We get Thumbs-Up in a mainstream TV movie!

[onager]

OK, blink and you miss it. But in a TV-Land dominated by televangelists, mediums, ghost hunters, Bigfoot and other woo, I'll take whatever I can get.

Source: the Science Channel TV movie "The Challenger Disaster," which debuted this weekend. About Richard Feynmann's part in the investigation of the 1986 space shuttle explosion.

Scene: Feynmann (William Hurt), after hearing Reagan's "touched the face of Gawd" speech, is told he must "respect the memories of the astronauts" by commission chairman William Rogers (Brian Dennehy).

Feynmann says: "I'm an atheist, so I seriously doubt they are touching the face of god. And I'll show my respect by trying to find out why they died."

Insert 1 million applauding smilies...

[JNelson6563]

1. Nice. I like it.

[defacto7]

2. Perfect!

Fluff meets facts. Frill meets will! I go for willpower any day over frill talk. If I need a dose of ecstatic spiritual expression, I'll listen to Puccini.

[eShirl]

3. Dick Feynman, MY MAN!

[BlancheSplanchnik]

4. oh very good! I like it. n/t

[Jerry442]

5. Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!

[DeSwiss]

6. K&R

- We are a way for the cosmos to know itself. ~Carl Sagan

[Curmudgeoness]

7. Good one. You pray, we will act! nt

[progressoid]

8. And even more poignant since Feynman himself was dying at the time.

[onager]

9. "Feynman: The Challenger" documentary

Thanks for the comments, everybody.

Just thought I'd also alert you to the one-hour documentary "Feynman: The Challenger." On the Science channel, it's playing between showings of the "Challenger Disaster" movie.

Great overview of Feynman's life and work, including interviews with family, friends and scientific colleagues. I only wish it had been longer.

One anecdote that really shows Feynman's unpretentiousness: when his son went to work for one of the first "super-computer" companies, Feynman asked for a job.

The company founder had a "WTF" moment when a Nobel winner came thru the door and asked: "OK, what do you need for me to do?"

Feynman's first job assignment: he went out and bought stationery. And paper clips.

What a character...

[Gore1FL]

10. Sadly I don't get Discover. Apparently it is a different tier of service.

I'll have to see if it is available online.