“There were 183 of us freshmen, and a bowling ball hanging from the three-story
ceiling to just above the floor. Feynman walked in and, without a word,
grabbed the ball and backed against the wall with the ball touching his nose.
He let go, and the ball swung slowly 60 feet across the room and back –
stopping naturally just short of crushing his face. Then he took the ball
again, stepped forward, and said: ‘I wanted to show you that I believe in
what I’m going to teach you over the next two years.'”