interest or background in physics arrive at his lectures because of his celebrity status—therefore making him feel pressured to give less technical talks than he otherwise would. He gets around this by giving his lectures dull sounding titles and scheduling them...