Comment

To everyone saying “Feynman did explain it” you’re missing the point - his answer is that there isn’t really an answer to why magnets attract; he never says in that interview that there is, other than that is how the universe works.

He can explain the precise way in which they attract each other, can explain what properties of materials give rise to magnetism, and so on, but this is all ultimately a description. The only way science can answer a “why” question is with a description of general behaviour that encompasses what is asked about, so: why do magnets attract, because of spins and magnetic fields and so on. But why do spins and magnetic fields cause the attraction? There is no known general behaviour that encompasses that behaviour, and if there were, it would be subject to the same questioning. Ultimately, all “why” questions reach an end.

source

Sort:hotnew top

MirthfulAlembic@lemmy.world ⁨11⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

Ultimately, all “why” questions reach an and.

I see you have not recently interacted with a toddler in the “why” phase.

source
- pachrist@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
  The secret to this, which works on all children, mine included, is to turn it and ask them what they think. Leads to more fun answers as well. Not right, but fun.
  
  source
- ameancow@lemmy.world ⁨11⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
  Never discourage that phase, imagine if our population never grew out of questioning the world. Just don’t be afraid to say “I don’t know, maybe you can teach me someday.”
  
  source
  - Whats_your_reasoning@lemmy.world ⁨8⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
    I work with kids, including a bright little boy who told me that “Why?” is his favorite question. I explicitly tell him that I hope he never stops asking it. His questions challenge the depths of my knowledge and compel me to look up questions I never thought of before. I love it.
    
    I call him my “little scientist.” He’s only 4 and he teaches my coworkers new things all the time. I feel so lucky to get to work with a little knowledge-sponge that’s as curious as I am!
    
    source
  - krooklochurm@lemmy.ca ⁨5⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
    I read somewhere that a good response is: why do you think?
    
    source
  - badcommandorfilename@lemmy.world ⁨10⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
    “Hmm, I’m not sure honey - why do you think metal stick to magnets? Maybe there are some books at the library we can read to find out more…”
    
    source
    GreyEyedGhost@lemmy.ca ⁨3⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
    But once again, those will explain how, not why.
    
    source
    Dozzi92@lemmy.world ⁨8⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
    I generally say things like “it’s complicated, but let’s see if we can find out.”. Unfortunately when my daughter said “Why are your parents divorced,” I had to leave it at “It’s complicated.” Basically, magnets.
    
    source
    -> View More Comments
- FishFace@piefed.social ⁨11⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
  Are you able to answer all their why questions satisfactorily? No? Then that’s where they reach an end…
  
  source
- chillpanzee@lemmy.ml ⁨6⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
  Taking it all the way back to OP’s meme. Love it.
  
  source
JcbAzPx@lemmy.world ⁨12⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
So he answered ‘how do they work’. No one was asking why.

source
- dontsayaword@piefed.social ⁨11⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
  The interviewer in the referenced clip did actually press Feynman to explain the “why”, which led Feynman into an explanation aboit how “why” is impossible to answer, which is what OP is talking about.
  
  source