Many fans of Richard Feynman have asked whether the programs about Richard Feynman seen on NOVA are available on home video. After years of appealing to the BBC, I finally received official word: "Although appreciating your interest in this series, it was felt that the programmes' specialist nature rather limited their appeal for Home Video." Case closed.

However, I have found a source--the Association for Cultural Evolution--where the videos can be rented by mail (USA only, for the moment). The material is recorded on a single VHS T-180 tape. It has 2 hrs 45 minutes of material.

a) The Pleasure of Finding Things Out (1 hr);
b) Fun to Imagine (45 minutes--never seen in the US, it is vintage Feynman describing the wonders he sees in the physical world);
c) Last Journey of a Genius (1 hr; originally called The Quest for Tannu Tuva).

Check out ACE on the web to see their latest instructions on how to borrow these tapes.

To rent the tape for a week, follow these instructions carefully:
1) Make out a check for $17.50, payable to ACE. (This check covers the loan fee for one week, as well as sales tax and two-way shipping. It will be cashed upon receipt.)
2) Make out a check for $100, payable to ACE. (This check will be a security deposit against loss, damage, or overdue return. It will not be cashed unless the tape is lost, damaged, or returned late--in which case a portion will be returned to you.)
3) Make out a mailing label with your address on it to ensure efficient delivery.
4) Send both checks and your mailing label to:

ACE
Box 2382
Mill Valley, CA 94942

The tape will be loaned on a first-come, first-served basis. (As there is likely to be a lot of demand, the wait could be several weeks.)

There are several audio cassette and video tapes of Richard Feynman at Esalen available from Sound Photosynthesis, a creation of Faustin Bray, "the imaginative force behind the Chief's Esalen experiences," and her partner, Brian Wallace. Subjects include: Computers from the Inside Out and Tiny Machines, Idiosyncratic Thinking, and Bits and Pieces from Events. To find out more, please write to Box 2111, Mill Valley CA 94942, and request information on the Feynman material.