I can't imagine having a guy like this for a teacher. I remember reading "Surely You're Joking..." in my late formative years, and I can't help but think it impacted my values at a deep personal level.
If it weren't Feynman, I'd swear he's just beating around the bush because he doesn't want to admit he doesn't know the answer. :)
Yet most of us here do this same thing to some degree. Whenever you program something based on requirements you're basically going through a similar set of questions and answers. Abstract thinking is a wonderful thing.
Indeed. He then actually does admit that, but indeed he does so in so many words, which was however probably expected given the nature of the interview. His start is rough, even arrogant, but then it gets better. I think the part where he answers is basically "so far magnetic and electric forces look like basic elements of nature, we can't explain them using anything simpler or more familiar. In fact these forces are what we use to explain the familiar mechanical forces."
The only person whose kids must have given up on asking "why" before he did.