How Did Richard Feynman Crack Safes During WWII?

TL;DR

Richard Feynman cracked safes during WWII by exploiting mechanical tolerances and human tendencies. He discovered that many people left safes on default settings or used significant dates as combinations, reducing the possible combinations to as few as 162. His techniques demonstrated cleverness and an understanding of human nature, allowing him to open safes quickly and with ease.

Transcript

BRADY HARAN: Hey there, everyone. Today's video is about Richard Feynman-- a lot of people's favorite scientist-- and safe breaking. But I just wanted to point out at the start that most safes, or secure filing cabinets, actually have one dial. And if you've got a three number combination, for example, you'll turn that dial in one direction, then t... Read More

Key Insights

• 🪡 Safe cracking by Richard Feynman in WWII was a result of his curiosity and need for amusement.
• 🧑‍🏭 Feynman exploited the tolerance factor in Mosler safes to reduce the number of combinations needed to crack them.
• 🥳 Common combination settings like birthdays or anniversaries made cracking safes easier for Feynman.
• 🦺 Feynman's unconventional methods of safe cracking highlighted the importance of human nature and deviousness in security.

Questions & Answers

Q: How did Richard Feynman entertain himself during WWII in Los Alamos?

Feynman entertained himself by cracking safes at Los Alamos due to his wife's death and isolation in the desert area.

Q: What was the tolerance factor Feynman discovered in Mosler safes?

Feynman found a tolerance factor of plus or minus two on each dial number, making safe cracking easier.

Q: What were some common settings people used for combination locks?

People commonly used birthdays, anniversaries, or well-defined dates as combination lock settings, making them vulnerable to Feynman's cracking techniques.

Q: How did Feynman further reduce the number of combinations to crack a safe?

Feynman left safes open in others' offices, learned the last two numbers, reducing combinations to 20 and cracking them in a minute and a half.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Richard Feynman cracked safes in Los Alamos during WWII out of amusement.

• Feynman discovered safes had tolerance in numbers, reducing combinations.

• His techniques included exploiting human nature to crack safes easily.