On Thu, Mar 7, 2013 at 11:58 AM, James Bowery <[email protected]> wrote: > > > On Thu, Mar 7, 2013 at 10:51 AM, Harry Veeder <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> On Thu, Mar 7, 2013 at 11:08 AM, Jones Beene <[email protected]> wrote: >> > >> > Even with best intentions, there is an unintentional homicide charge >> > that >> > can be used at the discretion of the Stat, depending on culpability. >> > This is >> > often called Involuntary or Reckless Manslaughter. Feynman did take the >> > risk of “pulling the plug” even when Papp shouted for him not to do it. >> > Was >> > that reckless or not? >> >> According to Feynman: >> >> <<Mr. Papp pulled the plug from the wall, and the fan propeller >> continued to turn. 'You see, this cord has nothing to do with the >> engine; it's only supplying power to the instruments,' he said. Well, >> that was easy. He's got a storage battery inside the engine. 'Do you >> mind if I hold the plug?' I asked? 'Not at all,' replied Mr. Papp, and >> he handed it to me. >> >> It wasn't very long before he asked me to give me back the plug. 'I'd >> like to hold it a little longer,' I said, figuring that if I stalled >> around enough, the damn thing would stop. >> >> Pretty soon Mr. Papp was frantic, so I (Richard Feynman) gave him back >> the plug and he plugged it back into the wall. A few moments later >> there was a big explosion...>> >> >> http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/comments/papparticle2.html >> >> Harry >> > > So for how long was Papp "frantically" _not_ asking for the plug back? Or > did Papp become "frantic" only after having calmly asking Feynman for the > plug back?
I found the meaning of Feynman`s passage clear. Anyway this is Feynman`s memory of what transpired. Other witnesses might have recalled the event slightly differently. Harry
