Richard Feynman recounts how his early interest in science began through playing with bathroom tiles with his father. His father would set up the tiles vertically like dominoes for Feynman to knock down as a baby in his highchair. Over time, Feynman would help his father set up more complicated tile patterns. When his mother saw this, she told his father to let Feynman place the tiles however he wanted rather than following a set pattern. The author of the piece being summarized is Richard Feynman recounting his early childhood experiences that sparked his interest in science.

1. Welcome Dears….

2. World of Science

3. Richard Philips Feynman

6. The Making of a Scientist
-Richard Philips Feynman

7. The Text: “The Making of a Scientist”
-Richard Feynman
When I was just a little kid, very small in a
highchair, my father brought home a lot of little
bathroom tiles of different colours. We played with them,
my father setting them up vertically on my highchair like
dominoes, and I would push one end so they would all
go down.
Then after a while, I’d help set them up. Pretty
soon, we’re setting them up in a more complicated way:
two white tiles and a blue tile, two white tiles and a blue
tile, and so on. When my mother saw that she said,
“Leave the poor child alone. If he wants to put a blue
tile, let him put a blue tile.”

8. Glossary References
 Highchair – highchair often including a built – in
tray used for feeding babies

9.  Dominoes – a tile divided into two, especially for
playing games

10. Questions…
 Who was the author of The Making of a
Scientist?
 Who is the “I” referred in the narrative?

11. Answers..
1. Richard Feynman
2. Writer